LAWRENCE WELK AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
RECORDED AT
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
ON MARCH 26, 1956
LONG PLAY 33 1/3 RPM
CRL 57066
SELECTIONS INCLUDE
Side One
1 MR WONDERFUL
Jerry Bock-Larry Holofcener-George Weiss
From Musical Production "Mr. Wonderful"
Vocal by Alice Lon
2 LOVER
Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart
Featuring Myron Florn
Accordion
3 CLARINET POLKA
Arr: Myron Floren
Featuring Myron Floren
Accordion
4
(a) "HE"
R. Mulian-J. Richards
(b) "I"
M. Berle-B.Arnold-R. Mellin
Vocal by Jim Robertson
5 TOOT TOOT TOOTSIE GOO'BYE
G. Kahn-E. Erdman-D. Russo
VOcal and Soprano by Jack Martin
6 I LOVE GIRLS
Jimmie Dodd
Vocal and Trumpet Solo by Rocky Rockwell
7 BUDDY'S BOOGIE
Buddy Merrill
Freaturing Buddy Merrill-Guitar Solo
8 BO WEEVIL
A. Domino-D. Bartholomew
Vocal Duet with Rocky Rockwell and Buddy Merrill
Side Two
1 THE DARKTOWN STRUTTERS' BALL
Shelton Brooks
Vocal Duet by Bob Lido and Aladdin
2 THE 3RD MAN THEME
Anton Karas
Organ Solo by Jerry Burke
3 IT MAY BE SILLY (But Ain't It Fun)
B. Bryant-J. Dickens
Vocal by Buddy Merrill
4 CONEY ISLAND BABY
S. Spaeth
Barbershop Quartet-Bob Lido, Dick Hale, Larry Hooper, and Aladdin
5 PETER COTTONTAIL
J. Rollins-S. Nelson
Vocal by Rocky Rockwell
6 SOUTH RAMPART STREET PARADE
R. Baudue-B. Haggart
Instrumental
7 TWELFTH STREET RAG
E. L. Bowman-A. Razaf
Accordion Duet by Myron Floren and Lawrence Welk
8
(a) SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR
R. C. Gurdry
(b) GOODNIGHT LADIES
(C) BUBBLES IN THE WINE
L. Welk-B. Calame-F. Loesser
Vocal by Entire Ensemble
Many tributes have been paid to Lawrence Welk. Professional critics and casuel commentators have vied with each other to explain Welk's enormous popularity. Such magazines as "Time" and "Cue," among others, have printed feature stories accounting fort he fact that the Lawrence Welk TV show not only has an audience in the high millions, but has survived and flourished while other shows have died.
Perhaps the most gratifying of these tributes was the spread in "Look," May 29, 1956, entitled "Success Sneaks Up On Lawrence Welk."
"A year ago," according to "Look," "Welk might have been chosen as the personality least likely to excite a great body of network viewers. Yet today, The Lawrence Welk Show (ABC TV) attracts one-third of the viewing audience at his hour. You can see the mass appeal of Welk and his 'Champagne Music' in the crowds jamming the ballrooms where he plays. His popularity is reflected, too, in his recordings which formerly sold between 4,000 and 5,000, but which now seldom fall below 150,000. Despite his popularity, some critics still sneer "square" or "off the cob." Welk, as popularity favorites often must, can only conclude that no one likes him except the American public!"
All this has been accomplished by a combination of industry and integrity, by charm and pure will power. Welk was a self-taught musician when he formed his first band thirty years ago. He call it "Lawrence Welk's Hotsy Totsy Boys." When the organization changed a little, he gave it another name: "Lawrence Welk's Fruit Gum Orchestra." In spit of changes in fashion and the vicissitudes of time, the Lawrence Welk unit remained practically intact. Welk has always regarded his musicians - and his fans - as part of the family. "Of the thousands who flock to the ballrooms" (to quote "Look" again) "hundreds are non-dancers who gather around to applaud the maestro and his performers. With special anniversary announcements, free T.V. tickets, and other souvenires, each ssion takes on an appearance of a gigantic family party."
This new album is a record (in both senses) of a spectacular affair. It happened at Madison Square Garden on March 26, 1956. Put on by Welk's T.V. sponsors, it was a mammoth performance which was also a stage show. It included many famous guest stars as well as all the personalities of Welk's own organization. Every one of the members of the band got a chance to do his own speciality- accordionist Myron Floren, who fronts the band when Welk is sometimes occupied elsewhere ; guitarist, Buddy Merrill; bass Larry Hooper, a pianist who never sang in public until Welk urged him to ; Rocky Rockewell and Woody Guidry, whose trumpets formed a real novelty combo; and the singers: tnor Jim Roberts and the soprano, Alice Lon. And, of course, there was always Lawrence Welk himself leading, playing, clowning, singing, and (as everyone hoped) dancing informally with Alice Lon. When Lawrence invited any lady in the audience to cut in, he was practically mobbed. More than fifty willing partners clamored for turns until the police had to interfere. Altogether, it was a great and gratifying occasion, studded with favorite numbers and full of high spirits ... And here it is.
