Baby Beluga
Baby Beluga is a children's music album and the title song by Canadian children's entertainer Raffi, released in 1980. The lead song is about a young beluga whale that "swim[s] so wild and [...] free".
| Baby Beluga | ||||
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| Studio album by Raffi | ||||
| Released | July 10, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | April 1980 | |||
| Genre | Children's music | |||
| Length | 35:09 | |||
| Label | Shoreline/Troubadour, A&M (Original U.S. Distributor), MCA (Second U.S. Distributor) Rounder Records (Third and Current U.S. Distributor) | |||
| Producer | Raffi, Ken Whiteley | |||
| Raffi chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
The album begins with the sounds of whales communicating and includes compositions that create pictures of the ocean, and whales at play. An illustrated sing-along book was also published and sold separately as a companion to the first track.
During the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1993, the song was sung and a blue screen featured blue belugas swimming.
On April 18, 2011, Raffi published a video that included an updated verse encouraging young people to vote in the 2011 Canadian federal election.
Other performances
In the original 1993 release of the "Raffi on Broadway" concert video, Raffi imitated Bob Dylan's singing style.
The Wiggles sang this song on their Wake up Jeff CD and Wiggledance! (Live in Concert) video, as part of a Henry the Octopus song.
"Baby Beluga" was Michelle Tanner's favorite song on Full House, as shown in the season-three episode "Just Say No Way."
Billy Gilman performed "Baby Beluga" on the 2001 tribute album Country Goes Raffi.
In October 2004, Pearl Jam's lead singer Eddie Vedder performed the first verse and chorus of "Baby Beluga" at the annual Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, CA. He dedicated it to a young boy at the school who claimed it was his favourite song.
Woody Forrester in the 2006 film How to Eat Fried Worms (film) sang "Baby Beluga" at his preschool performance and in front of his parents, much to his older brother Billy's dismay.
Track listing
- "Baby Beluga" – 2:42
- "Biscuits in the Oven" – 2:26
- "Oats and Beans and Barley" – 1:27
- "Day-O" – 3:01
- "Thanks A Lot" – 2:28
- "To Everyone in All the World" (Traditional) – 1:46
- "All I Really Need" – 3:46
- "Over in the Meadow" – 2:18
- "This Old Man" (Traditional) – 2:25
- "Water Dance" – 1:55
- "Kumbaya" – 2:23
- "Joshua Giraffe" – 6:05
- "Morningtown Ride" (Malvina Reynolds) – 2:24
Personnel
- Raffi - Lead vocals, guitar, bells, producer, arranger, mixer
- Ken Whiteley - Guitars, vocals, banjos, accordion, mandolin, organ, piano, percussion, ukulele, mixer, producer
- Chris Whiteley - Trumpet, harmonica
- Dennis Pendrith - Bass, vocals
- Bucky Berger - Drums
- Bruce Cockburn – Guitars, vocals
- Bruce Pennycook - Clarinets, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Dick Smith - Drums, percussion, vocals
- Patrick Godfrey - Piano, vocals
- Mike Gardner - Bass
- Grit Laskin - Button accordion, concertina, dulcimer, longneck mandolin, penny whistle
- The Honolulu Heartbreakers – Vocals
- Daniel Lanois - Mixer, engineer
- Children's chorus: Jenny Whiteley, Dan Whiteley, Elizabeth Macay, Chris Thompson