| rdfs:comment | - "If I Never Knew You" is a song by American recording artists Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, Pocahontas. The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American singer Judy Kuhn in her film role as the singing voice of Pocahontas, and American actor Mel Gibson in his role as Captain John Smith. Shanice and Secada's version is heard during film's end credits, and was released on September 12, 1995 as the second most popular song from the film's soundtrack, after Vanessa Williams' pop rendition of the Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind".
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| abstract | - "If I Never Knew You" is a song by American recording artists Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, Pocahontas. The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American singer Judy Kuhn in her film role as the singing voice of Pocahontas, and American actor Mel Gibson in his role as Captain John Smith. Shanice and Secada's version is heard during film's end credits, and was released on September 12, 1995 as the second most popular song from the film's soundtrack, after Vanessa Williams' pop rendition of the Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind". The romantic love song was originally developed for the prison scene where Pocahontas visits John Smith before he is to be put to death for the supposed alleged murder of Kocoum, a trusted Powhatan warrior who asked to marry Pocahontas. The musical number, which was about 90% animated, was to be a duet performed by the pair as they acknowledge their strong romantic love for each other. During test screenings with child audiences their attention "seemed to wander from the film", Alan Menken, the composer of the songs for Disney's Pocahontas, suggested it be cut because he also felt that it slowed the pace of the movie, with another song, Savages, about five minutes after. Though cut from the movie itself, If I Never Knew You was still performed by Jon Secada and Shanice at the end credits and released as a single. Jon Secada and Shanice also sang the song in Spanish, and Jon Secada also sang it in Brazilian Portuguese, not with Shanice, but with Daniela Mercury. In 2005, Disney released the tenth anniversary edition of Pocahontas, which had the song fully animated and integrated into the film, but was an optional feature that you could refuse and watch the original theatrical version instead, due to seamless branching. It was performed by Mel Gibson (John Smith) and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas) within the film's narrative. It was recorded for the original film in 1995. This song shows the meaning of if both Pocahontas and John Smith didn't meet, they would've never fallen in love with each other and they would've never known each other without the hate and disgust from both sides; the Native Americans and the English settlers.
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