"Macho Duck" from Disneyland Records

We’re feeling a little wacky here at the home office of the Radio Dial. It’s likely because of the influence of April Fools’ Day, though the song we are spotlighting tonight is NO goof.  Taken from a beloved children’s LP that many young Gen X’ers owned, it’s Disneyland Records’ “Macho Duck”!

Doorman: “Oh, good evening Mr.Duck!”    Donald: “Hello sport!” 
Doorman: “May I get the door for you?”     Donald: “Thank you very much! Let’s boogie!” 

The first track on the B-side of the platinum selling “Mickey Mouse Disco” LP, Donald’s ode to the dance floor received no radio airplay, was not issued as a single, and didn’t place on the singles chart, though the LP did peak at #35 on the Billboard 200.

It’s quite rare when a track from a children’s LP places on the hot 100. Jim Henson’s “Rubber Duckie” (credited to Sesame Street’s “Ernie”) peaked at #16 in 1970, and is probably the highest profile charting children’s track to chart to date. Other charting kid’s songs include Kenny Loggins’ “House on Pooh Corner”, and “The Tra La La Song” by The Banana Splits, but both of those peaked well below top 40.

Anyway, back to Donald. “Macho Duck” playfully boasts about Donald’s disco dancing abilities (who knew?), and its chorus references the classic disco hit “Macho Man”… “Macho, Macho Duck”, but the verses and medley share nothing with the iconic Village People hit from ‘78. The instrumentation features a variant of disco influenced by light rock/pop, far removed from the funky stylings of Earth Wind and Fire or Kool & the Gang or even the orchestral elegance of the Bee Gees. 

“He’s got style, he’s got flair. Got two left feet, but he doesn’t care… Dressed in blue, fit to form, ladies love to touch his uniform.” 

A rotating stable of Disney studio musicians recorded albums for Disneyland Records, and unfortunately, these folks were not typically credited in the liner notes. The only folks listed on Mickey’s LP are Dennis Burnside (Arranger), Dick Duerrstein (Art Direction), and Producer Jymn Magon. Other featured tracks include “Disco Mickey Mouse” (a slightly altered title from that of the LP itself), “Welcome to Rio”, “Watch out for Goofy”, and covers of classic Disney themes “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”, “It's a Small World”, and “Chim Chim Cher-ee”, which was originally recorded in 1964 by Dick Van Dyke & Julie Andrews for the soundtrack of "Mary Poppins". 

“Mess with him, and you’re outta luck, he’s a MACHO DUCK!” 

Disney created a music video for Mickey Mouse Disco in the early 80s; an overall medley, comprising of many tracks from the full LP set to clips of classic Disney animated features. Click the link below to enjoy the entire thing and get a sampling of the full LP, or jump to 2:50 for the Macho Duck sequence.

Even though I loved my top 40 radio in the late 70s, Mickey Mouse Disco was among my favorite albums of the era, (I was five, after all!) and currently, the Radio Dial Kids enjoy it as well. Give it a spin, and see if Donald’s disco track doesn’t charm you and make your inner child giggle. 

“Macho macho duck… the slickest bird in the nation… macho macho duck… he’s a MACHO MACHO duck!”