Lawrence Welk - Merry Christmas from Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music (1956)

Todays Christmas album is dedicated to the memory of my parents, who loved watching "The Lawrence Welk Show" and who passed the love of this kind of music to me. I grew up watching Lawrence Welk on Saturday evenings after we would come home from Saturday evening Mass, but this album came out years before I became a fan of Mr. Wunnerful. I found this album in pristine condition at an estate sale. As you can see from the photo, it still has the original cellophane wrap with the K-Mart price sticker! I love finding treasures like this! This is definitely an album worth playing on Christmas morning as you open up all your presents!

Track listing for Merry Christmas from Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music:

Side 1:
1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Instrument Fox Trot
2. I Wanna Do More Than Whistle (Under the Mistletoe) - Vocal by The Sparklers and Alice Lon
3. White Christmas - Vocal by The Sparklers
4. Christmas Island - Vocal by The Sparklers
5. The Christmas Toy - Vocal by The Lennon Sisters
6. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Instrumental

Side 2:
1. Winter Wonderland - With Larry, Dick and Curt
2. Christmas Dreaming (A Little Early This Year) - Vocal by Dick Dale
3. Christmas Comes But Once a Year - Vocal by Larry, Dean and The Sparklers
4. Thanks for Christmas - Vocal by Alice Lon and The Sparklers
5. Twelve Gifts of Christmas - Vocal by Larry, Dean and The Sparklers
6. High on the House Top - Vocal by Larry Hooper

Here's a clip from the 1958 Lawrence Welk Christmas show:

Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music - Say It With Music (1956)

Today's album is one of my mom's. As I've mentioned before, I have my mom to thank for my love and appreciation of music - especially the type I post here. My family was big on Lawrence Welk, too. We would watch it every Saturday evening (the only other choice was "Hee Haw" - yuck). They show old episodes on various PBS stations, but I'd really like it if the show went to DVD. I'd certainly buy it! Well, my mom got this album in February 1957 - she wrote that across the back (I don't know why she had a habit of doing that). It's an album of medleys, all except the last one are fox trot medleys; the last one is a waltz medley. So, if you know how to fox trot or waltz - or you need to practice - just download this album!

Track listing for Lawrence Welk - Say It With Music:

Side 1:
1. Say It With Music; Tea For Two; Thou Swell
2. I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store); Pretty Baby; Yes Sir, That's My Baby
3. Rain; Singin' In The Rain; Rain On The Roof
4. Oh, Lady Be Good; Somebody Loves Me; 'S Wonderful
5. Sleepy Time Gal; My Blue Heaven; Doodle Doo Doo - Featuring Lawrence Welk on Accordion
6. The Gypsy In My Soul; Exactly Like You; Anything Goes

Side 2:
1. Was That The Human Thing To Do; Cecilia; I Don't Believe It's True
2. (I'm In Heaven When I See You Smile) Diane; Marcheta; Charmaine
3. Yearning (Just For You); 3rd Man Theme; Please
4. Blue Skies; Beyond The Blue Horizon; The Blue Room
5. Wabash Blues; September Song; Mood Indigo
6. Sympathy; L'Amour Toujours L'Amour (Love Everlasting); Giannina Mia

Myron Floren - Lawrence Welk Presents Myron Floren Polkas (1963)

Here's a treat for you polka lovers! I couldn't resist buying this album when I saw it because I grew up with "The Lawrence Welk Show" and loved Myron Floren. I remember watching the show with my parents and aunt every Saturday evening (the only other option was "Hee Haw" and we definitely were NOT a "Hee Haw" type of family) when I was a little kid in the 1960s and early 1970s. Myron was one of my favorite performers on the show, along with Bobby and Cissy (my very favorites), and the guy with the great tenor voice. My younger cousins, Abel and Sammy, also grew up with the show, and we used to play that we were on "The Lawrence Welk Show". Now, how many of you can say that you used to do that??? I would be Lawrence Welk (after all, I was the oldest and therefore, the boss), and then I would be several of the girl singers (mostly Ana Cani, because she was from Mexico). Abel and Sammy would be the various guy singers, but Abel would be Bobby to my Cissy (Sammy was the youngest and the shortest at the time - he's the tallest now). But the best performer of all that we all wanted to be was Arthur Duncan, the tap dancer. He completely wowed us! I remember we would dance ourselves into complete exhaustion trying to imitate him (none of us knew how to tap dance). Who knew that pretending to be on "The Lawrence Welk Show" could be so much fun? Years later (in the 1980s), my mother got to see Myron Floren at some festival back home. The venue was packed with all the other senior citizens that had arrived before her, so she watched the show from outside one of the windows of the place. She didn't mind - she loved it. After all, it was Myron Floren!

So, there's my trip down memory lane. Back to this album... There are some really fun polkas on this album and you'll recognize most of the tunes. You may even want to play this at your next polka party! After listening to this (and getting my aerobic workout by dancing around the room to it - and scaring my cats), I think that I'll have a polka party after I move into my new house!

Track listing for Lawrence Welk Presents Myron Floren Polkas:

Side 1:
1. Helena Polka
2. Hoop-Dee-Doo
3. Julida Polka
4. Pennsylvania Polka
5. Emilia Polka
6. Beer Barrel Polka

Side 2:
1. Jenny Lind Polka
2. Champagne Polka
3. Strip Polka
4. Happy Norwegian Polka
5. Medley: Little Brown Jug; Skip to My Lou; Polly Wolly Doodle
6. Medley: Tavern in the Town; Hot Time in the Old Town

And here's a video clip of Myron Floren on "The Lawrence Welk Show" playing "Dance of the Comedians":