"Under The Sea" Wins Original Song: 1990 Oscars

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman win the Oscar for Music (Original Song) for "Under The Sea" from The Little Mermaid at the 62nd Academy Awards. Dudley Moore and Paul Abdul present the award.

[@Samuel-b]

"Part of your world" not being nominated was one of the biggest snubs of the year. It's tied with "under the sea" for the best song in the little mermaid.

[@darnieceking]

Yeah if part of your world was in the catagory it would won insted of under the sea

[@alexanderpytko5394]

You know, "Part of your/that world," was almost deleted from the movie. Some of the producers thought that song that Ariel sings in the cavern should be deleted because they felt it was slowing the movie down. Howard Ashman insisted that it had to stay in the movie because it was very important and showed that Ariel has other reasons for wanting to be human besides being in love with Eric. Roy Disney totally backed Howard up on that. Roy agreed that the song was necessary and that sometimes a movie has to be slowed down. Roy even added that if his Uncle Walt was here, he'd be saying the same thing. So the song was kept in and good thing too.

[@charlesweil8035]

I cannot agree with you more, man!! I would have given the Best Original Song Oscar to “Part of Your World”.

[@krisphillips4405]

Cannot believe “Part of Your World” wasn’t nominated. A movie about a mermaid with an amazing voice - and they don’t even nominate her only song! In fact, they almost cut it from the film!

[@miguelrivera9599]

Kiss the girl is the best

[@LPJack02]

RIP Howard Ashman (May 17, 1950 - March 14, 1991), aged 40 You will be remembered as a legend.

[@TheArtsyTuber]

This clip breaks my heart because that was the night Howard told Alan he was HIV positive. You can see it in his face he is nervous and scared and doesn't know how he is going to accept the reality of the terrible disease that would take his life in a little more than a year from that day.

[@manuelorozco7760]

No kidding! Howard would have had a successful longer life and collaboration with Alan. But Alan was in good hands over the years as Stephen Schwartz, David Zippel and Glen Slater carried on Howard's legacy.

[@vimes1003]

It wasn't that night, that night, Howard told Alan he had to tell him something, about two nights later he told him in New York

[@TheArtsyTuber]

Park Life oh thank you!

[@WDI2008]

And it was around that time Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted Howard and Alan to write the songs for Beauty and the Beast even though Howard really wanted to do Aladdin. Reluctantly Howard agreed on the condition that they move production to New York so he could stay close to home.

[@salaciousbum1161]

It angers me that he was so careless in his partners. I cant believe that he was about 40 here. He looked late 50s.

[@Disney65Fan]

RIP Howard Ashman.Alan Menken was the godfather of Disney in the 1990s.

[@MrGabeanator]

+Disney65Fan yep

[@AlexAceves1994]

Farewell to Howard Ashman.

[@MrGabeanator]

+Alex Aceves sadly

[@MrGabeanator]

was

[@manuelorozco7760]

Amen to that! Of all his work, my favorite of Alan Menken's musical adventures are Mirror Mirror and the Broadway version of Newsies.

[@alexanderpytko5394]

By this time, Howard already known for 2 years that he had AIDS. It was after he and Alan returned to New York from this awards show that Howard confided in Alan that he was HIV positive and was dying. Howard and Alan weren't just a song team, they were very close friends.

[@manuelorozco7760]

They were like the Rogers and Hammerstein of Disney music

[@MrGabeanator]

@@manuelorozco7760 thats right

[@SilentDanDisney]

About finished working on Beauty And The Beast as well when that happened.

[@alexanderpytko5394]

@@SilentDanDisney When he died, he had given them pretty much everything they needed to make "Beauty and the Beast," but they were still finalizing like animating and colorizing it when he died. He didn't even live to see it's completion but after hearing how the wonderfully the press responded to some of the finished work they saw, he knew it would be a success. He worked on "Aladdin," also. He actually started working on "Aladdin," after he finished "The Little Mermaid." He and Alan were part way through "Aladdin," (they had got the story going and had even made 3 of the songs) when Howard was asked to be in charge of "Beauty and the Beast." Howard agreed and "Aladdin" was put on hold. So "The Little Mermaid," was the only Disney movie he worked on that he got to see COMPLETED.

[@silvia-90_]

👏👏👏👏 I love Under the sea. It's a pity Howard passed away😞😞. These two are so talented!!

[@lukegreen5341]

R.I.P Howard Ashman. 1950 - 1991

[@DSLightning21]

If you think about it, "Under the Sea" is a song about contentment (being happy with what you already have). People need to understand this concept better in the world. Well deserved win! 👍

[@TrainSounds]

RIP Samuel E Wright, he died last night

[@latasharichardson8283]

RIP Samuel E Wright

[@danielewenkhare3600]

Howard Ashman May You Rest In Peace ❤️🙏🏾

[@srbarkerchan]

RIP Howard Ashman, the unsung hero of the Disney Renaissance. ❤️

[@joewhitehead3]

Loved when the orchestra played that tune after it won!

[@manuelorozco7760]

That’s always supposed to happen

[@Littleathquakes]

i love that orchestra arrangement they played when it won.

[@aaronlimbaugh3698]

1:51 And the Oscar goes to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman for Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid.

[@seroia]

RIP Howard

[@Hernandez_Jr_Productions]

Howard Ashman Won the Lyric To Under the sea from Little Mermaid and Alan Menken Won The Music To Under The sea. Also I Will missed him HOWARD ASHMAN 1950 - 1991

[@Disney65Fan]

To this day The Little Mermaid is my 3rd favourite movie of all time.

[@mariafelixmoranbenavides4073]

Disney65Fan mine (3rd) too !!! 😀😀😀😀

[@zeldafan1942]

What are your top two?

[@Disney65Fan]

@@zeldafan1942 tangled.and the lion King

[@zeldafan1942]

@@Disney65Fan And which is #1?

[@Disney65Fan]

@@zeldafan1942 tangled

[@AlexAceves1994]

My favorite composer and my favorite lyrics writer alongside Stephen Schwartz.

[@manuelorozco7760]

Alexander The Great I prefer Stephen Schwartz

[@jasonsmith8300]

probably my all time favorite Disney song

[@neetrab]

I think it's mine too because that's the only one I still listen to.

[@gatewayski1]

I miss Dudley Moore, a great talent!

[@kangfesher]

cats pajamas me too.

[@NiVi192]

Love Caribbean music, must have been the first time ever it made it into an animated feature film.😊 And if I may, Dudley Moore stole it that night!👍

[@stormydavis8546]

Gotta love Dudley Moore. Geoffrey Holder was such an amazing talent!

[@jwelch5742]

under the sea was great song.

[@neetrab]

Was?? What happened?

[@darnieceking]

R.i p. Dudley and Howard 💖 and now Samuel e wright/ Sebastian

[@siddharthnaagar7028]

RIP Howard Ashman

[@32I381382]

Part of your world is most beautiful, but I'm glad the little mermaid won.

[@freddyrichards878]

Howard Ashman was like the Alfred Hitchcock of music

[@muhammadandraaditya4802]

Should also be nominated that year is Part of Your World and that end credits song from Bond film Licence to Kill

[@ashleybohnert250]

Howard ashman story documentary cant wait

[@lukegreen5341]

2:16 Super Job Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The Guys Who Did Little Shop Of Horrors The Movie In 1986 From Warner Bros Family Entertainment And Disney Movies Like Disney's Aladdin In 1992 Which Is Alan Menken And Howard Ashman's Very First Ever Disney Movie. The Little Mermaid Is The Second Disney Movie Back In 1989 And Finely Disney's Beauty And The Beast The Original Classic In 1991 And This Also Alan Menken And Howard Ashman's Very Last Disney Animated Movie. Thanks Mate. X

[@aaronlimbaugh3698]

2:18 I won’t do fish jokes, just to say a couple thank yous. At Disney to Jeff Katzenberg, Peter Schneider, to Sam Wright who sang the song, all the words. Mostly, though, to John Musker and Ron Clements, whose movie Little Mermaid really is. I feel really lucky, thank you.

[@Scottwilkie18]

It would be bittersweet for Alan and for Howard i mediately returning home Howard told Alan he had aids

[@jojemarsanchez3598]

The could-have-been Rogers & Hammerstein of our generarion

[@manuelorozco7760]

I’m thinking the same thing

[@richellebrittain2127]

They were, in a roundabout way. Though Ashman didn't live to see any of his work after The Little Mermaid, still he is often credited with sparking the Disney Renaissance of the following decade, and with bringing Broadway & Disney Animation together -- a marriage that continues to this day (imagine Frozen without Robert & Kristen Lopez, or Moana or Encanto without Lin-Manuel Miranda). Pretty impressive for a gay man who died of AIDS long before same-sex marriage was legal.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Part of Your World should have been nominated instead of Kiss the Girl. It’s really the movie’s defining song.

[@tylervenkersammy2365]

2:24 Howard Ashman mentioned Samuel E. Wright aka Sam Wright.

[@King_Colombia_Inc]

Howard Ashman was an innovator and majestic talent. I named one of my original characters after him.

[@unicorniosaltitante5228]

Part of Your World deserved it more, but I'm glad The Little Mermaid won that category, anyways. It is my favorite movie ever.

[@32I381382]

Parte of your World deserved a nomination

[@hunterolaughlin]

I agree. Just switch out “Kiss the Girl” with “Part of Your World”.

[@lukegreen5341]

Quite Right Mr Alan Menken From Disney's Hercules In 1997 And The Hunchback Of Notre Dame In 1996 And Mr Howard Ashman From Little Shop Of Horrors The Movie From Warner Bros In 1986 And Three Smash Hit Disney Movies Aladdin In 1992 And The Live Action Remake Of Beauty And The Beast In 2017 And Of Course Disney's Beauty & The Beast From 1991. Thanks Oscars Mate. X

[@rtripp993]

I came for Howard Ashman and stayed for Danny Glover

[@supermariofan03]

Fight the Power from Do the Right Thing should have been nominated.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid should have also been nominated. It is the defining song of Ariel and one of the best Disney Princess songs.

[@kncdco5966]

RIP MR. HOLDER for your lovely rendition and even though none of those men who accepted the award acknowledged or thanked you...we the dancers know your legend...

[@musicellaneous1909]

I love this, great video!!! :)

[@MyJustin316]

even knowing i was a toddler at this time here are a list of songs from a movie made in 1989 that was snubbed and not nominated by the 62nd academy awards in 1990: 'licence to kill' from 'licence to kill' 'if you asked me to' from license to kill 'on our own' from ' ghostbusters II' (in which dan aykroyd starred in and had an best supporting actor nominee for driving miss daisy that year) and 'fight the power' from 'do the right thing'

[@MrGabeanator]

I think we all know what happened after they got off stage

[@jordanbriskin238]

The night after the Oscars, Howard revealed to Alan that he was ill.

[@CJODell12]

Jordan Briskin Yes, on the ride home, Howard confided in Alan that he had AIDS.

[@MrGabeanator]

C.J. O'Dell yep that's right

[@MrGabeanator]

***** that's right

[@alexanderpytko5394]

Yeah, everyone deeply regretted that Howard was the only one that did get to share in the success of "Beauty and the Beast." They also regret he didn't get to work on the Broadway musical, either and he was a Broadway playwright. Both the movie and the musical would not have been possible without him. Howard was a big fan of Disney. In the 40's, Walt Disney tried to do "Beauty and the Beast" but he kept running into dead ends, he couldn't get the story going and couldn't figure out how to make it magical like his other animated movies and finally put it aside. When they tried again in the 80's to make they ran into the same dead end and had to start all over. But Howard knew how to break through that wall, to get the story going and make it VERY magical. Howard Ashman was able to accomplish a challenge that Walt Disney wasn't able to. That was SOMETHING! Howard was a lot like Walt. People like Howard and Walt aren't easy to find.

[@bubbasizemore4556]

I love Paula

[@maziebunny2]

this was only my second year as an Oscar predictor and the first where I was faced with two songs from the same movie. don't get me wrong when I say as much as I loved "Kiss the Girl" and "Under the Sea" (which I chose correctly), some little part of me wanted to see Randy Newman win for "I Love To See You Smile". but of course, I didn't want to commit a faux-pas like I did the year before.

[@pennyceline15]

Paula Abdul is giving Miss Vanjie realness!!!

[@barbraseville8984]

She really is!!!

[@sorenthefilmbrony]

No Part of Your World? That was Little Mermaid's best song.

[@musicaltheatergeek79]

"Part of Your World" was mainly popular with youngsters, particularly girls. "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" were enjoyed by people of all ages.

[@manuelorozco7760]

musicaltheatergeek79 No way!

[@neetrab]

@@manuelorozco7760 yes way.

[@neetrab]

@@musicaltheatergeek79 agreed. I don't even remember "part of your world"

[@manuelorozco7760]

@@neetrab How dare you

[@KrystinaChristiansen]

Editing has come a long way!

[@manuelorozco7760]

I was brought here by the DisneyMania covers of Under the Sea by Raven Symone (That's So Raven) and BooBoo Stewart (Descendants).

[@jasonsmith8300]

one of my three all time favorite disney songs the others are bare necessities and be our guest

[@Scottwilkie18]

Spin the globe

[@Scottwilkie18]

It’s Spin

[@Scottwilkie18]

Hey it’s spin

[@최지원-y7e]

안다다씨~ 안다다씨~

[@bobbiebaur9341]

Not to snub the under the sea song but After All is one of the most beautiful songs from the late 80’s and quite frankly I can’t believe it didn’t win that year. Cher and Peter sang it brilliantly and with perfection!!!

[@Cunninghamily]

1:59

[@JenStylist]

DREAMWORKS Jeffrey Katzenberg

[@iparker148]

Danny Glover

[@sirfermainclancharlie1018]

Howard looks frail. Makes me 😔

[@yakunohayashi9653]

RIP Samuel E. Wright