Moon River

Lawrence Welk presents themes from motion pictures on Moon River, one of his biggest hit albums of the '60s. Moon River is strictly an album effort — it yielded no singles, and probably couldn't have because of the familiarity of the tunes and the popularity many of them enjoyed in the hands of other artists. "Exodus," "The Sound of Music," and Victor Young's "Around the World" are exemplary of the sweeping melodies on display, only some of which showcase Welk's trademark blend of accordion, harpsichord, and a snappy rhythm. "Exodus" and the briskly paced "I Could Have Danced All Night" have the wordless vocal chorus and tinkling harpsichord heard on so many of Welk's Dot albums, but the arrangements for most of the other themes are string and piano based. Welk delegated the arranging chores to four men, which may account for the album's variety of styles. Arranger Frank Scott and George Wyle (who later composed the theme song for the television show Gilligan's Island) joined Welk veterans Bob Ballard and Larry Gordon to write the orchestral charts, which, overall, are more serious in tone than Welk's usual lighthearted fare.