The Mom and Dads
Encyclopedia
The Mom and Dads were a Western-styled folk music
group from Spokane, Washington
that specialized in waltzes, polkas, and general easy listening
. The quartet, made up of one elderly woman and three middle-aged men, featured Doris A. Crow (June 17, 1905 – September 28, 1998) on piano, Quentin Ratliff (b. 1934) on saxophone, Leslie Welch (February 2, 1912 – February 1, 1983) on accordion, and Harold Hendren (July 12, 1919 - September 9, 2008) on drums.
Their LP album entitled Presenting... The Mom and Dads had a mini biography printed on the back of the album sleeve. The section claimed that the Mom and Dads were able to play nearly any type of then existing dance music. From turn of the century dance music such as the Three Step, to more modern sounds, such as country and western.
Their biography states that all the band members had individually begun to play dance music between the ages of 12 and 14. Doris Crow and Leslie Welch had been playing together for over 22 years when the youngest member of the band, Quentin Ratliff joined them. The group finally became a four-piece 7 years later when Harold Hendren, who had begun his musical career in New Mexico, joined the band on drums.
Most of the band's fame was in Canada
, where they first gained fame when a disc jockey at a high-powered radio station in Great Falls, Montana
played their first recording, The Ranger's Waltz, a song composed by Quentin Ratliff, the group's saxophonist. This broadcast carried into the Canadian province of Alberta
, and they also gained a following in Australia
.
"The Ranger's Waltz" marked their peak in 1971, when the title cut off the same-named album climbed into the American Top 10 country music charts, topping out at Number Four and eventually achieving double-platinum sales figures. The band had first started to appear on music charts earlier that year with the album "In the Blue Canadian Rockies".
The Mom and Dads also began their first international tour, albeit reluctantly, when they went to Australia in the fall of 1974, after another act had cancelled. They spent four weeks promoting their albums overseas before returning home and resuming performance dates in their native Pacific Northwest.
The Mom and Dads were seen in a string of late-night television commercials in the United States
during the mid-1980s.
The group continued to tour and record regularly until Welch's death in 1983.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group from Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
that specialized in waltzes, polkas, and general easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
. The quartet, made up of one elderly woman and three middle-aged men, featured Doris A. Crow (June 17, 1905 – September 28, 1998) on piano, Quentin Ratliff (b. 1934) on saxophone, Leslie Welch (February 2, 1912 – February 1, 1983) on accordion, and Harold Hendren (July 12, 1919 - September 9, 2008) on drums.
Band Biography
The band, which formed in the early 1950s, named itself after its main repertoire; "Music for Mom and Dad". http://www.emusic.com/artist/Moms-Dads-MP3-Download/10556400.html?albumId=10595300. In the early years of its history, the band was strictly a part-time endeavor with its members holding down more typical jobs during the week.Their LP album entitled Presenting... The Mom and Dads had a mini biography printed on the back of the album sleeve. The section claimed that the Mom and Dads were able to play nearly any type of then existing dance music. From turn of the century dance music such as the Three Step, to more modern sounds, such as country and western.
Their biography states that all the band members had individually begun to play dance music between the ages of 12 and 14. Doris Crow and Leslie Welch had been playing together for over 22 years when the youngest member of the band, Quentin Ratliff joined them. The group finally became a four-piece 7 years later when Harold Hendren, who had begun his musical career in New Mexico, joined the band on drums.
Most of the band's fame was in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where they first gained fame when a disc jockey at a high-powered radio station in Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
played their first recording, The Ranger's Waltz, a song composed by Quentin Ratliff, the group's saxophonist. This broadcast carried into the Canadian province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, and they also gained a following in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
"The Ranger's Waltz" marked their peak in 1971, when the title cut off the same-named album climbed into the American Top 10 country music charts, topping out at Number Four and eventually achieving double-platinum sales figures. The band had first started to appear on music charts earlier that year with the album "In the Blue Canadian Rockies".
The Mom and Dads also began their first international tour, albeit reluctantly, when they went to Australia in the fall of 1974, after another act had cancelled. They spent four weeks promoting their albums overseas before returning home and resuming performance dates in their native Pacific Northwest.
The Mom and Dads were seen in a string of late-night television commercials in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the mid-1980s.
The group continued to tour and record regularly until Welch's death in 1983.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | CRIA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN | |||
| 1970 | Presenting the Mom and Dads | — | — | 57 | — |
| 1971 | In the Blue Canadian Rockies | 18 | 165 | 74 | Platinum |
| The Rangers Waltz | 4 | 85 | — | 2× Platinum | |
| 1972 | Reminiscing with the Mom and Dads | — | — | — | Gold |
| Souvenirs | — | — | — | Gold | |
| 1973 | The Mom and Dads Again | — | — | — | Gold |
| Dance with the Mom and Dads | 30 | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | The Best of the Mom and Dads | — | — | — | Platinum |
| 1980 | 20 Favorite Waltzes | — | — | — | Gold |
Singles
| Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "Rippling River Waltz" | 38 | Souvenirs |
Singles
- "The Ranger's Waltz" GNP
- "Amazing Grace" GNP-Crescendo
- "Anniversary Waltz" GNP-Crescendo
- "Auld Lang Syne" GNP
- "Baby Blue" GNP-Crescendo
- "Blue Canadian Rockies" Golden West Melodies
- "Blue Skirt Waltz" MCA
- "Cab Driver Foxtrot"
- "Jingle Bell Rock" (1972) MCA
- "Kentucky Waltz" GNP Crescendo
- "Love Is a Beautiful Song" MCA
- "Mom&Dad's Schottische"
- "Moonlight On The Manitoulin" MCA
- "My Blue Heaven" GNP-Crescendo
- "My Happiness" (1973) GNP-Crescendo
- "Quentin's E Flat Boogie" GNP Crescendo
- "Ragtime Annie P"
- "Rippling River Waltz" (1971) MCA
- "Silver Moon"
- "Skirts"
- "Somewhere My Love"
- "St Paul Waltz"
- "Wabash Cannonball"
- "Waltz Across Texas"
- "Waltz you Saved For Me"/"When The Saints Go Marching In"
- "Whispering"
- "White Silver Sands"
- "Your Cheatin' Heart"
Albums
- Presenting The Mom and Dads (1971) Apex
- Blue Canadian Rockies (1971) MCA
- Souvenirs (1972) MCA
- The Mom and Dads Again (1972) MCA
- Merry Christmas (1973) MCA
- Reminiscing with The Mom and Dads (1973) MCA
- Love Is a Beautiful Song (1974) MCA
- Dance with The Mom and Dads (1974) MCA
- Play Your Favorite Hymns (1974) GRT
- In The Good Old Summertime (1976)
- Down The River Of Golden Dreams (1976)
- Meet The Mom and Dads (1977) GRT
- Best Of (1977) GRT
- One Dozen Roses (1977) GNP-Crescendo
- Whispering Hope (1977) GRT
- 22 Favorite Country Songs (1977) GNP-Crescendo
- Gratefully Yours (1978) Interfusion
- 20 Favorite Waltzes (1978) GRT
- To Mom and Dad With Love (1980) MCA
- With Love From The Mom and Dads (1980) Crescendo
- Good Night Sweetheart (1982) Crescendo
- Thanks For The Memories (1986) Quality
- Dream With The Mom and Dads GRT
- Love Letters In The Sand Crescendo
- Memories Crescendo
- Blue Hawaii MCA
- The Very Best Of MCA
- 18 Cand W Favorites
- Collection (5 LP set)