The All New Mickey Mouse Club Original Cast TV Album (from 1977)

This is Disneyaland Records' "The All New Mickey Mouse Club" Original Cast TV Album. This Mickey Mouse Club, which probably is not known to any of today's 20-year-olds, made its debut in 1977 after Disney had syndicated the original "Mickey Mouse Club" from the 1950's for about 2 years. I was in 7th grade when this new show came on TV for the first time, and, I must admit, I was jealous that I hadn't been able to "try out" for this new Mickey Mouse Club, which, it seemed at the time, had already been filmed by the time I heard that there was going to be a new Mickey Mouse Club. Looking back on it, though (with the help of You Tube), I think that this version of the Mickey Mouse Club was much more inferior to the original 1950's version. Why do I say so? Well, the kids in the MMC of the 50's really were talented and more genuine-acting than this 1977 bunch. They also had the benefit of Walt Disney himself being alive to call a few shots, and Disney had all kinds of talented writers, directors and producers working on that show (which was, at one time, one of the most popular shows on television).



Sure, the new Mouseketeers could sing, dance, and do what they were told, but it just seemed to me that everything they did on the show was a musical number reminiscent of the kinds of dopey CBS Specials that used to come on TV in the '70's. These kids didn't exhibit any of the natural innocence or charm of Walt's Mouseketeers, in my opinion. Those costumes definitely were indicative of the times- Mouseketeers in leisure suits, with wide collars and bell bottoms. The kids seemed too crazy and fake, too. Look at their mouths hanging open on the cover here. Am I still bitter about not being a Mouseketeer? Maybe. I did see them perform at Disneyland at the Space Mountain Stage that used to exist back then, though.