Postcards from Southern California

The Musical Family are having a great time! Wish you were here....

Here at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Arthur is dancing for the tourists....

Ava Barber and Jim Turner are having fun at Knott's Berry Farm

....and let's hit the beach with Bobby and Elaine

Here's Kathie Sullivan and Dick Dale taking in a Dodgers game at Chavez Ravine, where they'll see Jonathon Broxton blow another save in the ninth....

After all that, lets watch the ponies over at Santa Anita....

...and what better way to finish the day with a nice round of golf at the Maestro's Escondido resort!

Postcards from Southern California

Hoagy Carmichael

Just in case if anyone got regularly scheduled Welk....they showed the "Salute to Hoagy Carmichael" episode from 1982.

Here are just a few highlights....the cast singing "Old Buttermilk Sky".

Anacani singing "Heart and Soul" to a very excited Ron Anderson....

Mary Lou Metzger and Jack Imel baking a cake in "Cool Cool of the Evening"

Bob Smale at the piano leading the cast in a singing of "Georgia On My Mind".

And on this show, Anacani was interviewed by Mary Lou this week.

Next week, everything finally gets back to normal....new episode titled "Easter" from 1968!

I can't wait....so until next week then.

Hoagy Carmichael

All Time Favorites

This week, Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers bring you a show of "All Time Favorites" which first aired on March 27, 1982.

Here's the gang with the opening number, "Music, Music, Music".

The show consisted of favorite musical numbers of course....such as Arthur Duncan's "Doin' The New Lodown" and Guy & Ralna's "Can't Help Fallin' In Love".

There were several great instrumentals, such as a medley of songs from "Music Man" and this Dixieland number of "The Sheik of Araby".

And now we find Kathie Sullivan in the audience singing "My Bill" or in this case, "My INSERT NAME OF FELLA KATHIE'S SITTING ON LAP RIGHT NOW".

I know all the fellers liked that number for sure.

Also included in the show were "In The Mood" by Gail, Ron and Michael; "Release Me" by the country singers Ava Barber, Jim Turner, the Aldridges and Otwells not to mention "Cumana" by Bob Ralston; the Champagne Waltz danced by Bobby & Elaine and the closing number, "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Norma Zimmer and the musical family chorus.

A fine show from start to finish....filled with your all time favorites!

Mary Lou's guest this week in the hot seat is Jo Ann Young.

Some of you are thinkin' "Jo Ann WHO??"....for some you newer fans, Jo Ann Young works behind the scenes with the braintrust at OETA and Welk Syndication in putting together shows for all of public television.

And she's also produced and worked on all fourteen Welk specials for public TV.

Next week is another new one...I think...until then, keep a song in your heart!

All Time Favorites

Tour of Southern California

For the last scheduled Welk episode in 2007, what a great way to finish up the year than with a Musical Tour of Southern California which originally aired on April 3, 1982.

Here's the cast in the opening number, "This Land Is Your Land",

The numbers in thew show were diverse as Southern California itself.....such as Anacani's number "Cielito Lindo" and "Pass Me By" sung by Gail, Ron and Michael.

Here's Arthur Duncan with his snappy footwork dancing to the tune "I'm Walkin, I'm Talking & I'm Hoping" assisted by Sheila and Sherry Aldridge, Anacani & Mary Lou Metzger.

Next, we have Ralna English and Guy Hovis singing about those "Far Away Places"....here at LAX getting ready to board the next flight to one of such places!

How about a trio of accordianists! Playing for you is Joey Schmidt, Lawrence and Myron Floren with "It's A Small World".

Great....now I'm gonna have that damn song stuck in my head for the next few days.

The band featured great instrumentals such as "Say Si Si", the 1812 Overture and some champagne dancing music such as "I've Told Every Little Star".

Also, there's a dreamy version of "California Dreamin" sung by the Aldridge Sisters and Otwell Twins, Ken Delo and the Hotsy Totsy Boys over at Santa Ana Raceway "Runnin' Wild" and the whole cast finishing up the show with "America The Beautiful".

To put this in perspective.....a great show from top to bottom!

The Otwell boys.....Roger and David were both in the hot seat this week, talking to Mary Lou about growing up in Tulia, Texas.....how they got on the Welk show without an audition, and their music work in both Nashville and Amarillo. They also brushed up on their family lives as well.

That's all for this week.....or should I say, this year!

Until 2008, keep a song in your heart.

Tour of Southern California

Big City USA

Saturday Night has come and gone, and it brought us another fine Lawrence Welk episode this week....titled "Big City USA".

From it's 27th season on the air (1981-82), here's the Maestro getting the show started!

The show, of course, was about the big cities of the USA....here's Anacani singing about New York, well actually the neighborhood of Spanish Harlem with the song "Spanish Harlem".

You always thought Gail Farrell was the only Welk star that's associated with Petula Clark's classic hit "Downtown"....we'll here is the Aldridge Sisters and the Otwell Twins with their own rendition of that hit record.

Now, here's Joe Feeney with "Oklahoma" accompanied by Myron Floren on accordian.

And now, the mixed trio of Gail, Ron and Michael singing about penthouses and the benefits of living high in the sky....and it's not a reference to sky-high rents most associated with big city living.

How about a ride on the trolley? Jack Imel and Mary Lou Metzger are in the number, "The Trolley Song."

Other numbers in the show include Kathie Sullivan's "Kansas City", Jim Turner with "Rhinestone Cowboy" along with Ava Barber's rendition of "Gotta Travel On".

The show had a fantastic closing number, the orchestra performed and the singers sung to "Chicago" which was a nice way to end a show.

And now, it's time for Mary Lou's weekly interview....mystery guest, enter and sign in please!

It's Bobby Burgess, he talked about some of the fun times he had on the Welk Show, how the TV show "Dancing With The Stars" has caused a bull market on Catallian (also known as ballroom) dancing and his family plus some sentimental memories of fellow Welk star and father-in-law Myron Floren.

Next week, I found it's a salute to Jimmy McHugh...whoever the heck he is....so keep and song in your heart and your VCRs humming!

Big City USA

Hoagy Carmichael

This week, the music makers pay tribute to the music of Hoagy Carmichael; here's the gang dressed in their finest starting the show off with "Old Buttermilk Sky".

Originally aired on March 6, 1982....tonight's episode is filled with many of Hoagy's greatest and best loved tunes, with fine instrumentals such as "Can't Get Indiana Off My Mind", Henry Cuesta's "Stardust" solo on clarinet, "Back Home Again In Indiana" featuring Bob Havens on trombone and Bob Smale at the piano, and provided Arthur Duncan's tap routine with the sounds of "Doctor, Lawyer, Indiana Chief".

Here's Guy & Ralna roughing it by their nice Chevy van (sorry...that's not the super cool GMC van from The A-Team) in their number "Two Sleepy People". Jim Turner turned in a nice performance with "Small Fry" and below are the Aldridge Sisters and Otwell Twins out on a boat singing "Lazy Bones."

I wonder if those are Calvins or Jordaches worn by Sherry and Sheila A?

Anyway, on with the program...we hear from the trio of Gail, Ron and Michael with "The Nearness Of You" and later Dick Dale with "Rocking Chair". We also hear from Anacani with her rendition of "Heart and Soul".

Meanwhile...over at the nightclub, Elaine Balden is dressed as a little old lady which provides Kathie Sullivan and her male companions at her table with the song, "Little Old Lady" and that is followed by Mary Lou Metzger and Jack Imel with their number "Cool Cool Of The Evening", finished off with a huge cake for "little ol' lady" Elaine!

Is she gonna eat all of that cake by herself? Maybe she should have some of her friends have a slice or two....

Norma Zimmer has her solo, "I Get Along With You" in the show, as well as Ralna English with "Skylark" and the whole gang finishes up the program with "Georgia On My Mind" with Bob Smale back at the piano.

It was a really fun show, and I bet Mary Lou's interview will be just as fun!

In the hot seat this week was Anacani, who talks about her own "musical family" as well as her early years as a teenage performer and getting discovered by Lawrence Welk at his resort in Escondido. She also talks very much about her husband Rudy, and her daughter Priscilla....and what she's up to these days.

Next week, it's the Academy Awards show from 1971....and that too should be a wunnerful show as well.

Just remember to stay warm and safe....it's too damn cold this time of year!

Hoagy Carmichael