America Sings - Happy 4th of July

[victorbrunswick]

I had the soundtrack album when I was a kid. Sam the Eagle was voiced by Burl Ives.

[jombi77]

You don't see it in the video, but when they sing Yankee Doodle and the lights would go out, there would be this kaleidoscope of stars that would spin around the room as the audience section rotated. Obviously done with a light covered by a rotating ball screen that has star shapes cut out. It was a really clever transition effect for its time.

[rct2disney]

i really wish disney would come back with the beautiful animatronic shows like the old days. its sad how commercial some of their new rides are and how they include very commercial characters in the classic rides.

[BorkBorkBork19]

17 people are unamerican

[FlameGameLPs]

@DonQuixote342 That would be cool... But I think that's it's the old style that makes this ride memorable. If they were to bring it back, I think they should update the anamatronics and the music, but leave it as it is.

[TechnoBoy301]

How old are you in that time and what year was it in

[chibbbycookie]

My parents told me about this ride when I was younger

I love researching Disneyland History and Old Rides so I decided to look this up

Why did they remove such a wonderful ride to replace it with stupid Innoventions?

I even have a pin with this ride on it

[DramaKaw]

@chibbbycookie The reason they closed this ride was because they went over-budget while making Splash Mountain. They took most of the characters from this ride and included them to save money. Some of the robots, like Sam the Eagle, were made into something else entirely different.

That's what I looked up.

[Marymoper]

Wow ..Thank you so much for posting this. I have always wanted to show my little ones America Sings :)

[TheCaelanator]

Guess what?

The eagle, named Sam, he's portrayed by Burl Ives.

[devonster10]

@TheCaelanator He is it says on Wikipedia

.

[TheCaelanator]

Sam sounds like he's portrayed by Burl Ives.

[hello28042]

Many disappointed however think about this, if this didn't close Splash Mountain wouldn't exist. Personally I like rides more then an eighteen minute show... Plus Splash Mountain is this generation's America Sings. Last, they can't bring this back. There are two reasons for this. First, all the seats in the carousel theatre are gone. Second, why have two attractions with the same animatronics?

[DonQuixote342]

this was my favorite ride too. I wish they would recreate this ride in 3-D with modern music and incorperating a light show...it has so much potential....We can only hope.

[fivebearrugs]

TRIVIA: "Billy, the Bad Guy", sung by The Boothill Boys, is the only original song written for America Sings :)

[Kevgam13]

At least we still see these characters in splash mountain?

[er10b]

Is it just me or does 'She's only a bird in a gilded cage' mean prostitution?

[ru42]

@er10b - The songs meaning is that she married for money rather then love

[hello28042]

@er10b ahahaha

[TherealRNO]

Rest in Peace, Deborah Stone. Whatever replaced America Sings is now said to be haunted by her spirit, sadly.

[Mikastika]

all of these guys are in Splash mountain now

these are the best animatronics ever

[fivebearrugs]

@Mikastika Well...there are a few that didn't make it to Splash Mountain, which is too bad, because I feel that there was plenty of open space to stick certain animals in. TRIVIA: the rocker crane with the guitar in the Modern Times finale (in the center of the stage) is now used as a final exam of sorts for Imagineering students :)

[fivebearrugs]

@fivebearrugs sorry...it's used by Imagineers as a final exam for new Animatronics programmers. LOL, I'd like to see that!

[Mikastika]

all of these guys are in Splash mountain now

[ChaosDemonwolf]

yeah........i worked there from 1971-1985,,,,,,,,,what fun it was.......until i went to 6 flags Disney was good, but 6 flags (WB) was better

[hello28042]

@ChaosDemonwolf six flags is all dirty and covered in gum and bugs, you never see that at disneyland! Boo 6 fags!

[glassesgurlmusicluve]

Thy had elvis damm n lmao the show girls

[LEGOMaster56]

tomorrow is 4th of july :) the reason sam and ollie r not on splash mountain is cuz gthey wer to recognizable

[LEGOMaster56]

tomorrow is 4th of july :)

[ambnic2010]

all or most of these characters can be found throughout Spladh Mountain in Disneyland (:

[ChaosDemonwolf]

it's good to see that someone still has this old school times at disney....i worked there at the time just before i transfered to six flags. good job, well done

[Hperman09]

Man i would love to see if i had a chance!

[MrDisneyfanman]

I never thought I would see this ever again, what a cool treat!

You did a wonderful job, Thank you!

[Hottelio120]

RIP

[ghat00]

I was sad when this ride closed, I thought it was gone forever. But you captured it well and it lives on! Thank You!!

[markheard65]

I MISS IT BUT YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL ON SPLASH MOUNTAIN

[kheardsr]

This was always a cool Ride Straight, Stoned, Drunk, it just didn't matter.

[Silverfox7771]

loved this ride, my last vist in 81 we got to see it prior to it closing for the day do to a malfuntion. Rumer had it that it may return in an updated version, replacing the tireed out Inovations that replaced AMS in 1998 (though it closed in 87).

Inovations from word on the net was never a popular part of tomarrowland

[cheaplalique]

I never understood why this was in Tomorrowland, but I remember going to see it everytime I visited. (I remember 1977-1987).

[LEGOMaster56]

i can c u r all t.o.'d by them taking this out. My idea is they should put the first 2 acts in the golder horshoe restraunt on the stage. there would only be 4 geese on a ledge on top of the stage. Sam the Eagle would be tp the right of the stage on the left and Ollie on the right. Thumbs up if you like this idea. connect me if u have question about it

[rubyredmedia]

The main bird is called Sam

[rawoctopus]

the voice of the main bird sounds like David Huddleston

[smini9812]

Another great video from ru42! This was one of my all time favorites at Disneyland. We used to always go to this attraction when we went to Disneyland as kids--what great memories. You did an awesome job executing this video and catching all the small nuances that can be difficult to catch on video, and that usually are only seen when you are actually at the show. Thanks again for the fun and the memories!

[Miracle490d]

"WE SHOULD ALL REMEMBER AS HISTORY MOVES ALONG. THAT EVERYTHING IS BETTER CUZ SOMEONE WROTE A SONG." GOD WHAT AN IMPACT THAT HAD ON ME. I BELIEVE.

[Miracle490d]

Would that song be called "Licenced Saloon?" Is it found in Barber Shop genre since the tenor goose starts it at 10:31? Or I wonder if any females sang it. Barber Shop was typically boy singers. It'd be interesting to hear it all both ways. Anyone know who sings it?

[fivebearrugs]

@Miracle490d I thought the song is called Wandering Boy, or "Where is My Wandering Boy?"

[Miracle490d]

@fivebearrugs I wondered that too. I was hoping someone would know something for sure. Without the song title or group name, it'd be tough to find.

[fivebearrugs]

Ah, this is the late 80s version...two of the geese decided to get jobs in Star Tours :)

[Miracle490d]

@fivebearrugs PLUS GOMER. JK about your name, cute. Too bad Star Tours got changed. Where are the geese now?

[fivebearrugs]

@Miracle490d LOL I think you're the first (or maybe second) YouTuber that gets my name :) Well, most Disney fans know that two AS geese became G2 droids in the waiting queue for Star Tours. From what I've read, the droid singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" is an homage to AS, since that song was featured in the attraction. I do not know where those droids are now, but let's hope that they return, along with an updated video of the black service agent with the spacey/Leia-esque hair :)

[Miracle490d]

@fivebearrugs I grew up on the Jamborie and old record so I can't hear or read that name without thinking of that first intro. ;D The movie sickens me. How about you? I didn't catch the homage before. I forgot, he did sing I've been working on the railroad. I haven't found any good youtube videos of the G2 droids yet and I didn't know they were AS geese when I was going to Star Tours. It might've broke my heart seeing them skinned {^) Splash Mountain has always been bitter sweet.

[Miracle490d]

@fivebearrugs ...I wondered which barber shop geese were skinned. It's ironic since the other geese at splash mountain are singing How do you do very near the railway cart with the same two pumping the handle. Should've kept the family together and gave the droid another song. lol Seriously they shopuld've kept this ride intact and spent some on new animatronics instead of wasting money on that crap in the carosel building now. ?black service agent w/ princess Lea hair? I don't get what that is.

[Miracle490d]

@fivebearrugs ....Now that you mention Lea I do recall that captain Rex had a head that looked like two buns on the side. is that what you were talking about?

[fivebearrugs]

@Miracle490d Nono, iit's the pre-ride video where there's a black lady dressed as a flight attendant and doing the usual ride spiel (no smoking, flash photography, etc.)

[marko723]

Disney removing this was a mistake, now that building is just a waste!

[Miracle490d]

@marko723 AMEN!!!!!!

[Miracle490d]

@marko723 They could've made splash mountain without destroying America Sings. They did it in other parks. How much money did they spend on that other garbage they got in that building? Its just a time waster building like an arcade. As much as disneyland tickets cost its pitiful to waste time in there.

[thesuperdude99]

they are in splash mountain now to bad i wish it stayed

[TheAmericanMedley]

Happy 4th.

[rubyredmedia]

I love this show if it was still on then I would go and see it

[Lullabyofbdwy88]

Happy 4th if July! Thanks for the video!

[alpo111364]

OMG - I LOVED THIS ATTRACTION - much to the chagrin of anyone who happened to have the misfortune to go to the park with me while it was open. THANK YOU for posting this!

[ThoseGuysFromYT]

I can't look at it in a cute way, I now look at it in a gruesome way, knowing the fact that while it rotated in pitch black, someone's body got crushed...:S

[DjekStudiosMovies]

@ThoseGuysFromYT I feel the same. I'm so sorry for Deborah.

[ThoseGuysFromYT]

@DjekStudiosMovies Yeah D: It's so sad!

[mgmbacklot]

Thank you!!!! When I attended Grad-night in 1981.. I rode this at least 3 times, and I was the only person in the theatre..... I LOVED IT!!! It too was one of my favorite attractions.. I miss it.. so thank you for this.. there is also a perfect stereo-audio only recroding of this on youtube.. I transfered it to a cd.. heaven..

[bryantmcvey]

This is really cool! Brings back SO MANY good memories! Thanks so much for posting it!

[slave2moonlight]

Man, I saw this once, when I was like 5 (must have been the last year they had it maybe, ha), and I never totally forgot it. Wish they still had it. I love/miss these kinds of shows!

[ztslovebird]

Wow, I feel dumb! I read about this attraction once, but I kept looking it up under Song of the South (movie the characters were kind of based on, in design at least). Did they do the same songs for every show, or was it changed up for different seasons/occasions?

[Rachael8989]

Nobody does animatronic animals better than Disney! <3

[anglerfly]

Hey ru What ride is this? country bear jamboree? Did they get rid of splash mountain?

[DisneyMagicMan]

@anglerfly Wait! I got mixed up, my brain was confused lol, they look so similar, It's very close to CBJ but its not, America Sings replaced The Carousel of Progress in Disneyland in 1974. Has the same style of singing and dancing animatronic animals, but it closed in 1988 unfortunately, SM is definitely still there! promise lol

[LordNibblenoo]

(Since you never got an answer) This ride was around before Splash Mountain; most of the robots were moved to Splash Mountain, though, when they closed this ride.

[JacksPirateBitch]

I showed this to my grandfather who is 85 and he was singing along to this whole video and his face lit up as he watched it , bringing back many memories, as this was my uncles favorite ride and he died , so it made him feel closer to him. THANK YOU for this great video!

[ru42]

Thank you very much for sharing that with me!

[Miracle490d]

@ru42 I have a little niece and nephew in California right now. They only get to see these characters in Splash Mountain. I'm so glad you made this video. It's great that I can show the kids something they would've never been able to see and share the memories that I loved. And since I live in another state and can't really see them, being able to share playlists with them gives me a chance to feel more connected and be a part of their lives growing up. Thanks 4 all the videos of lost treasures.

[gurra7]

HEY RU why dont you get myspace?

[drummernick34]

hey ru, can you maybe do a video of this year's small world holiday? thanks!

[DaisyDutches]

WOW! what a show! I'm so sad i never got to see it. I'm a little glad they recycled the characters in splash mountain, but why did they make a ride on a movie thats few have seen? Its never been on video.

This was a much better use for the innoventions building than its current use. does anyone know if the WDW one is in tact?

[ztslovebird]

@DaisyDutches Some of the animatrons were also stripped down to the bones and used on the Star Tours rides. Not as the driving robots, but as the mechanic robots that you see when you're waiting in line (if you ever get the chance, check out the coincidentally webbed-looking feet of the suspiciously duck-like robots). The WDW version is still running; if it wasn't, there'd be an all-out massacre, lol! But the reason the movie wasn't released is because of the racial tones.

[SteveCarras]

Thanks.

[tamisweetie]

great video!!!!!!! does anybody know the genre of music at 1:25? i really like that king of music. thanks!!!!!!!

[ru42]

At 1:25 is a dixie jazz version of Yankee Doodle Dandy with the words re-written to fit the ride.

[bobjfs]

@tamisweetie It sounds like a style of music Disney kind of made up. It's a kind of swing music, with elements of Dixieland and country thrown in. It's generic, but it swings.

[ghostgal2020]

This was my favorite attraction growing up as a Disney Girl. I love watching this video- all your videos are great! Thank you for doing such a great job on all of them. For some reason the Bayou segment with the froggies was always my favorite :)

[ocborn]

I used to love this attraction - it was air conditioned in the So Cal summer heat. It was also my first introduction to American music from across the country - without this attraction I don't think I would have developed the appreciation of all kinds of music.

[Miracle490d]

@ocborn AMEN I probably owe that to this ride too. I've always appreciated more than one type of sound. Old and New. So many ppl on youtube and everywhere seem to be stuck on one genre unable to give anything different a chance. Its a sad shame they took this ride away. ppl don't appreciate that the old sounds led to the new.

[Miracle490d]

@ocborn ....actually I realized more than that. Its not just the music this ride made you appreciate, it's the lyrics!!!! Everything they show you in each song spells out the meaning so much that you REALLY HEAR every word. I grew up on the country bears too, but the lyrics were never heard as deeply as this ride. And they're all relatable heart felt words. And more meaningful words has always been whats driven me towards any song. It's strange....

[Miracle490d]

@ocborn .....It's strange to think that maybe a simple ride like this could've had that much impact, but who knows if we'd be the same without these experiences as children.

[Philious]

I was born a few months before this attraction closed, so I never got a chance to experience it. This is my first time watching a video of it, and after seeing the characters in their original context, Splash Mountain seems really random now. But it also makes me appreciate how well Splash Mountain is executed with all the recycled animatronics. Also, it's amazing how many animatronics they must have made for America Sings.

[ObsTheGreat]

To be fair, the movie that Splash Mountain is based off of contains many a forest creature- so it wasn't too hard to pull off.

[ZNKChannel]

I know that Burl did Sam, joefarthole. I just think the Mupper performers helped with this, like one of the vultures, that dog who sings "Who Shot That Hole In My Sombrero", the Swamp Boys, the female rabbit, the drunken goose, the fox who sings to the bird, the piano playing pig, the alligator going uptown, the hippie bird singing "Shake, Rattle & Roll", & the turkey sounds like Jim Cummings.

[ZNKChannel]

Did the Muppet performers help do the voices? 'Cause some of the animals sound like some of the Muppets. Right?

[joefarthole]

No, Disney rarely goes outside for "imagineering." Burl Ives is the voice of Sam.

[AlexRGravlin]

God bless America!

[BLONDESPrfrGENTLEMEN]

I loved America Sings, it's crazy how the characters are recycled into Splash Mountain.

[iLoveEvrythingDisney]

america sings is amazing!

[TomChavez]

I heard just a few of the geese for the ride were put onto Star Tours... you look at the droid repairing the other droids... he has webbed feet and what looks kinda like a goose tail.

[DemonicDhevil]

I never got to see this attraction yet I'm madly in love with it. I hate Disney for taking this out. And before my time! They really need to put this back in their park. They could build new animatronics and put it where it rightfully belongs. In Critter Country.

[LEGOMaster56]

@DemonicDhevil this doesn't belong in critter country, it should only have the first two acts and it would be on the Golden Horseshoe Stage. There it would only be one Sam the Eagle and only one Ollie the Owl, they could put the geese quartet at the bottom of the stage, and then they would come out from behind a wall when the show starts.

[CoolioRockstar]

Most of the the Animals in America Sings are in Splash Mountain and The Ride CLOSED years ago but I think there going to RE-open it again but I don't think so! It was a COOL Place!

[vampiresoldier05]

I never been on this ride before. I wasn't born when they had this. I was born in 1990, so who knows how long it was running.

[ObsTheGreat]

14 years. I was born in '92, so I barely got to experience Rocket Rods let alone see America Sings. Ah well.

[FilmNFire]

I miss this ride.. It was one of my favorites.... you need rides like this when your tired and it's hot and crowded outside... and the music/show was great to watch... sad it had to go

[AdrenalineAddict610]

I know where almost every single of these animatronics are on Splash Mountain.

[fivebearrugs]

I notice this was taken during its final days... the geese quartets are trios :)

[Russo505]

Such a good show, Disneyland should have let this show go on, It was great to see after walking around the park for hours.

[TheMousePrincess]

This is fabulous! I miss this attraction. Now I can share a classic with my children. They already love the soundtrack, so now they can put the characters that are mostly in Splash Mountain into the music. (The voice of the eagle, Uncle Sam, is Burl Ives.)

[markre60]

Another beauty ru42. I always loved this one. Also, I sure do miss The Carousel of Progress. I wish they would get rid of Innoventions and bring back America Sings. Wouldn't really fit the Tommorow Land theme, but a fine attraction all around.

[Evilgidgit]

Uncle Sam sounds like the original voice actor of Jiminy Cricket.

[robinscute12345]

the little fox at 4:30 looks like the one in Mary Poppins! lol and sounds a little like him too and most of the animals you can tell they're the exsact ones in splash mountain now! lol I like this it seems like it would've been a fun ride!! Thanks!

[twoeffs38]

I've never seen this (at least, not that I can remember)... thanks for the video!

[a71chevelless]

Thank you! This is awesome, I miss this ride so much. My 5 year old sat entranced at this video. I really wish it was still at Disneyland every time I take my kids there. I can't believe that I still know the whole thing by heart 20 years after it was gone. Your video quality is awsome, where is it from?

[disneyland6]

where did u get this at??? write back thx

[manlyman80345]

I've always wanted to experience this; thanks!

[galza]

Really miss this show sometimes. Man, I wish Splash Mountain didn't zip you through the show rooms so fast. These guys were meant to be looked at.

[ricardoccalmeida]

thanks for sharing this :) Nice to know what rides there are there in Disneyland and not only. :)

[Imagineer0914]

this has been closed for years, all the animals are now in Splash Mountain

[ricardoccalmeida]

lol

[ilovedisney84]

WOW there are so many scenes with ALOT of Animatronics? i wonder how they had the room on the rotating stage???

[ru42]

Technically, the stage does not rotate, the audience does. We move from scene to scene.

[ricardoccalmeida]

Wow, thats a really original feature :P

[ilovedisney84]

OOOOOOOOOHHH... that's right lol

[robinscute12345]

like carosel of progress

[starleet2001]

I missed the Carousel of Progress, but this helped fill the big void. But Innoventions was a great idea and at first was fun with the game show and the space shuttle game. But now it is, I agree, a waste of good space and a building.

[krypton549]

i wonder how many people where sing these songs?

[P00PKINZ]

Most of those critters are on Splash Mountain now...What were they thinking when they put in Innoventions? Now it's a waste of space...Too bad! Thanks for the upload! I remember this show :)

[FigmentJedi]

Better then what the building was used for the decade or so inbetween America Sings and INnoventions: Offices

[scottof83]

When where these filmed. I can pretty much guess after 1986 cause one of the birds from the first two segments was already missing by now. My video was the very last show.

[GeeshChloe]

So...is this not in Disneyland anymore?

[weird4productions]

nope

[girrrtacos]

Nope. The building that housed it developed into "Innoventions" and the "Innoventions Dream Home".

[therealsimmer3]

Innoventions replaced it.

[Tulare73]

I remember this from when I was kid early 80's but I think it was 1982 when I seen it.

[Lullabyofbdwy88]

Thank you so much for posting this! You're a gift to the younger disney fans who missed out on shows like this! (well I could have gone at a few months old but I wouldn't have gotten much out of it)

[lovemeg5186]

You always post the best disney videos. Thanks for taking the time and the effort of putting these videos up!

[Donillini]

ITS THE SPLASH MOUNTAIN CRITTERS!

[TangoMaureen07]

This is a real treat! Thank you for sharing!

[stargatefansg1]

The eagle sounds like Burl Ives...you think that's him? When was this filmed? and where in the park? I LOVE Disneyland but i've never seen this there. Thanks for sharing =D

[TangoMaureen07]

I believe this used to be in the Innoventions building. Don't take my word for it though.

[ru42]

This was in the Innoventions building. First, in that building, was Carousel of Progess. That was replaced by this show which came out for this nations 200 birthday. It lasted until the mid 80's when the AA were taken out and used in Splash Mountain and stripped down versions are the robots you see in the Star Tours

[ddrusa]

very cool

[ru42]

Oops, and I forgot to mention - yes, that is the Burl Ives.

[zabimaru2468]

wow dats old. =) where was this???

[ru42]

See my answer in the question that came just after your question.

[zabimaru2468]

well, i know it was at disneyland. what i ment to say was where was it at the park???

[hollaajeaan]

thank you for posting this up!

miss this show.

[ArxVirtus]

Great vid and nice time to post it. :)