Springtime

You know it's springtime when the flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining and the birds are singing....but also when PBS airs this Welk gem from April 23, 1977 titled "Springtime".

Here are our girls to get things started by doing the show's introductions!

The first number includes the ladies with "April Showers" all dressed nice with their raincoats. Other great numbers in this program include fine solo numbers by Tom Netherton with "April Love", Joe Feeney with "Sweetheart Tree", Ava Barber with "You Are My Sunshine" made famous by Louisiana's "Singing Governor" Jimmie Davis and of course Bobby & Cissy's dance routine to "Love Will Keep Us Together."

Nice outfits eh? They never looked so....citrusy.

The band, as usual, was on top of their game with a few instrumentals....such as "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" with a nice clarinet solo by Henry Cuesta. Kathie Sullivan was brilliant with her solo, "Spring Is Here" and there's Guy & Ralna singing one of their songs from their "Love Songs" album with the always popular "Listen To My Smile."

How the heck can you listen to a smile? Can any of Ralna's teeth pick up radio signals like Gilligan from a particular episode of "Gilligan's Island?"

Just curious of course....now let's "spring" ahead for more show.

The show was jammed packed with solos, even one by the mysterious Jamie Corey with "I Got Rhythm". There was also Jimmy Roberts with his rendition of "Springtime In The Rockies" and Ken Delo telling everyone that you should always "Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella."

Then Gail, Sandi and Mary Lou gave us a walking tour of the studios with "Walking In The Sunshine"....followed by the fellas dressed in Dodger Blue playing some baseball and singing "Spring, Spring, Spring."

Lawrence also had a special guest star, famed pianist Roger Williams playing "Autumn Leaves" and "The Impossible Dream" all decked out in vintage 1970s duds...all in all, a great Springtime show!

Mary Lou's guest this week is Kathie Sullivan, who talked about growing up in Wisconsin...and joining the Welk show thanks to being Madison's "Champagne Lady" while the show was in town for a concert. She even talked about recent events, working at a retirement home in Dallas, TX....where she lives....and is in charge of entertainment....and she also drives the bus as well!

Next week...it's the America At Play episode, but I will be in New Haven next week visiting my sister who's attending grad school at Yale, so in the meantime, keep a "spring" in your step and keep a song in your heart!