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Parachute Express
Parachute Express
Genres	Children's music
Years active	1984-2011
Labels	Walt Disney; Trio Lane;
Past members	Rick Cunha; Donald "Donny" Becker; Janice Hubbard; Stephen Michael Schwartz

Parachute Express was an American band of three California-based entertainers who performed, wrote, and produced music for children. Members were Stephen Michael Schwartz, Janice Hubbard, and Donny Becker. Parachute Express gained national prominence as recording artists for Gymboree Play & Music, Walt Disney Records, and Trio Lane Records.^[2] They sang the theme song to the popular television series Jay Jay the Jet Plane and have been seen on TV shows Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. Rocks and Disney's Kaleidoscope Concerts.^[3] Their music was featured in over 550 Gymboree franchises throughout the world, as well as in preschools, daycare centers, and diverse informal education programs.^[4]^[5] Parachute Express created a total of twelve albums.

History

In the early 1990s, Parachute Express released six albums as part of Walt Disney Records’ Music Box Artist Series.^[1] In 1995, the trio formed its own label, Trio Lane Records.^[6] Many of their albums have won national awards including NAPPA awards, the Film Advisory Board Award, an Indie Award, a Toy of The Year Award, and several times the Parents' Choice Gold Award.^[7]

Their long list of honors further included featured performers at the 42nd and 43rd Presidential Inaugural Festivities, performing their "poetic anthem"^[8] We The Children. This song was included in the Presidential library by then First Lady Hillary Clinton. They performed half a dozen times at the Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the lawn of the White House.

Their video Come Sing With Us! won the Parents Choice Video Award and an International Monitor Award. They have been voted "Best Group" by the American Academy of Children's Entertainment. In 2010 and 2011, Parachute Express toured China, performing in Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou,^[9]^[10] and Shenzhen.^[11] The group disbanded in late 2011.

Discography

Albums

Feel the Music (1991)
Circle of Friends (1991)
Happy to Be Here (1991)
Shakin' It! (1992)
Over Easy (1992)
Sunny Side Up (1992)
Friends, Forever Friends (1996)
Who's Got A Hug? (1997)
Dr. Looney's Remedy (1998)
Don't Blink (2005)

Song collections

Gymbo's Play and Pretend Favorites (2007)
It's a Gymboree Party! (2007)

Singles

Dr. Looney's Remedy (1995)
The Coming of December (2005)

Tracks in compilations

Disney's Music Box: Disney's Spotlight (1992): Smooth Movin' Boogie Express
The Man Who Ran Away with the Moon (1992): Smooth Movin' Boogie Express
Pocahontas: The Enchanted Songs (1995)
Exercise Party: Stretchin' and Jumpin' Songs for Young Children (2003): Can You Show Us; Reach Up High
Hear and Gone in 60 Seconds: One Minute Songs by an Awesome Array of Award Winning Artists (2003): Alphabet Soup
Jay Jay the Jet Plane: 24 Fun and Inspirational Stories for Kids (2003): Jay Jay the Jet Plane theme song
Jay Jay the Jet Plane: 12 Fun and Inspirational Stories for Kids (2004): Jay Jay the Jet Plane theme song
Songs for Little Boys: Trains, Cowboys, Pirates and More! (2004): I Like Trucks
Songs for Little Princesses: Ballerinas, Best Friends, Dressing Up and More! (2004): Polka Dots, Checks and Stripes; Dress Up Queen
Dance Party: Movin' and Groovin' Songs for Young Children (2006): Don't Blink; Dance, Puppet, Dance
Favorite Lullabies: 15 Gentle Songs to Ease Your Baby to Sleep (2006): Good Night Moon
Classic Animal Songs (2007): Me and My Dog
Kindergarten Prep: Songs to Get Your Child Ready to Learn (2008): Tie a Bow; Red Means Stop

Videos

1989 - Live In Concert (Gymboree)
1995 - Come Sing With Us! (Disney)^[12]

Awards

1991 - Parents' Choice for Feel the Music
1995 - Parents' Choice Video Award for Come Sing With Us!
1995 - International Monitor Award in the category Best Electronic Effects for Come Sing With Us!
1998 - National Association of Parenting Publications of America (NAPPA) Gold Award for Doctor Looney's Remedy
1999 - Best Group Award by the American Academy of Children's Entertainment
1999 - Indie Award in the category Best Children's Album for Doctor Looney's Remedy
2005 - Creative Child Magazine's Toy of the Year Award for Don't Blink
2005 - NAPPA Gold Award for Don't Blink
2005 - Parents Choice Gold Award for Don't Blink
2008 - NAPPA Gold Award for It's a Gymboree Party

In popular culture

Emma Stone mentioned the Parachute Express song "Polka Dots, Checks, and Stripes" as the inspiration to her outfit at the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon.^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
^ Rees, Brenda (2004-09-16). "How to get The Kids' Reading Room Jumping for Joy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
^ Kaleidoscope concerts. OCLC 29376962 – via worldcat.org.
^ IDEA Health & Fitness: Inspire Kids and Teens to Fitness. San Diego, California: IDEA Health & Fitness Association, 2003, page 24. ISBN 1-887781-30-7. Accessed 2008-09-27.
^ McDonald, Margaret Read (2000). "Dancing Tales". Shake-It-Up Tales!. Atlanta, Georgia: August House. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-87483-570-0. Retrieved 2012-10-27. For this I particularly like the song "Tingalayo" as performed by Parachute Express on Shakin' It (Burbank: Walt Disney Records, 1992). I begin by letting the children trot in a circle to the "run little donkey run" refrain. Then, at certain spots in the music, we stop and just shake our hips and dance. It is fun to play the rhythm sticks to this song too.
^ McCormick M: "Parachute Express Is Back." Billboard 110 (39).
^ BWW News Desk (23 September 2005). "'It Came From Beyond' Extends at NYMF". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
^ Heffly L: "Parachute Express Drops In With ‘Looney’s’ Tunes Kids Will Love." Los Angeles Times 1998-07-23: F49. Accessed 2008-09-24.
^ "What'sNew". ycwb.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
^ "信息时报 - 2010年11月3日 - D5:商周刊·业界版 - 时尚情报". Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
^ "中信银行举办金宝贝国际音乐节_中国网". news.china.com.cn. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23.
^ Levine, Evan (1995-09-27). "'Parachute Express' Doesn't Fly" (review). Chattooga Press. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 6. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
^ Licata, Elizabeth (2015-02-03). "Emma Stone Deserves A Round Of Applause For Mixing Stripes With Polka Dots And Still Looking Cool". The Gloss. When I was a small child, a music video for a song called "Polka Dots, Checks, and Stripes" from a group called Parachute Express had a big effect on me. It was about a little girl who did not care about style "rules" and just wanted to have fun, so she wore polka dots, checks, and stripes all at the same time, and it was weird but great. That little girl was my first style icon. [...] Emma Stone showed up to the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon wearing this look, which Red Carpet Fashion Awards reports is from the Michael Kors 2015 Pre-Fall collection.