In this delightful musical sketch from the May 1, 1962 episode of THE GARRY MOORE SHOW, resident comic Carol Burnett invites the week's two British guest stars, Julie Andrews and Roy Castle, to teach her Cockney. The trio then launch into a comic novelty song titled, "The Cockney Lesson" composed specially for the show by husband-wife writing team, Ken and Mitzie Welch.
Ken Welch -- who only recently passed away, aged 92 -- was a longtime friend and professional associate of Carol Burnett's (Barnes, 2019). He had been instrumental in Carol's early success, first as a vocal coach and then as a musical writer and accompanist for her nightclub act. One of Welch's early compositions for Carol, "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles", proved such a hit it landed the budding comic her first TV appearance and, not too long thereafter, a regular spot on THE GARRY MOORE SHOW. Returning the favour, Carol helped secure Welch a position as part of the show's musical production team (Apone: V6).
As with this song, Ken would frequently collaborate on his compositions with wife Mitzie. The pair had been performers themselves in the early days but gave it up to focus on writing and producing when they started a family. Ken and Mitzie Welch would continue to write for Carol for many years, moving wth her when she landed her own TV show, as well as providing material for many other performers including Bob Hope, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, and Olivia Newton-John (Barnes, 2019).
Ken Welch would also write and co-produce all three TV specials for Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett, including their landmark Carnegie Hall show which was in post-production at the time this episode of THE GARRY MOORE SHOW went to air (Hoogenboom: 2; Royal: 2-3). One need not strain to hear echoes of Welch's work for that show in "The Cockney Lesson” with its pastiche Tin Pan Alley sound, call-and-response form, and wry lyrics peppered with pop cultural allusions. Of particular note here is the pointed reference to MY FAIR LADY and casting for the then-pending film version which allows for a lovely bit of comic business between Carol and Julie.
Because Welch retained copyright to his compositions on THE GARRY MOORE SHOW, he was able to take them with him when he left (Copyright Office: 78). It is for this reason that "The Cockney Song" was recycled years later in a 1975 episode of THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW where it was performed as a duet between Carol and guest star, Maggie Smith ("Maggie": 8). It was even done complete with a tongue-in-cheek final quip from Smith, "Julie Andrews will be livid!" Subsequently released to DVD and, in due course, making an appearance on various video-sharing platforms, the Burnett-Smith version of "The Cockney Lesson" has today become quite well-known. Hopefully now the delightful 1962 original will reclaim some of its long overdue recognition.
REFERENCES
Apone, Carl. "Music Writer Studied Here: Ken Welch with Revue." THE PITTSBURGH PRESS. 1 July 1962: V6.
Barnes, Mike. "Ken Welch, Carol Burnett's Longtime Musical Collaborator, Dies at 92." THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 5 February 2019 www.hollywoodreporter.com/new....
Copyright Office. CATALOG OF COPYRIGHT ENTRIES, JANUARY-JUNE 1962. 16: V-1. Washington: Library of Congress, 1963.
Hoogenboom, A.A. "Special Re-Unites Andrews and Burnett." HERALD TV WATCH. 10 December 1989: 2
"Maggie Smith Carol's Guest." ODESSA AMERICAN TV NEWS. 9 November 1975: 8.
Royal, Don. "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall." SHOWTIME. 10 June 1962: 2-3.
DISCLAIMER: This is a fan preservation project; it was created for criticism and research, and is completely nonprofit; it falls under the fair use provision of the United States Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. section 107.