War of 1812 – Uncle Sam

08/23/12 • -1 min

Sound Beat

Episodes 200 years in the making: it’s War of 1812 week and...

Episodes 200 years in the making: it’s War of 1812 week and...

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War of 1812 – Hail Columbia

It was supposed to be a big night for the crew of the USS Constitution. In December, 1812, the ship defeated His Majesty’s La Guerriere, and a ball was being held in their honor. Until that one-upping Stephen Decatur came busting in with news of his ship, the USS United States, and her victory over the Macedonian. He even brought the ship’s flag for first lady Dolly Madison. The band broke into a rendition of this song, “Hail Columbia”, recorded here by Walter Huston in 1947.

Philip Phile composed the piece for George Washington’s first inauguration in 1789. For much of the next century, it was the de facto national anthem. Today, you’ll hear it played as the Vice-President’s entrance song, like the JV version of Hail to the Chief.

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“And a one, and a two…”

Nevermind the saccharine-sweet and, sometimes just plain obnoxious skits; the Lawrence Welk Show ran nationally on ABC for nearly 28 years. Welk’s bandleading style and arrangement lead to the term “champagne music”, which is what he called his orchestra. Here they are with, ahem, If You Can’t Get A Drum With A Boom, Boom, Boom. Get A Tuba With An Oom-pah-pah.

Welk’s famous accent actually embarrassed him in early years, prompting him to have someone else introduce musical numbers. But the public seemed to love the “and-a-one, and a-two”s and the like. It might have surprised said public that Welk was born in...South Dakota. Strasburg, actually, in a community of Germans from Russia, a name given to ethnic Germans who left the Russian Empire.

Want to see the very first pilot of the Lawrence Welk show? Go to Soundbeat.org right now.