I am old enough to have watched the original The Mickey Mouse Club as a little kid on weekday afternoons – in rerun – in the early 1960s. And like all of us brain-washed mouseketeers (and I say that with love), I can never get the opening theme song – The Mickey Mouse Club March – out of my head.
Written by lead mouseketeer Jimmie Dodd and first broadcast on October 3rd 1955. Considering it was conceived for a very specific purpose – to open a TV Show – I was surprised to find that the song was covered by so many artists, over so many years. Sure, I would assume that many TV Theme compilations would “re-do” it for cheap bargain bin albums… but I was actually delighted how much I like these covers that were somewhat serious – and rather cool.
Below is the original and my favorites remakes by others. A more complete listing of Mickey Mouse Club cover recordings can be found here.
The Original – 1955
Pony Poindexter – 1962
The Super Duper Record of Super Heroes – 1966
Julie London – February 1967
A Reprise of the Original – The Album Cut.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
I have a vague recollection of watching the Mickey Mouse Club on my grandfather’s old black-and-white RCA TV set in the early ’60s, but I really became familiar with the show when it was syndicated in the mid-1970s, riding the “Happy Days” wave of ’50s nostalgia. I still remember many of the songs — “Today is Tuesday! You know what that means! We’re gonna have a special guest!” — as well as the opening march. I always preferred Darlene and Cheryl over Annette, but whoever your favourites were, it was good clean fun for kids — and always a thrill to see a rare early Mickey Mouse cartoon!
As for alternative versions, well, a friend of mine in high school told me about the version the kids at his church used to sing:
“Who’s the saviour of the world, who died for you and me?
J-E-S-, U-S C-, H-R-I-S-T!
Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ!
Forever let us hold our bibles high! high! HIGH! HIGH!!!”
Man, I wish Disney had sued the pants off them.
The tune was written by a Christian named Jimmie Dodd… karma?
“Hey there, hi there, ho there!”
I’m picturing the devil in Donald Duck’s place, shown in the opening titles with that jealous frustration.
“Jesus Christ!”
“Lu-Ci-Fer!”
“Jesus Christ!”
“Lu-Ci-Fer!”
I, too, have a vivid recollection of the 70’s reruns of the MMC. There was a pretty impressive recording of the Mickey Mouse March by the Mike Curb Congregation released on a Disneyland Records album around the time the show was revived. It was the only “new” recording on the album, which mainly consisted of professional chorus re-recordings of the songs featured in the show. Greater authenticity was provided in.a longer album released a couple of years later “Mickey Mouse Club Song Hits” which featured many more soundtrack recordings. Although the version of the Mickey Mouse March was the same non-soundtrack one that had been circulating on Disneyland Records before the release of the Mike Curb version. It wasn’t until the 1990s that a CD was released featuring the actual TV soundtrack version of the march. (And the original extended version, at that.)
I do remember the early 60’s when the MMC was still being broadcast in reruns (before it disappeared from the airwaves for several years). I remember a promo that occurred before the show itself started. Jimmy Dodd was using a cleaning rag, and he said something like “Hi, Mouseketeers! This is Jimmy, and I’m cleaning up your TV screen so you can have a clear view of the Mickey Mouse Club, coming up next.” I remember being delighted to think that Jimmy was cleaning the screen from the inside, getting it ready. I only recall seeing that particular promo on that one occasion.
Another version not on the lists is DIsco Mouse, sung in the later episodes of The New Mickey Mouse Club (1977).
It was sung by 5 of the New Mouseketeers (Lisa Whelchel, Curtis Wong, Kelly Parsons, Allison Fonte and Scott Craig), and originally released as a Buena Vista 45 rpm single in 1977.
(It was also released (that I know of) on a compilation album Best Of Disney volume 2 (Disney Records 2503)
In episode 71 of The NMMC they showed footage of not only the recording, but also continuing all the way through the record’s manufacturing to the end product.
How about the Eurobeat remix of the MMC March? There’s a version I’m sure would be familiar with the younger generations, given its inclusion on “Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Mix” as well as a trio of Eurobeat Disney albums.
Mannheim Steamroller did a Disney album that included the closing theme, and somewhere I have a Tokyo Disneyland “Club Disney” CD with a disco version.
Fairly recently the physical Disney Stores closed for good. The clearance sale signage included the headline “Now It’s Time to Say Goodbye”, a nod to the nostalgic boomers they initially targeted.
I see nobody has yet mentioned the version sung at the end of “Full Metal Jacket.” You can find it on YouTube, but be advised: NSFW!
It’s a great scene, but I’m surprised Disney allowed it.
Count me in as one of those brainwashed kids who faithfully tuned into the MMC on weekday afternoons for the 60s reruns. I knew back then that all of what was transpiring there was a generation before my time, and often a bit too hokey for me- yet there was something about the music, cartoons, entertainment, and celebration of all things Disney that still pulled me to that TV.
On a side note- the Donald Duck gong finishers (including the opening March animation)- any idea who animated those? At times I’d say it even looks like Ward Kimball.
The Mickey Mouse Club opening titles and Donald Duck Gong sequences were directed by Bill Justice.
wasn’t there also a Donald gong sequence where instead of trying to hit the gong he took out a triangle and dinged that instead? could swear I remember seeing that.
Yes, that was one of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5R6IWG5sB4
The MMCM is listed on the album by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops” Everything but the Beer” [https://www.discogs.com/master/908112-Arthur-Fiedler-Boston-Pops-Everything-But-The-Beer-Arthur-Fiedler-Conducts-A-Boston-Pops-Concert] in a medley called “Kid Stuff” but it is actually “Merry Mouseketeer” [http://www.natalya.nl/1.%20Hobby/Disney%20Lyrics/1956%20The%20Mickey%20Mouse%20Club.html] NOT “The Mickey Mouse Club March.
Here is a better link for “Merry Mouseketeer”: https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0127798
It’s so funny to me whenever a novelty song is covered in a serious tone, I can’t help but appreciate the creativity that goes into such ironic renditions. As for which version I enjoyed the most of the ones listed, the one by Pony Poindexter would have be my favorite. As a jazz music fan, I find the excitement added to the Mickey Mouse Club March a treat.