You're Never Too Young

As we approach the autumn of this year, and our years....Lawrence and his Music Makers remind us in this week's episode that you're never too young.

Actually, it's the title of his 1981 bestselling book, co-written with Bernice McGeehan, but it is still great advice to live by!

Highlights from this week's episode include.....

Mary Lou catching up on her reading....

Kathie and Ken catching up on old times.....

and David, Guy, Roger and Jim sing a particular Oak Ridge Boys diddy.....

.....about this gal.

YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG - December 5, 1981

1. YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG - Bobby, Elaine, Guy, Ralna, Gail, Ron, David, Sheila, Ava, Sherry, Roger, Kathie, Joe, Anacani, Norma, Jimmy (Roberts), Mary Lou, Jim, Ken & Michael
2. YOUNG AT HEART - Tom Netherton
3. ISN'T IT ROMANTIC - The orchestra
4. CINCO ROBLES - Anacani
5. MAGGIE BLUES - Bob Havens on trombone

6. YOUNGER THAN SPRINGTIME - Joe Feeney with Bob Ralston on the Hammond organ
7. PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART - Sheila & Sherry Aldridge with David & Roger Otwell
8. PICK YOURSELF UP - Jack Imel and Mary Lou Metzger
9. MEDLEY OF SONGS FROM SNOW WHITE - The orchestra conducted by George Cates
10. SING SING SING - Paul Humphrey and Jack Imel on drums with Arthur Duncan dancing

11. MEMORIES - Norma Zimmer
12. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - Gail Farrell, Ron Anderson and Michael Redman
13. YOU NEEDED ME - Guy Hovis and Ralna English
14. I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT - danced by Bobby Burgess and Elaine Balden

15. TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS - Ava Barber
16. ELVIRA - Jim Turner with David Otwell, Guy Hovis and Roger Otwell
17. KIDS - Kathie Sullivan and Ken Delo
18. ROLL OUT THE BARREL - Lawrence, Myron Floren & Joey Schmidt on accordion featuring Bobby, Elaine, Sheila, Sherry, Gail, Mary Lou, Jimmy, Ron, Michael and Joe

Until next week, remember to keep a song in your heart and always try to get by.....with a little help from your friends!

You're Never Too Young

Kathie Sullivan asks, "Why do I love you?"

From 1980, here's Kathie from the Love Songs episode as she sings "Why Do I Love You?"

.....with Joe Livoti leading the string section

 

Kathie Sullivan asks, "Why do I love you?"

Kathie Sullivan....Golden Thrush

I did find out that a thrush is a bird by the way....

Which makes alot of sense, Kathie Sullivan is quite the songbird....

....and it's also an informal term for a female singer, which Kathie also happens to be.

At least the Welk show staff wasn't referring to the agricultural aircraft known as the Ayres Thrush, otherwise I would have been concerned....

Kathie Sullivan....Golden Thrush

I think this mass transit thingy is catching on....

From this week's episode "Big City USA", the Music Makers are doing their part to reduce our country's dependency on oil.

They are taking the trolley.....like Kathie Sullivan

....and Mary Lou Metzger along with Jack Imel find mass transit quite friendly and pleasant.

....not to mention very musical.

I think this mass transit thingy is catching on....

Feeling like a Second Hand Rose?

Kathie Sullivan knows that feeling....

Feeling like a Second Hand Rose?

Caption This!

Starring Kathie Sullivan and Jack Imel....

Add your own funny or clever (even both) caption to this picture. Have at it by clicking the comments link below as always!

Caption This!

The 30th anniversary of Lawrence Welk's 25th anniversary on TV

Ah 1980, a simpler time back then.....

People were asking "Who Shot JR?", the US Olympic Hockey team believed in miracles, and three men; Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and John Anderson fought for who would be President of the USA.

Also, thirty years ago....Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers celebrated their 25th anniversary on national television.

 
Highlights from this landmark episode include.....

Dick Dale and Kathie Sullivan getting interrupted by fingers and hands....

The Trio clapping to Calcutta

....and one huge champagne glass.

25th ANNIVERSARY ON TELEVISION - March 15, 1980

1. THE ANNIVERSARY SONG - orchestra with Sheila, Sherry, Sandi, Gail, Mary Lou, Kathie, Ava, Roger, David, Elaine, Bobby, Joe (Feeney), Jim, Tom, Ken, Jimmy, danced by Lawrence and Norma
2. SAY IT WITH MUSIC - the orchestra
3. SLEEP - Jack Imel on the marimba and dancing
4. OH SHENANDOAH - Jim Turner, Ava Barber, Sheila and Sherry Aldridge & David & Roger Otwell
5. TICO TICO - Myron Floren on accordion

 
6. MAKE BELIEVE - Norma Zimmer & Jimmy Roberts
7. I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN - Dick Dale, Mary Lou Metzger, Charlie Parlato, Gail Farrell and Curt Ramsey with Barney Liddell on trombone
8. I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES - danced by Bobby Burgess and Elaine Balden
9. AMAZING GRACE - Tom Netherton with Bob Smale at the piano
10. CALCUTTA - orchestra featuring Bob Ralston on the harpischord and Myron Floren on accordion with "La Las" by Sandi, Gail and Mary Lou

11. MY NORTH DAKOTA HOME - orchestra conducted by George Cates with Kathie, Sheila, Sherry, Sandi, Gail, Mary Lou, David, Roger, Joe, Jim, Ken, Jimmy and Tom
12. GET HAPPY - Bob Lido and his fiddle
13. LA PALOMA - Anacani
14. REAL LIVE GIRL - Dick Dale with Norma, Gail, Sandi, Sherry and Kathie

15. EVERY STREET'S A BOULEVARD (IN OLD NEW YORK) - sung and danced by Arthur Duncan and Ken Delo
16. HOOP DEE DOO - Sandi Griffiths, Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger
17. MY BILL - Kathie Sullivan with Bob Smale at the piano
18. THANK YOU VERY MUCH - Norma, Gail, Sandi, Mary Lou, Elaine, Sheila, Sherry, Anacani, Ava, Joe, David, Roger, Tom, Jim, Ken, Jimmy and Bobby

Truly a wunnerful, wunnerful episode.....everyone was dressed to the tens putting in that extra effort of enthusiasm and hard work into their numbers.

Actually, back in 1980....it was their 29th year on television overall, the first four years (1951-55) were on local Los Angeles station KTLA, then it was onto a national audience first with ABC from 1955 to 1971 and then to first run national syndication.

After the first run episodes ended in 1982, there was Memories With Lawrence Welk right up until 1987 when it found it's present home on PBS to this day.

As I write, the Welk show has been running for 59 years....what an accomplishment!

 
So until next week, keep a song in your heart and if you want to say something at all, just say it with music!

The 30th anniversary of Lawrence Welk's 25th anniversary on TV

More Madness

I'm still watching some of the tournament....the action already in a day and a half has been hot and heavy!

Moving on the second round....Cissy King's New Mexico Lobos, followed by Sandi Griffiths' BYU Cougars, Jim Turner's Tennessee Vols and one team I forgot to mention from yesterday's post.

That would be the University of Wisconsin Badgers, where Kathie Sullivan went to school.

They won today, beating Wofford.

Sadly, Mary Lou Metzger's Temple Owls and Elaine Balden's Sam Houston State Bearkats lost their opening round.

But overall....Welkland is doing pretty good in March Madness! 

More Madness

Say What?

 Our Musical Family say the darnedest things.....

Say What?

Revenge of the Reruns - All Time Favorites

Watched last night's Welk episode, All Time Favorites from 1982 was a repeat but a pretty good one.

Highlights include Gail Farrell testing her strength against Michael Redman...

Jack Imel playing the marimbas....but did not attempt to jump over them

....and Kathie Sullivan winning some new fans in the studio audience.

They do shoot bubbles....don't they?

Revenge of the Reruns - All Time Favorites

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