Welk fashion of the 70s

From the 1976 Salute to Johnny Mercer episode, lets see what the men are wearing.....

Tom Netherton with a combination leisure suit and turtleneck, all grey.

Larry Hooper and Jimmy Roberts going a bit more colorful, light blue and brown....

Joe Feeney feeling a bit plaid, according to his jacket.

Welk fashion of the 70s

At last, Toledo finally got to see that Marvin Hamlisch special

You know, the one everyone was talking about....

In a nutshell, it was originally a made as a public television pledge drive special hosted by Marvin himself. 

Marvin Hamlisch Presents the 70s; The Way We Were featured some of your favorite songs from the decade performed by the icons from that era, such as Freda Payne, Marilyn McCoo, Bobby Goldsboro, B.J Thomas and Ray Stevens just to name a few.

But for us Welk fans, it was that Guy & Ralna that was also featured amongst the roster of stars in the show, which was taped at Lindenwood University located just outside of St. Louis.

They sang "Just An Old Fashioned Love Song" which was a big hit for Three Dog Night in 1971. And by the way, our Favorite Singing Married Couple covered that same song some thirty odd years ago on the Welk show too.

That was not the only number they did, G&R also covered "Put Your Hand In The Hand", "You Needed Me" and "Lean On Me" in the show as well, but they were not included in the original broadcast. You have to get the companion CD and DVD for those numbers and much more bonus stuff as well.

Here they are, in all their glory....

And by the way, they were terrific as always!

At last, Toledo finally got to see that Marvin Hamlisch special

Champagne Cultural Synopsis: Ya' Got Trouble (Right Here in River City)

"Friends, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do now wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated...."

These are the opening lines to the song "Ya Got Trouble" from Meredith Wilson's musical "The Music Man".

....and the caliber of disaster that was described? A pool table.

It was also one of the songs featured on last Saturday's Lawrence Welk episode with Jack Imel and the gang performing it....in fact, the Music Makers sang that same song several times before and after.

Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent, charming and wonderful tune but that being said....it's also kinda dated, even for 1974.

Seriously, has anyone now or then has ever heard the jokes from Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, let alone who Captain Billy was?

Perhaps some of the cultural references from "Ya Got Trouble" can be updated to be more relevant....by early to mid 1970s standards that is.

For example....pool table is still relevant, but I would also consider pinball machine.

Captain Billy's Whiz Bang? How about either National Lampoon or Mad magazine....

Are certain words creeping into his conversation?

Instead of words like "Swell"......consider "Dy-no-mite!"

also "So's Your Old Man!" would be replaced by "Jive Turkey!"

Does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee?

Those kids today with their Glam Rock, Pet Rocks, Sea Monkeys and Lava Lamps don't care about knickerbockers....but they do wear those platform shoes to go with their bell bottom pants!

Add such changes in there, you'll get a Music Man production courtesy of Soul Train.

Champagne Cultural Synopsis: Ya' Got Trouble (Right Here in River City)

Songs of the 1970s

Bust out those bell bottom pants, polyester suits, platform shoes and Pet Rocks because the Champagne Music Makers are gonna salute the hit songs from the 1970s!

Of course, the show was taped in 1978 so it makes sense....

In this episode, watch as Guy Hovis try in vain to explain who writes the songs...

 

Sandi shows us her new pet dinosaur.....

.....and Gail Farrell takes us into the lives of the Young and the Restless.

Mary Lou Metzger will be your host this week

SONGS OF THE 1970s - December 9, 1978

1. TIE A YELLOW RIBBON 'ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE - the orchestra

2. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU GOING TO (Theme from Mahogany) - Kathie Sullivan

3. SOUTHERN NIGHTS - Bob Ralston on the Thomas organ

4. YOU'RE THE ONE - Roger and David Otwell with Sherry and Sheila Aldridge

5. I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT - danced by Bobby Burgess and Barbara Boylan

 

6. I NEED TO BE IN LOVE - Tom Netherton

7. DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE - Ava Barber

8. FEELINGS - orchestra with Johnny Zell on trumpet

9. PENNY ARCADE - Gail Farrell, Sandi Griffiths and Mary Lou Metzger

10. NADIA'S THEME (Theme from The Young and the Restless) - orchestra with George Cates conducting and lead obbligato by Gail Farrell with Anacani, Ralna, Kathie, Mary Lou, Larry (Hooper), Joe, Guy and Tom

11. NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE - tap danced by Arthur Duncan

12. SHE NEVER KNEW ME - Jimmy Roberts with Bob Smale on piano

13. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE - Anacani

14. LAUGHING IN THE RAIN - orchestra led by the saxophone section of Dick Dale, Russ Klein, Dave Edwards, Bob Davis and Henry Cuesta

15. I WRITE THE SONGS - Guy Hovis and Ralna English

16. BAD BAD LEROY BROWN - Ken Delo with dancing by Bobby and Barbara

17. MY MELODY OF LOVE - Myron Floren on accordion with Neil Levang on banjo and Richard Maloof on tuba

18. AND I LOVE YOU SO - Joe Feeney on lead vocals with Sherry, Sheila, Ralna, Gail, Mary Lou, Dick, Jimmy, Larry, Guy and Tom

 

This was a great episode as always, the Music Makers went out on a limb with songs not normally heard on the show....such as Ken Delo's "Bad Bad Leroy Brown", Kathie Sullivan channeling her inner Diana Ross with the theme from Mahogany and Gail, Sandi and Mary Lou taking on a cute novelty number like "Penny Arcade"

And as always, they pull it off.

This was also the first episode in which Barbara Boylan returns as Bobby's dancing partner, and even though the reunion would be just part-time ('til the end of the 1978-79 season)...these kids still had the dancing magic that brought back memories of the 60's, in a show saluting songs of the 70s.

Go figure.

Keep a song in your heart and have a nice day!

   

Songs of the 1970s