When I think back on the golden age of disco, I automatically think of Saturday Night Fever, The Hustle, polyester shirts, Myron Floren, Studio 54… wait a second, back up… Myron Floren?

That’s right — in 1977, Lawrence Welk’s squeezin’ sideman released “Disco Polka”, an album that brought oompah polka rhythms and over-the-top disco strings together for perhaps the first (and last?) time. Tracks included “How High the Moon”, “Love is Blue”, and, of course, “Beer Barrel Polka.” But did these two great tastes really taste great together? Listen to a clip from the record and decide for yourself:

Clarinet Polka (MP3 download)

[Found via hopstetter.com]

Mother’s Day Morgani
uploaded by musicmuse_caNobody dresses the part quite like The Great Morgani, the Santa Cruz accordionist known for his outrageous (and sometimes slightly disturbing) costumes. This photo catches him in one of his tamer outfits, all decked out in roses for Mother’s Day last weekend.

With an album cover featuring an accordion-playing gorilla, you know it has to be good. Or at least, well, really bizarre. And that’s definitely the case with “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done” by The Mighty Accordion Band. The album features a 20-accordion-strong band playing unique arrangements of classics like “April in Paris”, “La Vie En Rose”, and “Caravan” (check here for audio clips), while the back cover boasts:

“If you’re looking for a nice old-time accordion album with Lady of Spain and the like, it should be pretty clear already that this isn’t it. For the listener, music by the Mighty Accordion Band can be summed up simply: more fun than a barrel of monkeys.”

The album was the brainchild of Dominic Frontiere, a jazz accordionist known for his willingness to push the envelope, who later turned his attention to arranging scores for film and television. Perhaps not surprisingly, this seems to be the only album he made with the Mighty Accordion Band. [Found via Echoes from AP3 in Pezland]

Looking for a unique gift for that Lawrence Welk fan in your life? A quick search on eBay this morning uncovered a few items that you definitely won’t find at your local Wal-Mart:

• Lawrence Welk Accordion Ashtray
  A black and white ceramic, accordion-shaped ashtray complete with champagne, bubble and musical notes motif. Stub out your cigarettes in style!
• Lawrence Welk Accordion Vase
  Okay, so maybe you don’t want to promote smoking in your house. Instead, you could opt for this green accordion-shaped vase with Lawrence’s signature on the side. Classy!
• Salute to Winter Sports (16mm Kinescope)
  Fire up your old 16mm projector and enjoy this film of Lawrence and the band, recorded in January 1965. Includes performances by Myron Floren and JoAnn Castle. “Wunnerful, wunnerful!”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any pink Lawrence Welk lamps currently up for sale, but there’s always next week.