A Champagne Medley from '63

From this 1963 black & white episode, here's the boys in the band with a medley of songs done in Champagne Style starting with Swinging Down the Lane, followed by Linger Awhile and finishes up with Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree.

And watch out for featured performances by Bill Page, Kenny Trimble, Bob Ralston, Dick Cathcart and Don Bonnee!

A Champagne Medley from '63

A Christmas jam session with Bill and Scotty Page

Here's Bill Page with his son Scotty from the 1960 Christmas show...

A Christmas jam session with Bill and Scotty Page

The Sound of Success

....is the Welk orchestra's saxophone section in an advertisement for Buescher saxophones!

The Sound of Success

Makin' Whoopie with One Huge Sax

From 1958, here's Bill Page out from the reeds section playing "Makin' Whoopie" with one gigantic saxophone.

Man, that thing is huge!

Makin' Whoopie with One Huge Sax

Bill Page's Birthday Pandemonium

Happy Birthday Bill!

 

  

  

 

 

Bill Page's Birthday Pandemonium

Brother, Can You Spare a Horn?

An advertisement for Conn Instruments from the 1950s featuring the Welk Show's Jack-of-all-Reeds player Bill Page

Brother, Can You Spare a Horn?

Boys, let's have some of that Champagne Sound

Jerry Burke

Pete Fountain

Norman Bailey

Bill Page

Pete Lofthouse

Boys, let's have some of that Champagne Sound

Mondays with Orie Amodeo

One of the many fine musicans from the Silver Champagne era....

Here's Orie playing the clarinet

.....and the saxophone with the boys

Playing the flute with Bill Page....

The pride and joy of Mechanicville, New York!

Mondays with Orie Amodeo

So many reeds....so little time

A few examples here of just some of the fourteen different reed instruments that music maker Bill Page can play...

And don't try this at home kids....

So many reeds....so little time

A Bill Page haiku

If he has internet access...I hope he like this

Fourteen instruments

Bill Page can play this and that

How does he do it?

A Bill Page haiku

Bill Page

Let us salute one of the fine Welk musicians from the classic Black & White era, remember Bill Page from the reeds section?

The native of Chicago joined the Musical Family in 1951, when they made their move out to Southern California and started out on local television. When the show made it's national debut on ABC in 1955, he played a nice sax solo of "Unchained Melody" on the pilot episode. Until his departure in 1965, he was a fan favorite with his skills at the saxophone, clarinet and flute.

Since, he has worked with stars such as Judy Garland, Barry Manilow, Ted Mack and has appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He and his wife Musa today make their home in Studio City, CA....and have a grown son, Scotty.

Once, while the Welk show was filmed live on location in Florida....he played two clarinets at the same time.....while water skiing! I would like to see footage of that.

Bill Page

Those Swingin' Reeds

You've always wondered where the Champagne Music Makers get that wunnerful "swing?" Lets check out one of the reasons why....I give you the Welk orchestra's Reed and Woodwind section, decade by decade!

First, let us start with the fifties.....

Left to Right: Bill Page, Orie Amodeo, Russ Klein, Jack Martin and Dick Dale.

And now we move on to the sixties....

Left to Right: Bob Davis, Orie Amodeo, Russ Klein, Mahlon Clark and Dick Dale

And now here's the boys from the seventies!

Left to Right: Dick Dale, Russ Klein, Dave Edwards, Bob Davis and Peanuts Hucko

And finally, welcome to the eighties....

Left to Right: Henry Cuesta, Bob Davis, Skeets Herfert, Russ Klein and Dick Dale.

No matter what the decade, that champagne music remains the same....swingin' and sparkly!

Those Swingin' Reeds

Bill Page and Orie Amodeo

Here are two of the finest musicians from the Welk orchestra circa 1964....Bill Page and Orie Amodeo from the reed section.

Bill was with the band from 1951 to 1965, he played the saxophone, clarinet and flute among his arsenal of music. He's a World War II veteran and in addition to the maestro...he's played for such diverse artists such as Barry Manilow (wonder if he played on the original sessions for "At The Copa?")

Orie of Mechanicsville, NY....was a Welk band member from 1945 to 1970, in addition to playing the sax, flute, piccolo and clarinet....he was also the band's official photographer and a mainstay of their recording sessions for labels Coral, Dot and Ranwood. He left to start his own Count Basie influenced band, The Orie J Orchestra, perhaps some of you have may have seen and heard them in person.

Orie sadly passed on in 1998, but his musical legacy is sure to live on among Welk fans!

Bill Page and Orie Amodeo