<P> `` The Bare Necessities '' is a song , written by Terry Gilkyson , from the animated 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book , sung by Phil Harris as Baloo and Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli . Originally , it was written for an earlier draft of the movie that was never produced . The Sherman Brothers , who wrote the other songs of the film , kept this as the only song used from the previous version . A reprise of the song was sung by Sebastian Cabot as Bagheera and Phil Harris as Baloo at the end of the film . Van Dyke Parks worked on the arrangement , which was his first paid gig after moving to California . The song was also sung by Louis Armstrong . In 1967 , `` The Bare Necessities '' was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song . A hip - hop version of the song performed by Lou Rawls was used as the theme song for Jungle Cubs . </P>
who sings the bare necessities in the jungle book
Phil Harris as Baloo and Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli