Saturday, March 14, 2009

Let's Get Acquainted - Brunswick Records

Let's Get Acquainted - The Lennon Sisters
featuring Pete Fountain



1958 - Brunswick Records BL 54031

Selections Include:

Side One
1. Let's Get Acquainted
2. Little White Lies
3. Young And In Love
With Orchestra Directed By Tiny Little
4. Teenage Waltz
With Orchestra Directed By Tiny Little
S. Pocahontas
6. White Silver Sands
With Pete Fountain And His Dixieland Boys

Side Two
1. When I'm With You
Featured In The Motion Picture "Poor Little Rich Girl"
2. One Day A Little Girl
With Pete Fountain And His Dixieland Boys
3. Walk With Me
4. If I Don't Love You
5. Shake Me I Rattle (Squeeze Me I Cry)
6. Goodnight God

Liner Notes:

The Lennon Sisters - Vocal Quartet With Instrumental Accompaniment

Let's get acquainted with the Lennon Sisters - Dianne, Peggy, Kathy & Janet - those four talented youngsters who sing their way into the hearts of millions of television viewers each week, via Lawrence Welk's network shows.

Representing half of Bill and Isobel Lennon's family of eight children there was always much to do around their Venice, California home. Singing together was the way the girls made their dishwashing chores lighter and their family duties more like fun than work. Humming lullabies and play-party songs together was a family affair in which the sisters took delight.

Perhaps some of their natural talent comes to them through their Dad. Bill Lennon had been a featured vocalist with the Paul Whiteman and Freddie Martin Bands in the early forties and for a time had a quartet with his brothers, Pat, Bob and Ted. As a protege of the famous tenor, Tito Shipa, he appeared in Hollywood Bowl concerts.

The girls first performed for friends and relatives and then went "on stage" at church benefits and civic functions. Fifteen-year-old Dianne's St. Monica's schoolmate, Larry Welk, Jr. "discovered" the sisters and got his famous dad to listen to them. Welk Sr. was so impressed with their charm and musical ability that he immediately signed them for a special ABC-TV Christmas show that was in preparation for the 1955 holidays. As soon as the nation's viewers saw them, Welk's judgement and Larry Jr's foresight were justified.

Billboard, the trade magazine of the music industry, published results of a disc jockey popularity poll shortly there-after and the Lennon Sisters were within the top ten most promising vocal groups. Noting this, Coral & Brunswick Records began making plans for offering more of their fine work on wax. Hence, several single releases, among them hits like "Tonight You Belong To Me" and "White Silver Sands" and now their first long playing album.

Despite tempting lucrative offers for outside engagements, the girls have remained loyal to their primary duties at home and with their schooling, limiting their professional work to recording and appearing as members of the Welk shows.

With no formal musical training, the girls do their arrangements seated at the kitchen table with a pitch-pipe as their only instrument. Mom helps them with the harmony and Dad coaches on phrasing and expression. Mom also designs and makes all their costumes.

Maestro Welk sums up their charm in the following statement: "They look sweet, sing sweet and have a certain intangible spiritual quality. It gets across to the audience."

Listen to these selections ...we're sure you will agree.

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