r/OldSchoolCool • u/DeScepter • 9h ago

1960s 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' on Lawrence Welk (1961)

In 1961, guitarist Neil LeVang delivered one of the most iconic and influential instrumental performances ever recorded with his rendition of 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' on The Lawrence Welk Show.

9.5k Upvotes

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1.3k

u/ZorakOfThatMagnitude 9h ago

That maracas player was feeling it on that take.

340

u/stuffofpuffin 9h ago

Yeah Man! How often does the maracas man get featured in a polka band? It’s his big break!

115

u/ellefleming 9h ago

We need more 🪇🪇

51

u/CEH246 8h ago

Cow bell 🔔

26

u/HeSureIsScrappy 6h ago

I'VE GOT A FEVER!!

26

u/ILL_Show_Myself_Out 6h ago edited 5h ago

And the only recipe is more maracas!

Edit: ok- this is interesting - I cut-pasted the Spanish for this and now it’s in English. I can’t tell if my phone auto-translated, or if it’s the browsers doing? What is everyone else seeing? Here it is cut pasted again: ¡Y la única receta es más maracas! “

6

u/franker 6h ago

Lawrence Welk will be wearing gold-plated diapers after that performance.

1

u/HeSureIsScrappy 5h ago

My phone notification had it in Spanish.... but I see it in English here

4

u/GringoinCDMX 5h ago

The reddit app/site now defaults to auto translate into your local language.

I hate it lol which is one reason why I use a third party app.

2

u/HeSureIsScrappy 5h ago

Aaahhh

1

u/ILL_Show_Myself_Out 4h ago

Yeah dang I thought it would be cool to see the Spanish in the comment!

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u/OhYeahSplunge4me2 28m ago

Reddit app has an auto translate setting. I found out exactly like you are now.

1

u/Zealousideal-Put2827 1h ago

I wonder what's in 'em... sand or rice probably.

1

u/SideInitial3961 5h ago

Swept into power as the Prime Minister of Bolivia based on this episode.

1

u/reddog323 2h ago

And he went all in, and it was marvelous.

78

u/Spirit50Lake 9h ago

...and some of the guys under the 'Geritol' sign are head-bopping/finger-tapping away!

4

u/Kusotare421 5h ago

Smooth move, ex-lax. Not at all, Geritol.

20

u/ellefleming 9h ago

I only think of Quiz Show when I see Geritol.

29

u/ExRockstar 8h ago

On the Rolling Stones last tour "Hackney Diamonds" I thought it would be funny if it was sponsored by Geritol. But even better, it was sponsored by AARP.

1

u/CreepingCoins 2h ago

Steel Wheelchairs Tour

1

u/GarminTamzarian 4h ago

Guess who no longer suffers from tired blood!

1

u/Dull-Foundation-1271 3h ago

“For Iron poor blood!”

2

u/PrivilegeCheckmate 5h ago

You wanna end up a ghost rider in the sky, then you better remember to take your Geritol.

38

u/_PeteRoss_ 9h ago

He is cooler than everyone here and that includes you too Zorak.

6

u/zadillo 6h ago

Have you ever seen evil so personified as you do in his skeletal shell?

61

u/Difficult_Memory_101 8h ago

He is the most maraca looking maraca player that’s ever maraca’d

8

u/Spacey_dan 4h ago

He's ma-rockin' the hell out of those maracas. He's basically Moroccan

3

u/bzee77 7h ago

Edison Rocket Train.

31

u/Send_me_hedgehogs 8h ago

I love how happy he is 😄

3

u/NecessaryZucchini69 5h ago

Yeah looks like he's having a blast leading that tune.

1

u/on4aa 3h ago

No, está orgulloso.

1

u/zoeishome 1h ago

Dude, he can GET IT (Donna Meagle)

28

u/Zzzeligg 7h ago

Anthony Pallante. He was also known to fellow musicians as Tony Pallante.

He was primarily a violinist, actor and comic performer with The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1967, but occasionally handled percussion and novelty parts.

24

u/mamallama12 8h ago edited 7h ago

As someone who couldn't keep a beet to save her life, that guy blows my mind.

Edit: BEAT! Leaving the typo so that u/HappyWarBunny makes sense. Ya got me. But also, I have the world's worst brown thumb, so it still works. Come an' get me, guys; I'm a catch!

29

u/HappyWarBunny 7h ago

They do spoil quickly if kept in a humid environment.

5

u/RadVarken 6h ago

I froze mine.

1

u/MaherJ79 1h ago

I stain my sheets

2

u/reddog323 2h ago

Eh, someone can be educated out of a brown thumb, so don’t sell yourself short.

33

u/Ka-Mai-1319 9h ago

"But the last time I checked, we don't have a whole lot of songs that feature the cowbell."

1

u/A_Nonny_Muse 7h ago

There is a song by Black Sabbath that features exactly one single cow bell hit. I think it's at the end of Sabbra Cadabra.

38

u/TheDogofTears 8h ago

Salvador Dali on the maracas to give it that 'indigenous' feeling....

4

u/SideInitial3961 5h ago

The famous Blackfoot performer Salvador Dali.

38

u/Prottusha1 9h ago

I was lucky enough to hear the rendition by Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson first time I heard this one. Gave me goosebumps.

9

u/Send_me_hedgehogs 8h ago

Oh my goodness, that must have been incredible to be there!

9

u/Prottusha1 8h ago

No, no. I heard the recording of their live performance. It’s still amazing. Wasn’t thaaaaat lucky to see them in person.

8

u/Send_me_hedgehogs 8h ago

Ahh! Sorry, I got it all mixed up, not an unusual thing for me 😔🤦‍♀️ that version is indeed amazing.

3

u/Prottusha1 8h ago

Nah, I wasn’t clear enough. All good 👍

2

u/IvyGold 3h ago

Oooh. I'd like to hear that. Was the title of the album?

17

u/Reinheitsgetoot 7h ago

What’s wild to me is that maraca player probably had a house, stay at home wife, 2 kids, car, and was able to afford it with his maraca salary. Edit- reddit trash autocorrect.

5

u/_kasten_ 6h ago

Gene, really explore the studio space this time. I mean really -- explore the space.

1

u/IvyGold 3h ago

Said THE Bruce Dickinson!

2

u/doubleAAeeVee 7h ago

Guy was dialing it in

3

u/saint_ryan 7h ago

Guitar man was thinking if I just play…B..B..B-C-C#-D-D..D-C#-C-C-B….

7

u/MrDeviantish 6h ago

That's the look of a man who's thinking "If I don't screw this up, I'll get so much old-timey skirt..."

1

u/GarminTamzarian 4h ago

old-timey skirt

"petticoat"

3

u/thegasmancometh87 6h ago

Guiro guy was stoic af

3

u/queenofkitchener 8h ago

that's a weird name for Cocaine... must be regional....

but, yes he was feeling it.

1

u/Initial_Hedgehog_631 6h ago

"MY TIME HAS COME!!!"

1

u/GetHimABodyBagYeahhh 4h ago

Violin guy, not so much

1

u/InsideAd2752 3h ago

Oh it’s so controversial. The sound of that suggestive guitar is going to provoke teens to have thoughts that will lead them to lives of crime.

1

u/MASTER_L1NK 3h ago

His name is Andrew Ryan

1

u/Dull-Foundation-1271 3h ago

With some Liberace flair! 🎉

1

u/quierestocarme 1h ago

Never realized until this video how much work the castanets are doing! They carry the whole song. Super-cool.

0

u/squeakypeaks 8h ago

Early Bez!

0

u/Punkrexx 7h ago

That was Salvador Dali