Accordionist, bandleader, composer and TV impresario Lawrence Welk was one of the most visible and popular personalities in easy-listening orchestral pop music through several decades spanning the pre- and post-war eras, with his high-profile TV series "The Lawrence Welk Show" running for three decades from 1951 into the early '80s. Performing what he christened early in his career as "Champagne Music", he transcended all the upheavals in the pop music landscape during these times to maintain a consistent appeal to the broad middle ground of popular music tastes so that he was able to take advantage of the introduction of the stereo long-playing albums during the 1950s and beyond. This great-value 56-track 2-CD set comprises selected A and B sides from his singles for Vocalion, Okeh, Decca, Mercury, Coral and Dot labels during the quarter-century from the late 30s right through to the early '60s, and features over 30 chart entries, including the No. 1 "Calcutta" and the Top 10 hits "I Won't Tell A Soul", "The Moon Is A Silver Dollar", "Don't Sweetheart Me" and "Oh Happy Day". It covers a remarkable range of styles, including vocal hits from the early part of his career in the 'sweet' dance band style of the war years, along with examples of his trademark polka tunes featuring his distinctive accordion sound, through to easy listening orchestral pop recordings during the 1950s. It's an entertaining cross-section of his work, underlining his skill in refining his style to stay in touch with an evolving market to stay firmly in the public eye
1 Change Partners the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal Chorus Lois Best
2 Colorado Sunset the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal By Walter Bloom
3 Bubbles in the Wine the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk
4 I Won't Tell a Soul the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal Chorus Walter Bloom
5 Two Sleepy People the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal Chorus Jules Herman
6 I'm Happy About the Whole Thing the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk
7 The Moon Is a Silver Dollar the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal Chorus Walter Bloom
8 Daddy's Lullaby the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal Chorus By Jayne Walton & Parnell Grina
9 Maria Elena the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Vocal Chorus By Jayne Walton
10 Dear Home in Holland Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal Chorus By Jayne Walton
11 Cleanin' My Rifle (And Dreamin' of You) Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal Chorus By Bobby Beers
12 I Wish That I Could Hide Inside This Letter Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal Chorus By Jayne Walton
13 Don't Sweetheart Me - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal Chorus By Wayne Marsh
14 Mairzy Doats - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal Chorus By Bobby Beers & Ensemble
15 Is My Baby Blue Tonight? - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal Chorus By Jayne Walton
16 Shame on You - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra with Red Foley
17 Bar Room Polka - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal By Bob 'Tex' Cromer
18 Kit Kat Polka - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal By Helen Ramsay & Garth Andrews
19 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal By Jinny Jackson
20 Hoop Dee Doo - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Vocal By Roberta Linn & Garth Andrews
21 Pennsylvania Polka - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
22 Moonlight Bay - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal Duet By Roberta Linn & Dick Dale
23 Swingin' Down the Lane - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal Duet By Roberta Linn
24 Meet Mr. Callaghan - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
25 Oh Happy Day - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal Chorus By Larry Hooper
26 Ebb Tide - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal Chorus By Gene Pursell
- Disc 2 -
1 Darktown Strutter's Ball - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
2 In a Little Spanish Town - Lawrence Welk & His Sparklers
3 Elephant's Tango - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
4 Hey Mr Banjo - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
5 Bonnie Blue Gal - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music. Vocal By the Sparklers
6 Moritat (A Theme from the Threepenny Opera) - Lawrence Welk & His Sparkling Sextet
7 The Poor People of Paris - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
8 Lisbon Antigua - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
9 On the Street Where You Live - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
10 Weary Blues - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music with the McGuire Sisters
11 In the Alps (In Der Schweiz) - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music with the McGuire Sisters
12 Tonight You Belong to Me - Lawrence Welk & His Sparkling Strings. Vocal By the Lennon Sisters & the Sparklers
13 When the White Lilacs Bloom Again - Lawrence Welk & His Sparkling Strings
14 Around the World - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
15 Champagne Time - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
16 Cinco Robles (Five Oaks) - Lawrence Welk & His Sparkling Strings
17 Liechtensteiner Polka - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
18 Last Date - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
19 Calcutta - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
20 My Grandfather's Clock - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
21 Theme from 'My Three Sons' - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
22 Out of a Clear Blue Sky - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
23 Yellow Bird - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
24 Riders in the Sky - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra & Chorus
25 My Love for You - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra & Chorus
26 A-One A-Two A-Cha Cha Cha - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra & Chorus
27 Runaway - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
28 Baby Elephant Walk - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
29 Theme from 'The Brothers Grimm' - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra
30 Zero-Zero - Lawrence Welk
Accordionist, bandleader, composer and TV impresario Lawrence Welk was one of the most visible and popular personalities in easy-listening orchestral pop music through several decades spanning the pre- and post-war eras, with his high-profile TV series "The Lawrence Welk Show" running for three decades from 1951 into the early '80s. Performing what he christened early in his career as "Champagne Music", he transcended all the upheavals in the pop music landscape during these times to maintain a consistent appeal to the broad middle ground of popular music tastes so that he was able to take advantage of the introduction of the stereo long-playing albums during the 1950s and beyond. This great-value 56-track 2-CD set comprises selected A and B sides from his singles for Vocalion, Okeh, Decca, Mercury, Coral and Dot labels during the quarter-century from the late 30s right through to the early '60s, and features over 30 chart entries, including the No. 1 "Calcutta" and the Top 10 hits "I Won't Tell A Soul", "The Moon Is A Silver Dollar", "Don't Sweetheart Me" and "Oh Happy Day". It covers a remarkable range of styles, including vocal hits from the early part of his career in the 'sweet' dance band style of the war years, along with examples of his trademark polka tunes featuring his distinctive accordion sound, through to easy listening orchestral pop recordings during the 1950s. It's an entertaining cross-section of his work, underlining his skill in refining his style to stay in touch with an evolving market to stay firmly in the public eye
