Down on the farm, we harvest only the best musicians

1973 was a fine year for music, and from the "Down On The Farm" episode, only Lawrence Welk produces the best!

Guitarists like Neil Levang.....
 

......and Clay Hart.
 

Here's Richard Maloof on bass....
 

......with Henry Cuesta on clarinet.
 

And all the while Bob Lido, when he's not tending to the crops, plays the fiddle too!

 

Down on the farm, we harvest only the best musicians

The Great Gershwin '72

Hello again fellow Welkies!

This past weekend, we got the second-to-last "new" episode of the season, a musical salute to the works of George Gershwin which originally aired in 1972.

And let's go to the highlights!

Clay Hart wears a cowboy hat.....

Ralna gives Guy the evil eye.....

.....and Tanya flirts with Buddy Merrill.

THE GREAT GERSHWIN - November 11, 1972

1. OF THEE I SING - Ken, Mary Lou, Bobby, Cissy, Gail, Dick, Tanya , Jimmy, Ralna & Guy
2. I GOT RHYTHM - tap danced by Arthur Duncan
3. SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME - Norma Zimmer
4. RHAPSODY IN BLUE - Bob Ralston at the piano
5. NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT - Ken Delo

6. THE MAN I LOVE - danced by Bobby Burgess and Cissy King
7. LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF - Guy Hovis and Ralna English
8. DO, DO, DO - Sandi Griffiths and Sally Flynn
9. SOMEBODY LOVES ME - the orchestra
10. BIDIN' MY TIME - Clay Hart (also on guitar)

11. I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON YOU - Tanya Falan with Buddy Merrill on guitar
12. SWANEE - Jimmy Roberts with Neil Levang on banjo, Bob Ralston at piano, Richard Maloof on tuba and Jack Imel on spoons
13. SUMMERTIME - Joe Livoti on violin with Bob Ralston at the Thomas organ
14. MINE - Dick Dale with Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger

15. LADY BE GOOD - Henry Cuesta on clarinet with Neil Levang on guitar, Richard Maloof on bass and Johnny Klein on drums
16. LIZA - Myron Floren on the PAN accordion
17. LOVED WALKED IN - Joe Feeney with Bob Ralston at piano
18. S'WONDERFUL - Bob Havens on trombone with Bob Smale at piano and featuring Arthur, Cissy, Bobby, Mary Lou, Dick, Gail, Norma, Jimmy, Guy, Ralna, Tanya and Ken

Once again, the Music Makers hit another one out of the park with a fine hours' worth of music and entertainment.

Henry Cuesta had just joined the orchestra as the Lawrence's featured clarinet player, and even though he jokingly chided him about getting a haircut, you can tell that the Maestro really thought the world of Henry and his musical talents.

And up until Henry's passing in 2003, fans like myself shared the Maestro's sentiments.

On a lighter note, I thought Tanya's rendition of "I've Got a Crush On You" was cute. One can only imagine what thoughts ran through Buddy Merrill's head.

Oh well, until next time, remember to keep a song in your heart and while you say oysters, I say errsters!

    

The Great Gershwin '72

Hit Songs From Broadway '74

Here's some of the highlights from this week's episode....

Sandi, Mary Lou and Gail are at the end of their rope.....

Anacani asks Henry Cuesta for extra change in order to use the studio's snack machine.....

Ava Barber plays with Roger Sullivan's cheeks for good luck.....

And the Musical Family would not touch the buffet table with a ten foot pole.

Must be the bean dip everyone's talking about

Hit Songs From Broadway '74

Those Hazy Crazy Big Band Days

It's that time of year again when Lawrence Welk and his Musical Family salute the music from the Big Band Era!

On today's episode....

The Music Makers play an intense game of Freeze Tag

Joe Feeney goes mano y mano with The Trio.....

....and Arthur Duncan plays Follow The Leader with his friends.

BIG BAND DAYS - October 13, 1973

1. AND THE ANGELS SING - orchestra with Arthur, Gail, Ken, Mary Lou, Norma, Jimmy and Joe
2. MOONLIGHT SERENADE - the orchestra
3. IN THE MOOD - danced by Bobby Burgess and Cissy King
4. SAN ANTONIO ROSE - Guy Hovis and Ralna English with Neil Levang on guitar
5. MISSISSIPPI MUD - Larry Hooper with Anacani, Tanya, Sandi, Norma, Mary Lou, Cissy and Gail

 
6. TWILIGHT TIME - Myron Floren on accordion
7. YOUR CHEATIN' HEART - Clay Hart
8. QUIEREME MUCHO (YOURS) - Anacani
9. THE WOODCHOPPER'S BALL - the orchestra with Henry Cuesta on clarinet, Bob Havens on trombone and the trumpet section
10. THE PENNSYLVANIA POLKA - Sandi Griffiths, Gail Farrell, Mary Lou Metzger with Myron Floren on accordion and dancing by Cissy King and Bobby Burgess

11. MY WONDERFUL ONE - Norma Zimmer and Jimmy Roberts
12. THE RAINDROP SERENADE - Bob Smale and Bob Ralston at the piano
13. I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN - Tanya Falan with Dick Dale, Norma Zimmer, Gail Farrell and Curt Ramsey
14. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY - Sandi Griffiths on lead vocal with Mary Lou, Gail, Norma, Tanya, Anacani, Ralna and Cissy

15. WHEN DAY IS DONE - orchestra featuring Johnny Zell on trumpet
16. BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS - Joe Feeney
17. BIG NOISE FROM WINNETKA - sung and danced by Arthur Duncan with Jimmy Roberts, Mary Lou Metzger, Jack Imel, Cissy King, Bobby Burgess and Anacani
18. SO RARE - Ken Delo with Dave Edwards on saxophone
19. RHAPSODY IN BLUE - orchestra with Bob Ralston at piano and vocals by Joe, Norma, Arthur, Anacani, Jimmy, Gail, Sandi, Larry, Cissy, Bobby, Mary Lou, Tanya, Guy and Ralna

I really enjoyed this episode, especially Hoopie's Mississippi Mud number with the girls. You can tell by the smile on his face that he's having the time of his life!

Also, if you noticed real close during the show....there are some peculiar features one normally doesn't see on a typical Welk episode.

Such as Henry Cuesta not wearing eyeglasses....

.....and Laroon Holt with a mustache

Everyone was impeccably dressed this week, my taste in fashion may be limited but I thought the fellas looked smart in their white suits and the girls looked stunningly sexy in their yellow dresses.

So until next week, keep a song in your heart and may the Bluebird of Happiness fly up your nose.

Those Hazy Crazy Big Band Days

All Time Favorites

Right now, Toledo is buried knee deep in January snow....but I am keeping warm with this week's Lawrence Welk show!

Saturday Nights are meant for.....

Bobby and Elaine dancing the Champagne Waltz.....

Anacani singing "Sway".....

Gail, Ron and Michael getting "In The Mood".....

Sheila and Sherry Aldridge singing "Please Release Me".....

.....and Henry Cuesta playing "Just a Closer Walk With Thee"

That, plus switching back an forth between the Cardinals-Panthers playoff game on FOX and some NBA basketball on my dish's League Pass package.

Oh, and the Ravens won.....damn

All Time Favorites

The Real Spirit of Christmas

This week, it was the Christmas Show from 1972 that was aired on public television stations from sea to shining sea.

From that show, let's say hello to some of the families of the Musical Family!

Robbie Smale (Bob Smale's son) tickles the ivories with the Maestro looking on....

Here's Barney Liddell (trombone) with his wife Arlene and two of his kids, son John and daughter Rachel....

Now it's Mickey McMahan's (first trumpet) turn....

.....and we also have Lawrence with his grand-daughter Christina.

Bob Davis (reeds & woodwinds) has his turn in the spotlight!

And of course, here's the Griffiths family, Sandi and Brent....

And finally, here's Henry Cuesta and Larry Hooper!

This is what Christmas and the holiday season is all about.

The Real Spirit of Christmas

TV themes we would've loved to hear on the Welk show

There are so many to choose from, and that's why I'll be posting regularly on this subject.

Great television shows are known for it's iconic theme songs, and the Champagne Music Makers have performed many of them on the Welk show over the years (Happy Days, The Tonight Show, My Three Sons, etc...)

And there are some that we would have loved to hear the Maestro's band play,

....one of them is the theme for Coronation Street.

A quick refresher course not familiar....Coronation Street is a popular British soap opera that has aired on ITV since 1960. If you live close to the Canadian border here in the good ol' USA....it's also aired on CBC...or in my case, their Windsor affiliate (Canada likes the show too!)

It takes place in the northern working-class English town of Weatherford, and it has famous characters such as Ken Barlow, Ena Sharples, Bet Lynch, etc....more can be read from it's Wikipedia article.

But it has a great theme song done Big Band style composed by Eric Spear, click here to listen to it.

After listening, you can agree it would be tailor-made for Lawrence Welk and his orchestra....I can just picture the trumpet solo either done by Mickey McMahan

...or Johnny Zell

....and it's great clarinet solo by Henry Cuesta

TV themes we would've loved to hear on the Welk show

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