Lawrence Welk's Champagne Memories
"Wonderful, Wonderful!"
With "A-one, A-two, A-three," tapping his toes in time with the baton, Lawrence Welk lifts his arms. The cameramen maneuver into position. The spotlights are carefully trained on him. At the signal, his arms go down and he smiles warmly, greeting millions of fans all across America, as he, onetime farm boy, uncorks his famous Champagne Music to his theme song, BUBBLES INT HE WINE.
Cueing his musicians as he does before everyone performance may seem to some somewhat ritualistic, rather than a time-honered symbol. But for the maestro it is a necessity; his mind continues to plan ahead with metronomic accuracy, so that he can move from task to task with a minimum waste of time and energy.
Outwardly, there is very little, other than his phenomental success, to set him off from any other person of his time. Those people not acquainted with him (and who isn't?), would hardly take Lawrence Welk for a show-business personality. He is not one bit flamboyant and not in the least pretentious. On the contrary, his mannerisms before the television cameras suggest that he is shy-almost retiring. His speech is patterened with a distinct accent, the overtones of the German background of his parents. Yet no one connect with show business will so much as question the legend of Lawrence Welk's success, as both a musician and an entertaining showman.
Turkey in the Straw
Next to the youngest of eight children, the Lawrence Welk saga began near the turn of the century, back on the farmlands of North Dakota. Here, isolated from even a fair-sized community, Lawrence joined his older brothers in the fields. Like them, he polowed and cultivated the land, pitched hay, threshed grain, and hurried to plant seed as soon as frost left the hard ground in the spring, so there would be an early crop.
Such physical labor developed his muscles and slowly transformed him from a gangling boy into a husky, broad-shouldered youth. His physique helped to steel him against the tempestuous Mid-western winters, but it could not spare him from the deepening loneliness or from the strange soundings from within, an insatiable craving that was tempering his spirit. Perhaps he was hardly old enough to understand it then, but his musical bent stood in the way of ever allowing him to be content to spend the rest of his life on a farm.
At a very tender age, young Lawrence was drawn to the accordion his father brought with him from Europe. Self-taught, he used to practice incessantly as the blizzards swpt in from the north, while the snow piled up beyond the windows and the wind unleashed its demonic fury and the wolves howled eerily from the dark clump of trees just over the swell of the fields.
Although his formal education ended abruptly while he was still very young, he found ways and means of preparing himself for the musical career that was to follow. By the time he was 13, this youngest was playing at weddings-even though he could not read one note of music. Since Lawrence loved music with a consuming passion, he felt that he had to rectify this deficiency. Therefore, one day he clipped a coupon from a local newspaper and quickly enrolled in the correspondence coursess offered by the United States School of Music.
Even as a child, music had become his all. Many hours he would sit by himself in the hayloft and play his beloved accordion. In his spare time, which was indeed rare, he want so far as to build a violin with bits of sticks, string, and a box.
The Longines Symphonette Society
Symphonette Square - Larchmont, N.Y. 10538
"Champagne Memories"
Record 1 : Side 1
1. Soft Lights and Sweet Music
(I. Berlin)
2. Tiger Rag
(D.J. LaRocca-H. DeCosta) With Pete Fountain
3. Bye Bye Blues
(F.F. Hamm-D. Bennett-B. Lown-C.Gray)
4. Moonglow and Theme From Picnic
(Hudson-Delange-Mills-Duning)
5. When My Baby Smiles At Me
(H. Von Tilzer-A. B. Sterling-B.Monroe-T.Lewis)
Record 1 : Side 2
1. Alexander's Ragtime Band
(I. Berlin)
2. You Broke Your Promise, Mr Sandman
(E. Leonard-R. Mellin-Al Shine PRESENTS THE LENNON SISTERS)
3. Whiffenpoof Song
(G.S. Pomeroy-T.B. Galloway-M. Minnigerode) Vocal By Bobby Beers and Joan Mowery
4. Elmer's Tune
(D. Jurgers-E. Albrecht-S. Gellop) Vocal By Jayne Walton
5. You Are My Sunshine
(J. Davis-C. Mitchel) Vocal By Jayne Walton, Parnell Grina and Shirlie Grundy
A Product of MCA Special Markets
A Division of MCA, Inc.
SY 6344
(LW 655)
The Longines Symphonette Society
Symphonette Square - Larchmont, N.Y. 10538
"Champagne Memories"
Record 2 : Side 1
1. Whispering
(J. Schenberger-R. Coburn-V. Rose)
2. Beautiful Ohio
(M. Berl-B. MacDonald) Vocal Duet By Alice Lon And Gene Pursell
3. Roger Boom
(B. Hilliard) Presents Larry Hooper
4. Ebb Tide
(C. Sigman-R. Maxwell) Vocal By Gene Pursell
5. In The Mood
(J. Garland-A. Razaf)
Record 2 : Side 2
1. You Belong To My Heart
(Solameate Un Vex) (A. Lara-R. Gilbert)
2. Bubbles In The Wine
(B. Calame-L. Welk-F. Loesser)
3. It May Be Silly
(But Ain't It Fun) (B. Bryant-J. Dickens)
4. Till We Meet Again
(R. A. Whiting-R.B. Egan) Vocal By Roberts Linn
5. Smiles
(J. W. Callahan-L.S. Roberts)
A Product of MCA Special Markets
A Division of MCA, Inc.
SY 5345
(LW 656)
The Longines Symphonette Society
Symphonette Square - Larchmont, N.Y. 10538
"Champagne Memories"
Record 3 : Side 1
1. With A Song In My Heart
(R. Rodgers-L. Hart)
2. Maple Leaf Rag
(S. Joplin) With "Big" Tiny Little
3. Malaguena
(E. Lecuona)
4. Cielito Lindo
(Trad.)
5. Caprice of Viennois
(F. Kreisler)
Record 3 : Side 2
1. My Reverie
(Based on Claude Debussy's "Reverie") (L. Clinton)
2. Moonlight Cocktail
(L. Roberts-K. Gannon) Accordian Solo By Myron Floren
3. Say Si Si
(E. Lecuona-A. Stillman-F. Luban) Presents Jane Walton
4.(Prayer Is The Key To Heaven) Faith Unlocks The Door
(S. T. Scott-R. L. Sande) Presents Jim Roberts
5. Lullaby of Broadway
(H. Warren-A. Dubin)
A Product of MCA Special Markets
A Division of MCA, Inc.
SY 5346
(LW 657)
The Longines Symphonette Society
Symphonette Square - Larchmont, N.Y. 10538
"Champagne Memories"
Record 4 : Side 1
1. Pennsylvania Polka
(L. Lee-Z. Manners)
2. Around The World
(V. Young-H. Adamson)
3. Champagne Time
(G. Cate)
4. Peg O' My Heart
(F. Fisher-A. Bryan)
5. Lisbon Antigua
(J. Galhardo-A. do Vale-R. Portela)
Record 4 : Side 2
1. The Anniversary Waltz
(A. Dubin-D. Franklin)
2. San Antonio Rose
(B. Wills)
3. All Alone
(H. V. Tilzer-W. Dillon)
4. The Party's Over
(J. Styne-B. Comden-A. Green) Vocal By Alice Lon
5. Lover
(R. Rodgers-L. Hart) Featuring Myron Floren
A Product of MCA Special Markets
A Division of MCA, Inc.
SY 5347
(LW 658)
The Longines Symphonette Society
Symphonette Square - Larchmont, N.Y. 10538
"Champagne Memories"
Record 5 : Side 1
1. Moon Love
(Based on Tchaikovsky's "5th Symphony") (A. Kostelanetz-M. David-M. Davis)
2. Whistle While You Work
(F. Churchill-L. Morey) Vocal By Larry, Dick, Curt and Jack
3. My Foolish Heart
(V. Young-N Washington)
4. Sunrise Serenade
(F. Carle-J. Lawrence)
5. Accordion Polka
(M. Floren-G. Cates) Myron Floren
Record 5 : Side 2
1. The Very Thought Of You
(R. Noble) Hammand Chord Organ Played By Lawrence Welk
2. Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)
(J. Velvoda-W.A. Timm-L. Brown_ Vocal By Larry Hooper and The Sparklers
3. Autumn Nocturn
(K. Gannon-J. Myrow) Accordion Solo By Myron Floren
4. I Love You Truly
(C. J. Bond) Presents Dick Keshner
5. Sweethearts On Parade
(C. Lombardo-C. Newman) Featuring Pete Fountain
A Product of MCA Special Markets
A Division of MCA, Inc.
SY 5348
(LW 659)
.JPG)
