This is the theme song for Mitch Miller’s hit TV show, Sing Along With Mitch, vintage 1961.
I think everybody I knew had a Mitch Miller record album or two. Back then, he was just about the only guy who had a beard but wasn’t a beatnik. Good grief, remember them? Some of us heard a rumor that a certain person in the neighborhood had actually become a beatnik, and grown a beard, and a bunch of us kids stood outside his house one night for I don’t know how long, hoping to get a glimpse of such a curiosity.
Anyhow, Mitch provided millions of people with songs they could sing in front of their kiddies without embarrassment, and entertainment galore.
If he tried his act today, he’d either make a fortune like he never dreamed of, or be arrested for hate speech and uninclusiveness.
Wow, you are bringing back a lot of old forgotten programs that I had totally forgotten. Fun to be reminded.
You sure do have a knack for finding these oldies from Memory Lane 🙂
(and I really wish my comments would post)
Well, this one’s here!
Wow! Finally 🙂
Good Ol’ Mitch Miller! My dad loved that show. I did not. Dad had all the albums and loved to play the music on Sunday afternoons and have me sit with him, lyric sheet in hand, and together, we’d sing along with Mitch. I amaze people today at just how many very old, vintage songs I know by heart and it’s all because of Dad and Good Ol’ Mitch Miller! Does anyone remember how Mitch conducted his singers? He had a funny way fo doing that if I remember correctly.
Sing Along With Mitch was a big deal to me when I was a kid. His excitement and enthusiasm really appealed to me. I’m certain that he played a role in cultivating my overall love of music.
As I recall, Miller was a serious musician and an executive in the record industry, producing recordings by numerous artists. He was criticized by some, but he obviously knew how to give record buyers and audiences a product that suited their tastes. It’s hard to argue with success.
Unknowable, I have to admit that I didn’t begin to appreciate Mr. Miller’s tv show and music until I grew to adulthood. As I mentioned in a comment, friends would find it amazing that I would know the words to so many, many old-timey songs. I gradually became more interested in the songs and the time periods in which they originally appeared. Another performer encouraged my love for music of days gone by was Herbert Khaury, aka Tiny Tim. I read that he had a huge library of old songs and was preparing to release an album when he died suddenly. He wasn’t going to be Tiny Tim, either. It would have been interesting to see how the music would have been received.