The Hunchback of Notre Dame (soundtrack)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack to Disney's 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It includes songs written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz with vocals performed by Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers, Tony Jay, Tom Hulce, Heidi Mollenhauer, Jason Alexander, Mary Wickes, and Mary Stout, along with singles by All-4-One/Eternal, and the film's score composed by Alan Menken. The single Someday originally performed by All-4-One on the United States release, was redone by British R&B girl group Eternal for the U.K. release. Luis Miguel recorded the version in Spanish as Sueña, which became a major hit in Latin America. The album was released on May 28, 1996 by Walt Disney Records, and went on to peak at #11 on The Billboard 200.

Track listing

 * 1) The Bells of Notre Dame - Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers, Tony Jay & Chorus
 * 2) Out There - Tony Jay and Tom Hulce
 * 3) Topsy Turvy - Paul Kandel & Chorus
 * 4) Humiliation (Score with Chorus)
 * 5) God Help the Outcasts - Heidi Mollenhauer & Chorus
 * 6) The Bell Tower (Score)
 * 7) Heaven's Light/Hellfire - Tom Hulce, Tony Jay & Chorus
 * 8) A Guy Like You - Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, Mary Wickes & Mary Stout
 * 9) Paris Burning (Score with Chorus)
 * 10) The Court of Miracles - Paul Kandel & Chorus
 * 11) Sanctuary! (Score with Chorus)
 * 12) And He Shall Smite the Wicked (Score with Chorus)
 * 13) Into the Sunlight (Score)
 * 14) The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise) - Paul Kandel & Chorus
 * 15) Someday - All-4-One (United States) / Eternal (United Kingdom)
 * 16) God Help the Outcasts - Bette Midler (Not featured in the movie)

Score cues left off the soundtrack

 * 1) The Bird
 * 2) Gargoyles/Enter Frollo
 * 3) You Were Thinking About Going to the Festival
 * 4) Phoebus Arrives in Paris
 * 5) Gypsy Music
 * 6) Helping Esmeralda/Palace of Justice
 * 7) Find the Court
 * 8) "Topsy Turvy" (Movie Version)
 * 9) Esmeralda's Escape
 * 10) Quasi Returns to Notre Dame
 * 11) Phoebus and Esmeralda/Frollo's Threat
 * 12) Esmeralda Follows Quasi
 * 13) Out of the Belltower/Quasi Meets Phoebus
 * 14) "Heaven's Light/Hellfire" (Movie Version)
 * 15) The Mill/The Search Continues
 * 16) Broken Heart/"Heaven's Light Reprise"
 * 17) Frollo's Coming/Stash the Stiff/Interrogation
 * 18) Do it Out of Love
 * 19) It's a Map/Entering the Court
 * 20) "The Court of Miracles" (Movie Version)
 * 21) These Men Aren't Spies/The Soldiers Attack
 * 22) Sanctuary! (Full Version)
 * 23) And He Shall Smite the Wicked (Full Version)
 * 24) End Titles

"The Bells of Notre Dame"
"The Bells of Notre Dame" is the opening song for the movie, in which Clopin narrates the backstory of how Frollo met Quasimodo. The song is woven in with Latin chants, and is reprised at the end, once again by Clopin.

The chants at the beginning of the piece are adapted from actual Gregorian Chants. The Latin texts within the piece sung by the chorus are drawn from the Mass (the Kyrie) and from the Sequence Dies Irae, traditionally sung in a Requiem Mass.

Dies Irae - Day of Judgment Dies Irae

Kyrie Eleison - God have mercy on us Kyrie

"Out There"
"Out There" begins with a dark introduction by Frollo, telling Quasimodo to stay up in the tower where he will not be reviled as a monster. This introduction features a beautiful weaving of two counter melodies sung by Frollo and Quasimodo. A clever use of the phrase "Stay In Here" brings the text of the rest of the song into contrast, "Out There."

Once the judge leaves the scene, everything seems so much brighter and Quasi sings to his gargoyle friends of his dreams of leaving the belltower and leading a normal life amongst the people he sees every day. This song may have been what finally convinced him to escape down into the Festival of Fools.

"Topsy Turvy"
It's the Festival of Fools, and the bouncy number is led by Clopin, the host of the event. After describing the events on Topsy-Turvy Day, there is a lengthy dance by Esmeralda, setting up the bulk of the movie's plot as Frollo, Phoebus, and Quasimodo all become enamored with her at the same time. At the end of the song, Quasi is crowned the king of fools, and received warmly, before things take a sharp turn for the worse.

The choral introduction of "Come one, come all" is reminiscent of the Main Theme of "The Bells of Notre Dame" as the opening of the scene is displayed with beautiful views of the Cathedral. The main theme, Topsy Turvy, is a vivacious, light and energetic movement that features comedic lyrics that interplay between Clopin and the Chorus. Upon the realization that Quasimodo is actually that disfigured, the theme from the introduction of "Out There" is developed upon as Frollo sees him and becomes livid at his insubordination.

"God Help the Outcasts"
"God Help the Outcasts" is a soft ballad sung by Esmeralda inside Notre Dame after she sees how Quasimodo and her people are treated by society. It replaced another song, "Someday," which was cut when the directors wanted a quieter song in a cathedral. A pop version of "Someday" is performed over the movie's credits.

"Someday"
The chanting used in the introduction to "The Bells of Notre Dame" at the very beginning of the film is actually the melody of "Someday".

"Heaven's Light"
"Heaven's Light" is another gentle song sung by Quasimodo, who is smitten by Esmeralda. He wonders if the beautiful gypsy, the first person who really reached out to him, loves him back. This is reprised later in Quasi's mind as his heart breaks when he sees Esmeralda and Phoebus kiss.

"Hellfire"
Just as "Heaven's Light" reaches its close, we are brought to the Palace of Justice where Frollo sings "Hellfire." In contrast to Quasimodo's song which was full of hope and about how happy the hunchback was to make a friend, Frollo's song is one of Disney's darkest. Frollo is convinced he's under some kind of black spell, as his lust for Esmeralda can't be on account of his own sin. He imagines being surrounded by flames and monks in red robes, all chanting loudly in Latin. A flaming vision of a seductive dancing Esmeralda completes the nightmarish imagery. The song also features chanted lines from the Confiteor.

"A Guy Like You"
"A Guy Like You" is the gargoyles' chance to sing, assuring Quasimodo that Esmeralda loves him in the same way he loves her in a fun, Broadway-style number. Placing a comedic song after a dark, intense scene such as "Hellfire" is a common technique allowing the audience to release tension in an appropriate time, thus allowing the climax to be appropriately dramatic.

"The Court of Miracles"
"The Court of Miracles" is the third comic number in the movie. Unlike "Topsy Turvy" and "A Guy Like You," however, this song is based on black humor. Clopin and the gypsies have captured Quasimodo and Phoebus, assumed spies, and sing about how "it's a miracle if you get out alive!" Taking delight in tormenting his victims, Clopin stages a mock trial, making rapid transformations into various figures, even pulling out a jury consisting of one puppet in his likeness. However, Esmeralda arrives before any harm can come to her friends.

The score
Although Alan Menken's score is darker than he normally writes, in addition to the many dramatic Latin chants and cues, there are many tracks that were mostly left off the soundtrack.

Almost all the movie's songs are in the score at one point. "The Bells of Notre Dame," "Heaven's Light," and "Hellfire" all share the same basic melody at one point. "A Guy Like You" is used near the end when the Gargoyles encourage Quasimodo to see the brighter possibility that Esmeralda likes him. "Out There" is often associated with Quasimodo, "God Help the Outcasts" with Esmeralda, and even "Someday" is associated with Quasimodo and Esmeralda and is used near the end, despite being cut from the movie and used during the credits.

Deleted songs
Three songs written for the film were discarded during the storyboarding process and not used: "In a Place of Miracles", "As Long as There's a Moon", and "Someday", a candidate to replace "God Help the Outcasts". Though not included in the body of the film, "Someday" is heard over the end credits, performed by R&B group All-4-One in the North American English release, and by the British R&B girl group Eternal in the British English version. Luis Miguel recorded the version for the Latin American Spanish version, which became a major hit.