Annette Funicello - Pineapple Princess: 1958-62 (2023)

Starting her career at the age of 13 as a “Mouseketeer” on The Mickey Mouse Club, Annette Funicella almost accidentally became a popular and successful singer, with a chart career that lasted through the latter years of the 1950s and into the ‘60s. Annette herself acknowledged that she was not the greatest singer, but it was her precocious innocence and natural approach that endeared her to audiences, enabling the Disney organisation to use her TV and movie exposure to enjoy successful singles and albums which covered a range of styles that defied the “novelty teen pop” label that was slapped on her.

Similar to the likes of Miley “Hannah Montana” Cyrus, Annette’s audience grew up with her, and she graduated from appealing to younger teens to forge a movie career starring in the hugely successful series of “beach movies” during the 1960s with Frankie Avalon, an artist who shared her fresh, unchallenging clean-cut appeal.

This collection focuses on her singles career and includes all her chart hits alongside a selection of B-sides and album tracks. Through the album, you can hear how she maintained her appeal to her fans as they shared growing up together. From the early unabashed novelty stylings of That Crazy Place From Outer Space through Tall Paul, O Dio Mio, The Parent Trap to her final hit Teenage Wedding it is an entertaining showcase for her distinctive and unusual style full of unadulterated joy and innocence.