Sunday, April 29, 2007

Southtown USA

This week, it's a classic black & white episode as the Champagne Music makers celebrate the Old West with "Southtown USA", here's the gang gathered 'round the piano with Frank Scott tickling the ivories.

First aired on February 22, 1964....tonight's featured episode has several classic numbers, such as Norma Zimmer's "Wayward Wind" and the Lennon Sisters' "Hummingbird". Lawrence also features his special guest stars of the evening, the fabulous and legendary Mills Brothers with the numbers with "Paper Doll" and "It Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You".

Back to our Western-themed show, Larry Hooper does a great rendition of "This Old House" while the orchestra provides the studio audience with some great dancing music, such as "Misty" with Frank Scott at piano and "Stockholm" with great harpischord work by Frank as well! Also, Jerry Burke demonstrates his magic at the Novachord with the "Third Man" theme with help from Buddy Merrill and Neil Levang at the guitars.

And what show wouldn't be complete without Bobby Burgess and Barbara Boylan dancing to "Buttons and Bows".

Aladdin dresses up as an Old West old timer when he recites "Shifting, Whispering Sands" and Jo Ann Castle does a great job with her ragtime piano rendition of "Ragtime Piano Gal" with help from Bob Lido at vocals. If you throw in Jimmy Roberts' number "Beyond The Blue Horizon" and you got yourself a classic show worth watching over and over again!

This week, Mary Lou Metzger interviews Barbara Boylan, who danced with Bobby Burgess on the show from 1961 to 1967. She talks about how she started dancing at an young age, how she and Bobby first met...her adventures on the show and her courtship and marriage to one of the Blenders Greg Dixon. This year, they would be married for forty years....and have two fine children, David and Dee Dee and several grandchildren.

Next week....it's another mod sixties episode, this time in living color titled "Southern Show".....get your VCRs warmed up for this one!


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3 comments:

hagybaby said...

I'm amazed at the clarity of this episode. Do you know how it was recorded? Taped or filmed from a Kinoscope? I just have a plain ol' tv but I was shocked at how crisp the picture was. Fun show but Lawrence sounded a bit strange...or maybe it's just me!

jbfunky said...

I do believe it was videotaped...Lawrence was really ahead of his time in terms of production values!

Anonymous said...

Very enjoyable episode. I hope there will be more from the first half of the 1960s.