WUN'ERFUL, WUN'ERFUL! Stan Freberg Comedy 

I just met Stan Freberg's widow today while I was working at Best Buy, and sold her 2 Roku units. 'The Three Little Bops' was my favorite cartoon ever as a kid. I am in complete shock at his prolific legendary status. Life can be so amazing when you least expect it.

Stan Freberg's spoof of Dragnet is a classic.

When I was a kid my dad would always say " Turn off the bubble machine!" when Lawrence Welk would come on and then laugh to himself. Now I know where it came from.

Probably one of the most hilarious skits ever recorded. My parents watched the Lawrence Welk show religiously every week when I was in grade school. I first heard this recording at a friend's house when I was 13 years old. I can recall laughing so hard, it doubtless looked like I was having a convulsion.

Stan Freberg was a hoot... loved the way my Dad laughed himself senseless over his silly songs. Soundtrack of my youth 🎼🖤

The story I heard was that Lawrence was going to sue Stan, Capitol Records and everybody else. However, his son sat him down and explained to him that the parody was a Top 40 hit record being played on hundreds of radio stations nationwide, and did he know much it would cost to buy that kind of publicity? Lawrence may have been somewhat hokey but he was a shrewd businessman and realized his son was right. All was well!

Stan originally presented this parody on his CBS radio show in the summer of 1957; he re-recorded it for Capitol, without the audience, but it's just as potent. He thought Welk and his brand of variety were too...as in "why DO people just sit there in their living rooms and WATCH this every week?". Peggy Taylor, Stan's vocalist on the radio show, sings all the female parts; Daws Butler and Stan are the "seamen" at the end. Billy May does an excellent job of "interpreting" Welk's arrangments...

And there you have it. The entire run of the Lawrence Welk Show, in a nutshell.

I have to agree. Stan, along with June Foray and Daws Butler were indeed some of the great voice artists ever. The best, of course, being the late, great Mel Blanc.

I listened to this skit over and over again on Dr. Demento when I was a kid. Freberg... you were the greatest.

Stan and Bob Newhart are two of the greatest comics of the era. Thanks for sharing, and even more, thank you for bringing back so many good memories

Stan Freberg was a genius. I remember hearing this routine on the radio as a kid and laughing so much. And his La Choy commerical was side-splitting. Really miss him and his off-beat humor.

I had this record. I loved Stan, a truly funny comedic genius. I also had Ken Nordine's "Word Jazz" set of albums. Both these guys were great. Oh, also Bob Newhart " Button Down Mind" too. These guys were so great with no vulgarity at all. Wunnerful fun.

What lives in a conical shell and plays the accordion? Lawrence Whelk.

Never had Lawrence Welk in the UK ( thanks for small mercies ) but this spoof by the great Stan Freberg is superb.

Listened again for the 10 millionth time. Stan Freberg may be the one stand out ingenious who ever sold a set of encyclopedias. You know? I remember reruns of "Cecil" on tv as a kid. Cartoons, too.

No matter what was on TV my Mom and Dad had to watch Lawrence Welk.Oh the suffering.

What I love is that these are some absolutely wonderful performances considering it's a parody.

Svengoolie thank you song!

"Sumbody turn offa da bubble machine..."

This is genuinely one of the funniest and best produced comedy records... ever.

"Gee, the time is running out and we haven't even played the polka!"

Freberg was a perfectionist and surrounded himself with some of the most talented people in radio and music. Too bad what is on radio today pales by comparison.

2:57 - Lawrence's 'mugging' and over-exaggerated painted smile for the camera is beyond bizarre and over-the-top. Must be the Geritol every day. Awesome video references. Makes it that much funnier.

Stan was absolutely hilarious, the best!!

Stan Freberg was FANTASTIC!!

There's an episode of "The Flintstones" called "The Hit Songwriters," in which Fred and Barney try to write a hit song and fail (it's "Stardust" with different lyrics), but the music publisher finds the words to a potential song based on Fred's "yabba-dabba-doo" and gives them to Hoagy Carmichael (who provided his own voice) to add music. There's a scene in that episode where the song is performed live at the place where Welk's band is playing (with a mammoth blowing the bubbles), and I'm sure Freberg is doing Welk's voice because it sounds just like Welk on Freberg's recording.

A comic genius. I cut whatever clever teeth I have by growing up with him. "Dear John", "John and Marsha", "Saint George and the Dragonet"... truly memorable! RIP in that place where the great comedians go.

Memories! My grandmother used to make the whole family sit down to watch Laurence Welk in the early 70s. When she wasn't home during the week we'd put this song on to spoof her as much as Welk.

Stan is the greatest of all the satirests!

My mother considered Lawrence Welk to be just shy of the Deity. She would've machine-gunned Freberg for this. Me? I love it.

At 1:10 is the "theme" that's played during Svengoolie when the mail segment ends.

Wurlitzer used to run ads showing a Wurlitzer organ being delivered to a happy family. The little boy ran into the house screaming "Gee, Dad! It's a Wurlitzer!".

There was an antacid that had an ingredient supposed to reduce gas. Their ads borrowed the line "Will someone please turn off the bubble machine!".

Wow what a great job with the visuals - lots of work indeed. Most enjoyable counterpoint to that number. I laughed at it in 1959 and I'm laughing in 2015. Timeless humor (unless you're under 50 and never heard of Lawrence Welk).

For years I have been telling my 2 sons that things are "Wunnerful Wunnerful" and every so often use 'Stop the bubbles". Now I have found this.Thankyou. The 1st. 45rpm I ever bought was Stan's "Day-o" (Banana Boat Song). You are "wunnerful" for posting.

RIP Stan Freberg 1926-2015

Yes, Stan Freberg really captured the feel of the Welk show. And, like you, I still enjoy watching the Welk show every week! Thanks for your post, KB4QAA -

"The Squarest Music this side of Euclid" and one of the best RU-vid videos created. Thank you for tying the Welk "musical family" to the Freberg record. Generations will be in your eternal debt. (ha!)

“ Help ah, Help ah, turn off the bubbles….Help ah…” Stan was beyond genius in this and many other satires. A friend had this record in my college dorm in the 1970s and it was right up there with Firesign Theater as our go to comedy fav .

RIP Stan Freberg. When they made you they broke the mold!

I can't believe this is here! I still have the 45 rpm record from my childhood. My sisters and I loved to harmonize on "Thank you for all those cards and letters you folks in television land." Thanks!

Turn off the Bubble Machina! Us kids listened to this over and over LOL

This is a big favorite of my husband's; he quotes it frequently: "Turn off-a the bubble machine"..."Thank-a you, Larry, that-a number has-a been taken-a..." Classic!

Time keeps marching forward. May Stan RIP.

Forty-odd years ago, I had a schoolfriend who had this record. The line "Help, help! Wonnerful-a, wonnerful-a. Turn off the bubble machine!" at the end had me laughing myself to tears. Lawrence Welk was then still on television, so I had a vague idea of who he was, though I never saw his show.

You can hear the Lemmon Sisters sing “Thank you for all the cards and letters from all you folks out there in television land” around the halfway point of SVENGOOLIE. I love it!

My favorite Stan Freberg bit.

Just shared this on a FB post, my Dad (who Mom always said had a crush on Norma Zimmer) would walk around the house saying "Wun'erful, Wun'erful" whenever there was a problem, as well as "turn off the bubble machine". Mom was a Pianist and loved Lawrence, it was on the box every weekend.

Gee Dad, It's a Wurlitzer. Haven't heard that line in 50 years now.

One of my favorites by Freberg. I also love his "recording sessions" for popular songs like "Yellow Rose of Texas" and "Banana Boat (Day-O)".

The female vocalist portraying "the Lemmon Sisters" and "Alice Lean-a" is Peggy Taylor, who was a booth announcer for KNBC 4 in Los Angeles in the 70s & 80s ( she was also heard on the NBC network at times reading promos right before station breaks ).

The best impression of Welk. Fred Armisen on SNL is a close second.

"I recollect one night off Singapore...." "TRICKS I say!! Like that mirage off the port bow!" RIP Stan Freberg.

gee, dad, it was a wurlitzer! LOL

Thanks, really enjoyed hearing the whole thing. My brother and I were teenagers back then and he recalls us listening to the radio show on Sunday nights. I had many 45's and albums and see many of them listed here. I still play the lp Stan Freburg presents the United States of America every July 4th to get a proper perspective. lol

I'd forgotten about the song, but just recall the phrase "Wunnerful, Wunnerful." Having the video as accompaniment makes the song a whole lot funnier, particularly for those who never saw the show. I used to go over to an old girlfriend's house to watch color TV on Saturday nights. Her parents and grandmother always had this on. Just watching Lawrence Welk's bouncing up and down as he plays the accordian still makes me laugh.

I was listening to a talk show in which Stan Freeburg was being interviewed; one story was a man who was listening to the broadcast of the parody was tickled so much that he turned purple. Don't know if he survived that very funny recording. But if he didn't, then he went out of this life laughing.

This was a national hit in July,1957.

"Gee dad, it was a Wurlitzer"... I always wanted a Bubble machine.

I'm just finishing "Wunnerful, Wunnerful" an Autobiography by Lawrence Welk. What a great book, what a great man. The book is autographed by Lawrence Welk.

That music is just like Welk's orchestra played. This takes me back.

Another Dr Demento gem. I would never have known about any of this stuff if it wasn't for him

This was very well put-together!!! Thanks!!!

This is quality television for Television Lant.

Son of Svengoolie brought me here.

I wished I had heard of this record when my late friend,alto saxophonist Skeets Herfurt,were alive.He played alto sax for Welk for several years until Welk retired.Skeets was a funny guy and did a bit of comedy as a singer for Tommy Dorsey from 1937-39 and for guitarist Alvino Rey from 1939-42.I think he might have enjoyed it.He once told me that Welk wanted to hire him for years,but Skeets was a very successful,in demand alto saxophonist in the Hollywood studios for years.

We loved this, and all of Freberg's recordings. I understand that Lawrence Welk got legally feisty. I am reminded of Jay Ward's "Rocky and Bullwinkle" show, with the Kerward Derby, a spoof on Durward Kerby, the rather bland straight man to Gary Moore. Jay Ward Productions got a Cease and Desist order from Kerby's attorney, threatening a lawsuit. Ward challenged them to sue, promising to pay ALL legal expenses for both parties. to me sure, Durward Kerby lives on, only from Jay Ward's spoof.

Thanks, Steven Eppler. Stan Freberg and Lawrence Welk are both American classics.

The Lawrence Welk Show was my Grandma Daly's favorite TV show.

Lawrence Welk's TV show was ridiculed by critics for being squarer than square, but somebody out there in Televisionland must have liked it, for it ran for 27 years, ending only when Welk retired from music.

The Aragon Ballroom (on Lick Pier) was in Santa Monica, California. Love how you put in a photo of the Corn Palace (in Mitchell, South Dakota) instead. Yours truly once toured that place (1991).

First heard this on the radio when it was released. I couldn't believe my ears because I wasn't sure if it were the real show, and I thought what the Hell's going on, and couldn't stop laughing as I pictured what was happening in my mind.

Good Job!!! truly enjoyed this!!!

Back when I first heard this when I got "Tip of the Freberg" one Christmas, I thought of this as "The Lawrence Welk Show that never was". Classic!

Svengoolie sent me here, lol.

Thank you so much. Still love it. As a matter of fact I will always love this comic masterpiece. Thank god I grew up with genius. Great job with the video.

how magnificent.i just landed the trifecta..Liberace,+ Victor Borge with the Sesame characters and now Stan Freberg....thank you mother thank father..Alan Sherman was in the next class!

Thanks, Corrie121. Stan Freberg did a masterful job on this skit.

i heard this on the adio today.......almost cracked up my car. LOVE IT!!!!!!!

One of my favorites. I remember the dialogue not heard for many years. A riot.

"Turn off the bubble machine." For decades that phrase has intermittently popped up in my head. Now I know what it's from. Loved Stan's Dragnet spoofs.

This is like Fractured Flickers. Hilarious!

I loved this! Great job! Thanks for posting.

IM SURE SVENGOOLIE USES THIS ON HIS SHOW---

When he first heard this parody, Welk was furious and was going to sue Stan and his label, Capitol. However, when his son pointed out to Welk that this record would be played on hundreds of radio stations and that was a lot of free advertising, LW saw the light and forgot about it.

Brought me giggles! Thank you!

Great! Thanks for your work!

I was born in 1950. My dad always joked and he would say "Stop the bubble machine"

ever since the early 50's, I've always liked L. Welk. and Freeberg is great. Grew up with them both. Thanks for posting Welk's Christmas programs were the best !!!! I would look forward to them weeks in advance. Thanks for posting this. BH

Brought back memories! Waterfall a waterfall! That's what Lawrence said when he saw Niagara Falls! Parents were big fans of Lawrence Welk. Stan Freberg was a genius!

Svengoolie brought me here

BTW I watched LW every week with the family back in the day. It was great entertainment. such a innocent time. Not much a family can watch together today.

for the first time in 25 years my poppin'a finger isa caught in my cheek" Hahaha.

Thank you, Stan!

Freberg performed this on his radio series in 1957, and the local announcer on WCBS New York almost cracks up during the weather forecast and station ID he had to do immediately after. You hear him struggling to keep from laughing during the whole minute but he loses it on the last syllable!

What a scream! Brilliantly done. (from a guy who has enjoyed LW since the 70's)

splendid video edit to freberg's best send-up!

When I first started teaching in a small rural school in Australia, I introduced this and The Banana Boat song to my school of 18 kids. We used the sound tracks to mime to, and the results were hilarious. I continued using these until about 1978 when I[ we] had made the pieces a real show piece at primary school reviews, The "bursting through the window "in Banana Boat was achieved by a child jumping through a piece of formerly weakened cellophane so that the window frame didn't collapse. Wonderful stuff from a genius. I'll never forget those halcyon and informal days, not like now where creativity is stifled in the normal classroom.

This was a staple in our house, even in syndication. Lawrence-a Welk-a. No artist quite like him.