Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the steel town of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His parents emigrated from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Mancini's father, Quinto, was a steelworker, who made his only child begin flute lessons at the age of eight. When Mancini was 12 years old, he began piano lessons. Quinto and Henry played flute together in the Aliquippa Italian immigrant band, "Sons of Italy". After high school, Mancini attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. In 1943, after roughly one year at Juilliard, his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the army. In 1945, he participated in the liberation of a South German concentration camp.
Mancini recorded over 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band to classical to pop. Eight of these albums were certified gold by The Recording Industry Association of America. He had a 20 year contract with RCA Records, resulting in 60 commercial record albums that made him a household name composer of easy listening music.
Mancini's range also extended to orchestral and ethnic scores (Lifeforce, The Great Mouse Detective, Sunflower, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", Molly Maguires, The Hawaiians), and darker themes ("Experiment In Terror," "The White Dawn," "Wait Until Dark," "The Night Visitor").
Mancini was also a concert performer, conducting over fifty engagements per year, resulting in over 600 symphony performances during his lifetime. Among the symphony orchestras he conducted are the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He appeared in 1966, 1980 and 1984 in command performances for the British Royal Family. He also toured several times with Johnny Mathis and with Andy Williams, who had sung many of Mancini's songs.[citation needed]
Mancini had experience with acting and voice roles. In 1994 he made a one-off cameo appearance in the first season of the sitcom series Frasier, as a call-in patient to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show. Mancini voiced the character Al, who speaks with a melancholy drawl and hates the sound of his own voice, in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast?" Mancini also had an uncredited performance as a pianist in the 1967 movie Gunn, the movie version of the series Peter Gunn, the score of which was originally composed by Mancini himself.
Mancini was nominated for an unprecedented 72 Grammys, winning 20 Additionally he was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning four. He also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmys.
Mancini won a total of four Oscars for his music in the course of his career.
Mancini died at the age of 70 in Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, California of pancreatic cancer. He was working at the time on the Broadway stage version of Victor/Victoria. At the time of his death, Mancini was married to singer Virginia "Ginny" O´Connor, with whom he had three children. Ginny Mancini went on to found the Society of Singers a non profit organization which benefits the health and welfare of professional singers worldwide. Additionally the Society awards scholarships to students pursuing an education in the vocal arts and holds the annual Ella Awards.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP) Foundation "Henry Mancini Music Scholarship" has been awarded annually since 2001.
Hatari: Baby Elephant Walk
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch the baby elephants go by
The beat is groovy
It's a brand new dance you ought to try
Come to the jungle and see the animal attraction
Baby elephants in action walk
See the big baboon beat on the bongo
Down in the Congo
All the swinging monkeys do this dance
Come to the jungle and see the animal attraction
Baby elephants in action walk
If you plan on joining a safari
Don't get dressed for going on a cruise
The thing to carry is an extra pair of dancing shoes
Come to the jungle and see the animal attraction
Baby elephants in action walk
The song "Baby Elephant Walk" by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra is a playful tune with whimsical lyrics that conjure up vivid images of a jungle adventure. Essentially, the song is inviting the listener to immerse themselves in a fictional world where they can watch baby elephants strutting along to a funky beat. The suggestion is that this is a new dance craze that everyone ought to try.
The lyrics describe the surroundings and characters of the imagined movie - there's a jungle, a big baboon playing the bongo, swinging monkeys, and of course, baby elephants walking in sync. The playful tone of the lyrics and the catchy rhythm of the music create a euphoric mood that encourages the listener to join in the fun. The suggestion at the end is that if you're planning on going on a safari, you better bring your dancing shoes instead of a cruise outfit.
Overall, the lyrics of "Baby Elephant Walk" paint a picture of a joyous, carefree world where one can let go of their worries and immerse themselves in the moment. It's a fantastical escape from reality that invites the listener to tap into their inner child-like wonder and embrace the idea of unleashing their wild side.
Line by Line Meaning
Make believe you're in a jungle movie
Imagine yourself in a wild jungle setting, like in the movies
Watch the baby elephants go by
Observe the adorable baby elephants as they stroll past
The beat is groovy
The rhythm of the music is catchy and upbeat
It's a brand new dance you ought to try
This is a unique and exciting dance that you should attempt
Come to the jungle and see the animal attraction
Visit the exotic jungle and witness the incredible display of wildlife
Baby elephants in action walk
Observe the adorable baby elephants as they walk about and play
See the big baboon beat on the bongo
Watch the large baboon playing the drum in time with the music
As the baby elephants advance
While the cute baby elephants move forward in time with the beat
Down in the Congo
In the deep lush rainforests of the Congo Basin
All the swinging monkeys do this dance
All the lively monkeys swing and dance to the same rhythm
If you plan on joining a safari
If you are thinking of embarking on a wildlife adventure
Don't get dressed for going on a cruise
Don't pack for a relaxing ocean voyage
The thing to carry is an extra pair of dancing shoes
Make sure to bring along an additional pair of shoes suitable for dancing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bseaman2000
Love the song, love the baby elephants, love the Duke! Doesn't get much better than this :-)
OneBlueFroggy
Ooh boy, almost 60 years ago for me, and takes me right back to that feel-good time ! Loved Hatari !
❤️✌️🇨🇦
classiclistener01
What's there not to love about this video? A great song; The Duke; Hot Elsa Martinelli; the playful baby elephants; the wonderful Henry Mancini song!?!?
The 14 people who hit 'thumbs-down' on this video need some serious and intense electro-shock therapy directly to their taste buds!
luis astete canal
Definitivamente; este GRAN tema musical es original y grandioso del Músico-compositor Henry Mancini !!!!. Toda la película HATARI esta animada por estos grandes temas musicales... ya la vi cuando tenia 12 u 11 años allá en mi patria Peru (Cusco) en los anos 1963.... grandioso JOHN Wayne y todo el elenco del Cine CLÁSICO....saludos fraternos para todos.
William Gilwood
Saw this movie when I was 6. Loved the movie and loved the song. Sounds as great as ever.
kimberly mikita-jones
This song is brilliant in the way it captures the curious playfulness of baby elephants! Making it a little meandering march for the movie Hatari and at the same time giving the Eames era swingsters something that would stick in their minds.
Greg Boardman Band
Let's walk. I'm a one man band on youtube.
Ringy345XXX
I remember I played this track on pianos, when I've been a kid!
Udara Jayawardena
God, I love this movie. ❤️ also Sad none of these actors are alive today 😔
Vijay Madge
Heard this first when I was doing my matriculation in the early 60s. Still love this theme with the same intensity