Frank Scott Plays Harpsichord

As plenty of us Welk fans know, Frank Scott was a multi-talented keyboardist and arranger for the Lawrence Welk Orchestra from 1956 to 1969.

The native son of Fargo, North Dakota was a natural playing the piano, harpsichord and the Vox.

Perhaps the greatest example of his work came from his 1962 Dot Records album Frank Scott Plays Harpsichord

Each and every of the tracks is a instrumental gem, like Boogie Woogie, Yankee Doodle Rag and Woodchopper's Ball just to name a few. You can find the album at a vintage record shop near you or search on ebay or any fine reputable online auction site.

In the meantime, here's two of the tracks from the album you can have a sample with.

CARMEN'S BOOGIE

KITTEN ON THE KEYS

Frank Scott Plays Harpsichord

Myron Floren Disco Polka

Polka and Disco, two great music genres that go great together.

And Myron Floren was able to make that happen!

The year was 1977, and disco hit the big time with movies like Saturday Night Fever and acts like the Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Chic provided the music at discotheques like Studio 54.

And it was only natural for Lawrence Welk's Musical Family to put on their boogie shoes, with the Happy Norwegian leading the way!

This album contains several of your favorites done with that disco sound, such as this treatment of the Beer Barrel Polka.

And also the Clarinet Polka....

Let's see John Travolta and his white polyester suit groove to that!

Myron Floren Disco Polka

Candida

And now, let's go back into my record collection and take a look at another one of my vintage vinyl albums....

Today, we look at another one of my favorites....the Lawrence Welk Candida album which was released by Ranwood Records in 1971. It has a great collection of the day's popular songs done champange style by the music makers.

Two of my favorites include "Something" and "We've Only Just Begun" with Tanya Falan providing the vocals.

I also liked their arrangement of "We Can Make Music" sung by the musical family, that song just says it all.

Here's a rundown of all the songs on the album....

SIDE ONE

1. CANDIDA - featuring Guy Hovis & chorus (2:15)

2. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG MA - The Welk Singers with Peanuts Hucko on clarinet (2:25)

3. SNOWBIRD - Sandi Griffths & Sally Flynn (2:07)

4. STAND BY YOUR MAN - Ralna English (2:00)

5. CLOSE TO YOU - The Welk Singers (2:30)

SIDE TWO

1. CRACKLIN' ROSIE - Instrumental (2:40)

2. SOMETHING - Tanya Falan and girls chorus (2:32)

3. WE CAN MAKE MUSIC - The Welk Singers (2:25)

4. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN - Tanya Falan (2:20)

5. ENDLESSLY - Instrumental with the Welk Singers (2:14)

Candida

Let It Be Me

Looking into my record vault, here's a rare vinyl that is pleasant music guaranteed.....it's the Ranwood Records release of Tanya Falan's solo album titled "Let It Be Me".

It took me a long while to track this one done (it's very rare and hard to find!) but once I got a hold of a copy, it's become one of my most prized Welk collectibles.

And the whole album sounds great too!

One of my personal favorite tracks listed is her rendition of "Can't Buy Me Love" which was also featured on the "Musical Tour of the USA" episode, I hate to break it to all the Beatles fans but her version is much better!

There's also her version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" as well as "Lydia Purple" and "Just A Little Lovin".

Here's a complete rundown of tracks.....

SIDE ONE

1. Just A Little Lovin' (2:15)

2. Grow Up Love (2:05)

3. It's A Sometimes World (2:09)

4. Can't Buy Me Love (1:55)

5. Hey Jude (4:25)

SIDE TWO

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (3:40)

2. Lydia Purple (2:54)

3. Let It Be Me (3:14)

4. Baby What I Mean (2:05)

5. For As Long As I Live (2:58)

Let It Be Me

No No Nanette

It's Friday once again, we look into my record collection and find another wunnerful Lawrence Welk album, "No No Nanette."

This one has always been one of my personal favorites, the selections are from the popular Broadway play of the same name and it's very pleasant listening done champagne style!

And I also like the episode where the Welk stars perform the songs, their excitement and enthusiasm shows in their performances.

It also features Mary Lou Metzger's singing the title track, which I do believe has been released by Decca as a 45 single in 1971.

Here's the whole breakdown of the album, find it either on ebay or your record swap shop and you "want to be happy" too!

LAWRENCE WELK: PLAYS SELECTIONS FROM THE BROADWAY MUSICAL SMASH!

NO, NO, NANETTE

SIDE ONE

TEA FOR TWO - featuring Norma Zimmer, Jimmy Roberts & Chorus

TOO MANY RINGS AROUND ROSIE - Girls Chorus

I'VE CONFESSED TO THE BREEZE - Guy & Ralna

I WANT TO BE HAPPY - Tanya Falan Welk & Chorus

SIDE TWO

NO, NO, NANETTE - Mary Lou Metzger, Bob Lido with The Hotsy Totsy Boys

YOU CAN DANCE WITH ANY GIRL AT ALL - Sandi & Sally with clarinet solo by Peanuts Hucko

"WHERE HAS MY HUBBY GONE'' BLUES - Guy & Ralna

CALL OF THE SEA - Ken Delo

TAKE A LITTLE ONE STEP - The Lawrence Welk Singers

GIRLS CHORUS: Norma Zimmer, Ralna English, Sandi Griffiths, Sally Flynn, Tanya Falan Welk & Gail Farrell

BOYS CHORUS: Guy Hovis, Ken Delo, Dick Dale, Bob Lido, Charlie Parlato & Curt Ramsey

Released by Ranwood Records (1971), produced by George Cates, Lawrence Welk and Randy Wood

No No Nanette

On The Groovy Side with the Lennon Sisters

It all began with a brief clip from "Lawrence Welk's TV Treasures,"

The clip I was referring to was the Lennon Sisters with their rendition of The Fifth Dimension's super hit "Up Up And Away", after hearing just a few bars of that song, I liked it and found it catchy....but what album did that song come from?

Enter my friend, the Shirl who runs the popular Lennon Sisters Blog...

She told me that the track came from the Lennon Sisters' On The Groovy Side album, and with that....I found a print of the album on sale for ebay, bid on it and won it.

In addition to "Up Up And Away" the album has plenty of great songs on there, such as "Ode To Billy Joe", "Prisoner Of Love" and "Sunny."

Thanks Shirl....and here's the fun track listings and stuff for "On The Groovy Side"

SIDE ONE

1. GOIN' OUT OF MY HEAD

2. TILL

3. SUNNY

4. NEVER MY LOVE

5. I LOVE

6. UP, UP AND AWAY

SIDE TWO

1. I WILL WAIT FOR YOU

2. PRISONER OF LOVE

3. GYPSY, WHAT CAN I DO

4. ODE TO BILLY JOE

5. COUNT ME IN

Released by Dot Records in 1967, produced by Snuffy Garrett

On The Groovy Side with the Lennon Sisters

My Album Collection: Live At Lake Tahoe

Straight from my record collection, here's another vintage Lawrence Welk album that's worth listening to,

And best of all, it's Live! From the fabulous resort town of Lake Tahoe!

This was first recorded during the summer of 1978, when Lawrence Welk and his musical family were doing their annual summer engagement of concerts from the Harrah's casino and hotel in Tahoe, maybe some of you guys had the chance to see them perform there....but this album contains live performances of the music makers doing what they do best.

It all makes for very pleasant listening on this fine two-record set, here's a complete rundown of all the songs.

SIDE ONE

Fanfares and Opening Announcements

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

When Day Is Done - orchestra and chorus conducted by George Cates

Granada - Anacani

Who Can I Turn To - Joe Feeney and chorus

Deep River - Henry Cuesta

SIDE TWO

You Light Up My Life - Guy & Ralna

I Won't Last A Day Without You - Tom Netherton

Chattanooga Choo Choo - orchestra with Gail, Sandi & Mary Lou

The Way We Were - Kathie Sullivan with Joe Livoti

Wait 'Til The Sun Shines, Nellie - tap dancing by Arthur Duncan

SIDE THREE

The Hawaiian Wedding Song - Ken Delo & Girls

Dance Of The Comedians - Myron Floren

Beer Barrell Polka - Myron Floren

You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me - Dick Dale

You Made Me Love You - Johnny Zell

Mississippi Mud - Larry Hooper & Quartet

Catch A Falling Star - Girls' Chorus

SIDE FOUR

Star Wars - orchestra

Cotton Fields - The Aldridge Sisters and Otwell Twins

La Vie En Rose - Lawrence Welk, Myron Floren and Jimmy Roberts

Bucket To The South - Ava Barber

Panama - orchestra (solos by Johnny Zell, Russ Klein, Bob Smale, Bob Havens & Paul Humphrey)

Panama Reprise - orchestra

Adios, Au Revior, Auf Wiedershen - entire cast

My Album Collection: Live At Lake Tahoe

Complete track listing: Go Away Little Girl

Oh, I forgot to add to my previous post the complete track listing for the "Go Away Little Girl" album....so here it is,

SIDE ONE

Go Away Little Girl - Guy Hovis
Never Ending Song Of Love - Sandi & Sally
Theme From "Summer Of '42" - Bob Ralston
I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing - Ralna English
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Clay Hart
Sweet City Woman - Guy Hovis

SIDE TWO

He's So Fine - Sandi & Sally
Take Me Home, Country Roads - Guy & Ralna
Never My Love - Instrumental
Rainy Days and Mondays - Tanya Falan
What Are You Doing Sunday - Guy Hovis
Adios, Au Revior, Auf Wiedersehn - Vocal Chorus & Instrumental

Complete track listing: Go Away Little Girl

My album collection: Go Away Little Girl

Since many you know that this blogmaster likes to collect vintage vinyl albums, it's a nice Friday so far so I'll tell you about one of them!

This week is Lawrence Welk's "Go Away Little Girl"

First released in late 1971 by Ranwood Records, it's one of many of the Maestro's albums that feature his musical family in a wide variety of musical tastes for the time....and it's very pleasant listening as well!

Two of the songs listed in the album, were heard on last week's "Salute to Los Angeles" episode they are,

"Go Away Little Girl" by Guy Hovis, and "Rainy Days and Mondays" by Tanya Falan

There's also even more great songs on the album, some of them include....

"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" featuring Clay Hart, "Never Ending Song Of Love" by Sandi & Sally

plus terrfic instrumentals by the Welk orchestra such as....

Theme from "Summer Of '42" with Bob Ralston on piano and "Never My Love" by the Champagne Music Makers

And the last track on the album, fittingly is the closing song we all know and love, "Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedershen."

In all, there are a dozen fine songs in all....check out ebay, or your local record trading place to get this album, that is if you don't have it.

My album collection: Go Away Little Girl