News

After two years of dormancy, Walt Disney Records’ archival series, The Legacy Collection, swung back into stores last year with an expanded edition of the music to 1973’s Robin Hood. Now, The Legacy Collection is giving the red-carpet treatment to one of the studio’s most popular films: 1991’s Beauty and the Beast.

After initial Amazon solicitations indicated that Beauty would be reissued (this revelation following a separate confirmation by engineer Bruce Botnick of his involvement in a future expansion of the soundtrack to Disney’s follow-up film Aladdin (1992)), the Disney Music Emporium finally confirmed the impending release earlier this week, announcing that this new presentation of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Oscar and Grammy Award-winning soundtrack would be ready to order this coming Friday, February 9 – and it’s appeared in brick and mortar retailers today, as well!

In keeping with the series, it’s due to include all the songs from the classic film, plus an expanded presentation of Menken’s original score and seven demos from Menken and Ashman. Beauty and the Beast is no stranger to reissues, with score and demos appearing on the 1994 Menken-Ashman box set The Music Behind The Magic as well as a 2001 reissue of the soundtrack timed with an extended theatrical reissue. Not all of those bonus tracks appear here, but this 2CD presentation is easily the most comprehensive individual release of the film’s soundtrack – and with prices on all Legacy Collection titles low (usually around $20), it’s hard to resist this set’s charms. As with all Legacy Collection sets, it boasts deluxe packaging, including a book-bound, jewel case-sized case with new artwork by Lorelay Bove and behind-the-scenes images of the animation, full lyrics and a moving four-page essay from Menken on creating the score alongside Ashman as he gradually lost his battle with AIDS months before the film premiered.

Indeed, on this Beauty, there’s something there that wasn’t there before – and if you’re a fan, you’ll want to check it out! Order links and the full track list are below:

Beauty and the Beast: Walt Disney Records – The Legacy Collection (Walt Disney Records D0026794-02, 2018 – original film released 1991)

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (TBD)

Disc 1

1. Main TItle – Prologue (featuring narration by David Ogden Stiers)
2. Belle – Paige O’Hara, Richard White and Chorus
3. Little Town – Alan Menken
4. Journey to the Castle – Alan Menken
5. Maurice Taken/Gaston Rejected – Alan Menken
6. Belle (Reprise) – Paige O’Hara
7. Belle Enters The Beast’s World – Alan Menken
8. Gaston – Jesse Corti, Richard White and Chorus
9. Gaston (Reprise) – Jesse Corti, Richard White and Chorus
10. Enchanted Objects – Alan Menken
11. Be Our Guest – Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury and Chorus
12. Be Our Guest (Playoff) – Alan Menken
13. Escape From The West Wing/Wolf Attack – Alan Menken
14. Coming Together – Alan Menken
15. Something There – Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers and Angela Lansbury

Disc 2

1. Human Again – Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury and Jo Anne Worley
2. Tonight’s The Night – Alan Menken
3. Beauty and The Beast – Angela Lansbury
4. Beast Lets Go – Alan Menken
5. Mob Song – Richard White and Chorus
6. Battle In The Castle – Alan Menken
7. Death of The Beast – Alan Menken
8. Transformation – Alan Menken
9. Beauty and The Beast – Peabo Bryson and Céline Dion
10. Belle – For Linda Worthington (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
11. Belle (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
12. Gaston (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
13. Gaston (Reprise) (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
14. Be Our Guest (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
15. Human Again (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
16. Beauty and The Beast (Demo) – Alan Menken and Howard Ashman

Disc 1, Tracks 1-2, portions of 3, 6, 8-9, 11, portions of 13, and 15 and Disc 2, Tracks 3, portions of 4, 5, and 8, and 9 from Walt Disney Records 60618-2, 1991
Portions of Disc 1, Track 13 and Disc 2, Track 8 and Disc 2, Tracks 11-15 from The Music Behind The Magic box set – Walt Disney Records 60014-7, 1994
All other tracks previously unreleased