The Phantom Five in Disneyland, with two owls behind them.
The Phantom Five are a group of ghostly minstrels that appear in the graveyard scene of the Haunted Mansion.
Description[]
Appearance[]
Each member of the band is seen playing an instrument: one a small harp, one a horn, one a flute, one a bagpipe, and one a set of bones to pound the tempo with on a tomb. The band has its own music tracks separate from the ride's base track. A family of cats and some owls can be seen and heard joining in as well.
Development History[]
Effects[]
Interestingly, the instruments they appear to be playing are not always those which were actually used in the soundtrack's recording. In place of bagpipes, an oboe was used since the bagpipes proved too difficult to work with. Some tracks, such as those of both the Flute and the Trumpet, were created by recording the music being played backwards (exact retrograde), then playing the track in reverse to create odd, unnatural breath effects. The music for the Bagpipes was actually provided by an oboe, played out of tune, and the drumming sounds were produced by banging stones together. The Harp is the only instrument played normally.
The Musicians who recorded the Music used for the instruments are; Gordon Schoenberg (oboe/"bagpipes"), Chet Ricord ("drummer"), Art Smith (flute), Doris Hultz Johnson (Harp), and Cappy Lewis (trumpet/"horn").
Origins[]
Concept art of the Phantom Drummer of Tedworth
The ghostly drummer's design greatly resembles a character from a piece by Marc Davis. The character, who is labelled as the Drummer of Tedworth, is a ghost named William Drury, taken from real life folklore, who haunted his former landlord by tormenting him with the sound of his drumming after being evicted for his association with a Romani Band.[1]
Appearances[]
The Haunted Mansion[]
The Phantom Five appear in the graveyard playing an instrumental of Grim Grinning Ghosts in a small plot surrounded by trees. Animals such as owls and cats sing with them as the Hellhound howls on a nearby hillside.
Walt Disney World[]
The instruments of the Phantom Five can be seen etched into the Composer's crypt in the queue for this attraction and play music when touched. The other side of the crypt has more bizarre and macabre instruments inspired by the Museum of the Weird and the One-Eyed Black Cat.
Other Appearances[]
The Haunted Mansion (2003 film)[]
The Phantom Five appears in one scene in the form of musical instruments when Jim Evers enters Madame Leota's chamber and begin annoying him when he and Leota are levitated, wherein the latter warns the former to save himself and his family. The band later chases Jim through the halls until he enters a room containing a set of stairs to the attic wherein he slams the door shut and the instruments collide.
The Haunted Mansion (video game)[]
The Phantom Five appear in the Conservatory after clearing the room. Two of them comment about the band needing "more cowbell".
Disney Kingdoms[]
In Disney Kingdoms' Haunted Mansion comics, the Phantom Five are ghosts summoned by Madame Leota to guide Danny Crowe through the Endless Hallway to the Grand Hall. They are later seen in a crowd of ghosts lead by Pickwick.
Disney Crossy Road[]
All but one (the flute player) Phantom Five members are playable characters in this mobile game.
Muppets The Haunted Mansion[]
The Electric Mayhem (composed of Dr. Teeth, Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Janice, Animal, Zook, and Lipps) portray the Phantom Five, but they were called The Phantom Six. They only appear during Madame Pigota’s seance, playing the musical instruments that usually float around the crystal ball, but Lipps is seen playing the trumpet and Sgt. Floyd Pepper plays the harp.
Trivia[]
- Because they are more famous, the Singing Busts are often mistaken by fans as being the Phantom Five (due to both being musical groups in the graveyard made up of 5 undead musical artists)
- If the Drummer ghost is truly intended to be the Drummer of Tedworth then this puts him (and quite possible the rest of the band) in the same distinction as Medusa, Dracula and the Flying Dutchman of being a character appearing the mansion who is a figure in real life stories of the supernatural.