LAWRENCE WELK : SONG OF THE ISLANDS

DOT ULTRA STEREOPHONIC RECORDING

LAWRENCE WELK
SONGS OF THE ISLANDS

Dot
RECORDS

ULTRA HIGH-FIDELITY


DLP 25251


SONGS OF THE ISLANDS
interpreted by LAWRENCE WELK
featuring BUDDY MERRILL


Side One

SONGS OF THE ISLANDS
KING KAMEHAMEHA
BLUE HAWAII
LITTLE BROWN GAL
THE HAWAIIAN WEDDING SONG
ON THE BEACH AT WAIKIKI


Side Two

SWEET LEILANI
SONG OF OLD HAWAII
IF YOU WANNA DANCE THE HULA
MY ISLE OF GOLDEN DREAMS
SING AN ISLAND SONG
ALOHA OE


The SOUTH SEA enchantment of the Hawaiian Islands was first discovered in 1778 by Captain Cook and his salty crew, comparatively recently by Lawrence Welk. Just a few months ago, the maestro and his Champagne music-makers played their first band date in Honolulu. Between Welk and the Hawaiians, it was love at first sight. Both of course, had admired the other from afar. Lawrence Welk records have been big sellers on the islands for years and his television show a great favorite. And Hawaiian music has long been a staple in the extensive Welk repertory. But, though the dancing fans at the Aragon Ballroom in Santa Monica, California, frequently requested these songs, this si the first time Welk has come out with an album devoted to them exclusively.

The numbers performed here are all top Hawaiian (and Lawrence Welk) favorites - ranging from the dreamy Song of the Islands and Sweet Leilani to the quizzical If You Wanna Dance The Hula! and the surf-rider's bounding favorite, On The Beach at Waikiki.

Band guitarist Buddy Merrill gets a chance in this recording to show off his versatility - doing exciting things with the regular strumming guitar and the plucked Hawaiian steel variety. At the time Buddy joined up with the Welk caravan, he was 17 years of age, but had never got around to learning to read music. But when, at Welk's urging, he began studying, Buddy not only learned to read in a few scant months, but went on to become, in Welk's words, "...one of the best band arrangers in the business. He's got a tremendous sense of rhythm," Welk explains, "and all of Buddy's orchestrations have a built-in beat that makes them great favorites with the dancers."

For superlative dancing and listening, this newest Welk album is admittedly one of their best. It was waxed while Lawrence and the lads still wore dreamy smiles, recollecting their Polynesian holiday - the soft trade winds, the magnificent scenery, the warm island hospitality and the haunting strains of Aloha Oe.