Mulan II Soundtrack CD

Personnel: Lauren Tom, Sandra Oh, Hayley Westenra, Louis Constantine, Katherine Fletcher, Steven France, Georgina Hagen, Matthew Protheroe, Ruby Williams, Beth Blankenship, Mandy Gonzalez, Sandra Oh, Lauren Tom (vocals); Susie Stevens Logan, Victoria Fischette, Haeley Moore, Jessica Rotter, Laurie Schillinger, Ann Brown, Teri Koide, Anne Brown, Deena Brooks, Victoria Fischette, Terri Koide, Susan Stevens Logan, Haeley Moore, Jessica Rotter, Laurie Schillinger (background vocals); Gedde Watanabe, Harvey Fierstein, Jerry Tondo, Judy Kuhn, Lea Salonga, Randy Crenshaw (vocals); Jeanine Tesori, Terry Wood, Meagan Moore, Valerie Lotito, Rowen Merrill, Zoe Merrill, Bobbi Page (background vocals); Atomic Kitten.
Audio Mixer: Rich Breen .
Recording information: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England.
Arrangers: Jeanine Tesori; Nan Schwartz; Scott Ericksop; Joel McNeely; Douglas Besterman.
The soundtrack to the Walt Disney animated feature Mulan II mixes vocal recordings done specifically for the movie, a version of one of those songs by a rock group, and selections from the film's instrumental score. The vocal songs are children's musical-oriented fare mixing sentimental romance and adventure, one of which ("Lesson Number One") is sung by Broadway performer Lea Salonga, another ("Here Beside Me") by New Zealand singer Hayley Westenra. In this company, the version of "(I Wanna Be) Like Other Girls" by Atomic Kitten -- given an anthemic guitar-heavy alternative rock treatment, though the other version on the CD is much more in the soppy Disney children's musical style -- sounds downright ferocious, and a little out of place. Filling out the disc are selections from Joel McNeely's epic-oriented score and an instrumental version of "Here Beside Me" (for which McNeely wrote the music). ~ Richie Unterberger

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