April Showers '67

Hope your spring is in bloom, and just like the flowers in the garden, the Musical Family is in bloom with this Springtime episode from '67.

And here are the highlights.....

The Lennon Sisters sing the praises of DDT.....

Barbara and Bobby play Bavarian Pattycake....

......and Larry Hooper listens to Howard Stern on the radio.

APRIL SHOWERS - April 15, 1967

1. APRIL SHOWERS - Kathy, Steve, Natalie, Jimmy, Barbara, Bobby, Dee Dee, Jack with Bob Havens on trombone, Mahlon Clark on clarinet and Dick Cathcart on trumpet
2. WISH ME A RAINBOW - the orchestra with Frank Scott on harpsichord, Bob Ralston on the calvietta and Orie Amodeo on flute
3. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING - Norma Zimmer and Jimmy Roberts
4. STORMY WEATHER - Bob Ralston at the piano
5. CHERRY BLOSSOM LANE - Janet, Dee Dee, Kathy and Peggy Lennon

   
6. SINGING IN THE RAIN - sung and danced by Bobby Burgess, Arthur Duncan and Jack Imel
7. APRIL LOVE - Steve Smith
8. APRIL IN PORTUGAL - the orchestra
9. LOOK TO THE RAINBOW - Natalie Nevins
10. THE SHOE PLODDLER - danced by Bobby Burgess and Barbara Boylan with Myron Floren on the concertina

11. A GARDEN IN THE RAIN - Joe Feeney
12. YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE - Jo Ann Castle at the honky tonk piano with Buddy Merrill at guitar and Neil Levang at banjo
13. SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW - Norma Zimmer
14. RAIN - tap danced by Arthur Duncan

15. IT'S A LOVELY DAY (TO BE CAUGHT IN THE RAIN) - Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith
16. RHYTHM IN THE RAIN - Frank Scott at the piano
17. IT AIN'T GONNA RAIN NO MORE - Larry Hooper
18. INTO EACH LIFE SOME RAIN MUST FALL - Dick Dale
19. IN THE GARDEN - Norma Zimmer with backing chorus of Charlie Parlato, Dick Cathcart, Curt Ramsey and Steve Smith

  
Each and every one of the numbers featured on the show was terrific, but there is one thing I question....

Why would Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith go cycling in the rain? Especially without wearing protective rain gear?

At least one can say these two know how to take risks in life.

Hope your spring so far has plenty of sunshine, even if you do have some rain and until next time, keep a song in your heart and don't step into any mud puddles.

April Showers '67

Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith

Dancing the night away down in New Orleans....

 

Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith

The Curt Ramsey Quintet in the library

With Charlie Parlato, Norma Zimmer, Steve Smith, Curt and Dick Cathcart
 

The Curt Ramsey Quintet in the library

Don't worry, just put on a happy face!

Here's some of the highlights from this weekend's episode from '68....

"Like my new sweater? It's made from blue velvet."

I think this stew could use some Tabasco sauce....

This week, on a controversial, riveting episode of TJ Hooker....

"I thought these stairs lead to somewhere!"

Don't worry, just put on a happy face!

The Champagne Five - Christmas songs never sung on the show, but should have

It's now officially Christmas Week, and what better way to spread yuletide holly and joy than with a holiday edition of the Champagne Five!

This edition is my personal top five Christmas themed songs never sung on the Welk show, but I would have loved to heard members of the Musical Family cover.

So grab yourself some egg nog, sit under that mistletoe with that special someone and imagine these classics sung by the following....

  
1. MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING (The Carpenters) - Tanya Falan

2. SHAKE HANDS WITH SANTA CLAUS (Louis Prima) - Rocky Rockwell

3. HARD CANDY CHRISTMAS (Dolly Parton) - The Aldridge Sisters and the Otwell Twins

4. CHRISTMAS ISLAND (The Andrews Sisters) - Sandi Griffiths, Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger

5. MERRY CHRISTMAS, I DON'T WANNA FIGHT TONIGHT (The Ramones) - Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith

Ah yes, that would be music to my ears.....

The Champagne Five - Christmas songs never sung on the show, but should have

Sail away to Avalon

....with the Curt Ramsey Quintet from 1968 as they board the S.S Catalina with the song "Avalon"

 

Sail away to Avalon

Caption This!

Starring Steve Smith, Tanya Falan and Andra Willis!

Just click on comments below to add your caption that is clever, funny or even both!

Caption This!

There's Something About a Hometown Band

I don't what it is, maybe it's the way their brass section plays Tony Basil's "Mickey"....

Whatever it may, that's the theme of this week's Lawrence Welk episode!

Now lets go to the all important highlights, shall we Harold Hill?

In today's episode, Jack Imel falls head over heels over the band's rendition of Todd Rundgren's "Bang the Drum All Day"

 
Cissy and Bobby practice their dancing for the Big Joe Polka Show....

....and Dick Dale auditions for New Braunfels Idol.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A HOMETOWN BAND - July 20, 1968

1. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A HOMETOWN BAND - Arthur, Bobby, Jimmy, Cissy, Natalie, Sally, Sandi, Tanya, Andra, Steve, Larry, Joe and the band featuring Dick Dale (bandleader), Norman Bailey (trumpet), Bob Davis (flute), Dave Edwards (clarinet), Bob Ralston (xylophone), Charlie Parlato (bass drum), Kenny Trimble (trombone), Johnny Klein (drums) and Richard Maloof (tuba)
2. TEN FEET OFF THE GROUND - danced and sung by Jack Imel and Bobby Burgess
3. TIL' THERE WAS YOU - Norma Zimmer
4. THE CLARINET POLKA - Myron Floren on accordion with Bobby Burgess and Cissy King dancing
5. OH SHENANDOAH - Jimmy Roberts with Curt Ramsey, Steve Smith, Charlie Parlato and Larry Hooper

6. WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE - Tanya Falan
7. DAKOTA - Joe Feeney
8. DING DONG DADDY FROM DUMAS - Larry Hooper with assist from Sandi and Sally
9. KEEP A LITTLE SUNSHINE IN YOUR HEART - Sandi Griffiths and Sally Flynn
10. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M LOSING YOU - Steve Smith

11. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A LASSIE?/OH WHERE, OH WHERE HAS MY LITTLE DOG GONE?/DU DU LEIGST MIR IM HERZEN - Myron Floren on accordion with Cissy and Lawrence dancing and Dick Dale on vocals
12. THE BAND PLAYED ON - the orchestra
13. CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN - Natalie Nevins with backing vocals by Andra, Joe, Cissy, Bobby, Larry, Sandi, Jimmy and Sally
14. CORNSILK - the orchestra
15. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND - Dick Dale with Curt, Steve, Larry and Charlie

16. JUNE NIGHT - tap danced by Arthur Duncan
17. ABOUT TIME - Bob Lido with Bob Havens on trombone
18. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - band featuring Myron Floren on accordion, Kenny Trimble on trombone, Richard Maloof on tuba, Jack Imel on drums, Charlie Parlato on trumpet, Buddy Merrill on banjo, Dick Dale on saxophone and Andra Willis as the girl singer
19. OH JOHNNY - Andra Willis
20. MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC - Jo Ann Castle on honky tonk piano
21. MY NORTH DAKOTA HOME - Joe, Arthur, Steve, Jimmy, Larry, Bobby, Natalie, Cissy, Sally, Sandi, Tanya, Norma, Andra

This show had a real nostalgic theme in particular for the Maestro and anyone else on the show who were born, grew up and cut their teeth in the music business in both North and South Dakota.

A lot of original songs were featured from the Walt Disney movie The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band such as "Ten Feet Off The Ground", "Bout Time", "Dakota" and "West o' the Wide Missouri" which we know as the familiar Welk standard "Oh Shenandoah". That movie was released the same time this show first aired and it keeps with the Dakotas theme, such as the original screenplay written by Laura Bower Van Nuys of Rapid City, South Dakota where the movie also had it's world premiere.

The movie starred Walter Brennan, John Davidson, Buddy Ebsen, Lesley Ann Warren, Wally Cox and Kurt Russell and the movie's plot had the Bower family petitioning the Democratic National Committee to sing at a Grover Cleveland rally during the 1888 Presidential Election, it's one of the more underrated Disney musicals, but sounds like a good one.

  
Back to the show, there were plenty of numbers I liked....Natalie Nevins and "Climb Every Mountain" were made for each other, the band did a nice novelty treatment of "Singin' In The Rain" especially when Myron's accordion chords were thrown in the mix and Andra Willis was splendid with her treatment of "Oh Johnny".

  
So until next week, keep a song in your heart and always be thinking about your North Dakota home....even if you've never set foot in the state.

There's Something About a Hometown Band

There is this need

....for my knee to get better, but that's another story.

Here's the Blenders with a modern day spiritual titled "There Is This Need" 

Nice matching sweaters fellas.

There is this need

Tanya Falan Hairstyle of the Week - Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me

It has to be the hair, I know it's not the flowers.....

 

Tanya Falan Hairstyle of the Week - Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me

The Blenders - Big Men on Campus

I don't think any of them ever went to Purdue...

However, they did attend Westmount College in Santa Barbara

The Blenders - Big Men on Campus

How Steve Smith spends his weekends

Lets see what he's up to....

He's out by the shore, taking a ride on his yacht

That sounds like fun!

How Steve Smith spends his weekends

Steve Smith's birthday

And here's a haiku written just for you!

The ladies love Steve

First singing with the Blenders

then going solo

Steve Smith's birthday

Meanwhile....down at the flower shop

Steve Smith, just starting his first day.....meets Tanya and her "mother" Jo Ann Castle, who's also the boss.

Let's see what happens, thanks to the magic of YouTube!

Meanwhile....down at the flower shop

Blend in with Blender Steve Smith

I know that some of you out there who surf the World Wide Web are thinking one thing....are there any webpages of Steve Smith, male vocalist from the Welk Show I can visit?

Ladies, you're prayers have been answered! Time to go back to the wunnerful 1960s as my webpage has opened up a photo album featuring Steve himself, either as a soloist, as a member of the Blenders or as part of the Curt Ramsey Quintet.

And here's the link! STEVE SMITH: WELK ICON OF THE SIXTIES

Blend in with Blender Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Today is the birthday of one of the Blenders, Steve Smith...who was with the Music Makers from 1965 to 1969.

In addition to his work with the Blenders, he also was a soloist and fronted the Curt Ramsey Quintet. Today, he and his wife Hope live in the Lake Tahoe region.

Happy Birthday Steve!

Steve Smith

Memories of The Blenders

Anyone remember the Blenders from the mid-sixties episodes? Let us refresh your memory here...

They consist of Bob Duncan, Steve Smith, Greg Dixon and Johnny Johnson

Later when Johnson left, Paul Sjolund took his place....

Later, the quartet broke up....but Steve Smith stayed around as a soloist until 1969. When those fellers were around, they made such great melodies and memories as well!

Memories of The Blenders

Picture Of The Day (8-2-06)

Two lovebirds from Mardi Gras, Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith share a romantic dance. It's from the 1967 "Salute To The South" episode.

Also, today is Kathy Lennon's birthday, time to celebrate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY!

Picture Of The Day (8-2-06)