The Holker Family – Feelin’ Good


I instantly fell in love with The Holker Family – endlessly coming at me in their gym shorts and tube socks. It only got better when I opened the gate-fold to find The Holker’s engaged in all manner of recreational activities. (Is this a private home gym? Why is there wainscoting in the basketball court?) And here they are, just relaxing in the den on an enormous sectional. And here they are – what? Performing in black face?

Thank heaven, there’s only one song about Jesus, and it’s a Ray Stevens cover. A ridiculous vanity family album, though the patriarch is conspicuously absent from the credits. I like to imagine he hired a guy to write and produce and push his agenda: The title track implores that “exercising is the only way.”

And of course “Hawaii’s Great But We Love Minnesota” is a spine-tingler.

“Feelin’ Good”

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“Hawaii’s Great But We Love Minnesota”

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55 Comments

  • Eric B. says:

    Damn, I need this album!

  • Whit says:

    This entire nation needs to be re-Holkerized.

  • Plantweed says:

    OK, this rules, I gotta find one. Tube-sock synth pop.

  • Scott says:

    They call it “Feelin’ Good”, but after listening to it, I threw up.

  • Anna Gibbons says:

    Hey, my mom was on that album! (Her name is Tami) She sings, “I’m mad”. Check it out! lol!!
    ;-)

  • H2 says:

    Hmmm….I’m pretty fond of #32 on the cover…nice. I would have to agree with Whit…the whole nation could use a little more “Holker”.

  • Kay Holker says:

    OK, I am the mother on the cover.My daughter sent me this and told me not to cry. OK, so we weren’t the Osmond’s. We went around the country doing a little family show to encourage people to do things together as a family and be the best you could. We sang the song,”Feelin Good” at our company meetings and it was a song written for people in the vitamin industry. These were the only songs we had at the time. I assure you, the kids improved. This was recorded right after they started singing. They were young kids. What do you expect? We never marketed as a great album, mostly gave them away at schools where we sang many songs for kids. We donated our time and money it took to put this together to kids and schools for their assemblies. We were always greatly accepted. We gave enough albums away for each student and the schools loved our efforts and we got many many letters from young kids wanting to be like our kids. Just so you know, our family is all grown, in their 40’s and 30’s and they are still very close to us and each other, I think a lot because of what we did together as a family. We also played basketball, went to church, and did a hundred other activities as a family. This is just something we did and had great times for 6 or 7 years when they were growing up. Our kids have been all over the country and many places around the world as a result. Sorry, but you had to be there. To judge it by professional recordings of today some 35 years later is not fair. I don’t know where you even found the album. They haven’t been around for many years. Send it to me, I will buy it from you!

  • Kay Holker says:

    Oh one more thing, my husband isn’t a singer so he was behind the spotlight at our shows. He was a great motivational speaker and thousands would actually show up to see this “vain” family as you called us. We did have a music arranger, a friend who came to us and offered to travel with us, do our arrangements and play the piano. He actually wrote the two songs you have on this website.Yes, he was black, so that would have been the only face you would have seen. He is also a brilliant concert pianist, has played on the largest organs around the world, even now in his 70’s still leads the choir and produces a Sunday televised show for his church. Our family loves people of color, always have, have members of our family of many nationalities. We have never preformed in black faces, so I have no clue where you got that from. We would not disrespect our friends and family that way. This album was originally made for people in our business who kept asking us to record some of the songs that the kids sang in our shows that we put on in our business. We would travel to areas where we had distributors, the kids would sing, and my husband would speak. We never had anything but good results. So I am sorry that you feel you have to put it down, I assure you it was never meant to be out their as a #1 album. It was never even sold in stores. Hope you can rethink and be kind. Thanks

  • Brian Holker says:

    Don’t worry mom, this guy is just one of the many thousands of people who tried to put our family down for dad being so sucessful, and our family having money, sucess, and being nice to others. Obviously he has nothing better to do with his time, than attack a 30 year old “family” albumn. I laughed at his comments. We never even sold it, we gave it away to people. We did free concerts and hundreds of schools, and yes, they all did really enjoy the shows and had us back. Maybe this guy is someone who lost out of some musical talent show. Does he know we played with Bob Hope? Hey, this guy gave me a great idea what to do with the extra boxes of 8-tracks i still have, ask him what he think they might go for on craigs list or ebay? After all, were only in it for the money!!!

  • FourDayWeekend says:

    Hello, Holkers!

    I really never meant to put you down. I still love and celebrate your album.
    The vanity press is just another way of saying private press, or self-published.

    The inside cover has a photo of the family in white suits. I wasn’t sure if it was deep Hawaiian tans or blackface. My mistake!

    It’s interesting to learn the context for this recording. Thanks for writing. It’s a product of the time, a curiosity. We celebrate that sort of thing here. Be proud of your record!

  • Baffled says:

    Is this the same Holker family mentioned in this article…

    http://archive.deseretnews.com/archive/598424/Father-son-plead-guilty-to-fraud-in-gold-mine-scam.html

    can I get an amen, brother?

  • Brian Holker says:

    nice article, because it was in the paper or on the internet, it must be true, right? Everyone knows that everything printed is always true. You guys really dont have anything better to do, do you?

  • gurney says:

    hahahahahahahahahahahaha

    God told you where to find gold. I wish I could find my favorite blue underwear. Will you ask him for me?

  • God says:

    Gurney this is God speaking, you can find your blue underwear over at Jose’s house. He hid it in the toilet bowl so his wife wouldn’t find it. The wife will be at work from 10 pm to 8 am, please avoid her.

    God

  • gurney says:

    Jose’s wife never shits? No wonder he took up with me!

  • God says:

    Brian, there is gold in them panties! Go forth and seek gold my son and I will reward you with 70 virgins and life time supply of vitamins.

    God

    PS Isn’t it time for a revival tour!

  • cocknut says:

    clearly you volkers are misunderstanding where the reviewer is coming from. perhaps if you learned to laugh at yourselves a little bit you might be able to relax this ultra-defensive stance of yours. no-one is criticising the kids for not being able to sing professionally. bragging about singing with bob hope? please.

  • Oh, Holkers. Please know that you are loved. Nobody hates on the Holkers. The tracks posted here are strange and other-worldly, especially when contrasted with the album title and the perky family on the cover. Your musical director took things in a… curious direction. Minor key workouts bedazzled with spacey, dark synthesizers? I love it. We all love it.

    Thank you for commenting, but please lighten up. Why not throw on your record, and start Feelin’ Good?

  • God says:

    Jesus loves you, like Vitamins (Special K)!

  • Brian Holker says:

    bob your a tool and don’t flatter me, I know what you are doing. You are no better than the rest of these yahoo’s that go after innocent family’s. For godsake we were kids and this was for a sales pitch. cocknut thats it your just a cock and I want to kick you in the nuts. I’m not defensive, Im just pretecting my good family name. And yes it was a big deal that we sang with bob hope, nutsack. You all can go to hell and this blog is kind of rediculous and stupid adn all you are wasting your time. Go dig for gold or something.

  • Kay Holker says:

    Well said Brian, Im so proud of you. Want my muffin!

  • gurney says:

    “Want my muffin”.

    Are you suggesting incest?

  • mummyman says:

    Hey does your muffin contain weed?

  • Kay Holker says:

    contains what ever you want it to contain….HOT!

  • Scott says:

    Damn, The Holker’s sure have a lot of pent-up-anger… Take it out in the gym guys, not here.

  • Ron Jeremy says:

    I think these tunes were played in a couple of my flicks. You can tell with the tune.

  • S. Katch says:

    Though the time doesn’t work out, but if you overdub “Feelin’ Good” on top of Caetano Veloso’s “Tropicalia”, it kinda works out in a very psychedelic way . It happened for me by accident. You can put it almost anywhere in the Veloso track See what you think.

  • Irony isn't funny says:

    OMG. I used to listen to this album when I was 6 or 7 all the time with my lil brother. We sang to it. I had 4 records to spin; this and Disco Ducks and a Christmas album. We we poor. Anyway, years and years later, that little brother married a close relative of this family, same name. Funny, had we known he was listening to his future inlaws….

  • Horndogger says:

    My mom gave me this album when I was a young boy. I got my first boner looking at the cover. It was pretty sexy for a Mormon household 30 years ago. Thanks for the boner, Holker family!!!

  • Felcher says:

    I once caught my father “shaking hands with Mr. Lincoln” and a banana up his keister listening to this album. I’m all grown up now, but not a day goes by that I’m not haunted by that memory. I still get the heebee gebees around produce. Thanks, Holker family.

  • Allen says:

    I am not so sure I can stomack this. Does anyone remember Richard Simmons? When I was little, he would come on TV right before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is all messed up!!!

  • Jogging for Palin 12 says:

    I’ve found that in my darkest hour, if I put on Mamma Holker’s voice, I can face anything in Obama’s godless America.

  • Don't Drop That Soap Papa Holker!! says:

    These guys were great! I would really like to see Papa Holker and Martin Holker release an album about their time in prison. Some of the songs could be called “Making a Shiv for Jesus” or “Jesus, Why is that Big Black Man Starring at Me?”. This would be a best seller. Just think about it guys, okay?

  • What type of person??? says:

    What type of person wastes their time attacking another human being over the internet? I’d say a person of very little character and I feel sorry for them!

  • Phineas Henderson says:

    re:What type of person???,

    What type of person wastes their time attacking people for giving their opinions? What type of person wastes their time judging others on the internet for what they post? Maybe you can tell us since you are this person.

  • Kurt says:

    I’M a type of person who wastes my time attacking other people on the internet- you holier than thou person! I’m sorry, but I WILL laugh at this family AND xtian fundamentalists deserve all the scorn they receive! And if you are not xtian fundies anymore- congratulations for escaping and discovering reality. tootles

  • Buddha says:

    I knew a few of the sons in the family while growing up… not impressive. They were as you might expect, pretty fond of themselves. I guess it isn’t their fault, and sure, others were jealous. Here is a little nugget…

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/610272/

  • sevadaflava says:

    believe me, the record is fine for the time, family Holker. i’m interested in the synthesizer tracks. do you know what synth was used? the studio name?

    there’s a karaoke studio nearby and that is truly where there’s some vanity stuff going on. you guys had good intentions and unfortunately, there’s people who have a bit too much time on their hands and the willingness to say things they would not, in person. (they’ll say they would, but online bullies never know when to shut up).

    truthfully, the music that drives me sideways are the songs on the I Love Toy Trains videos. oh well.

  • Marc P says:

    Well this sure was an interesting read.

    For those of us who don’t live in the land of ignorance and actually know these people, we/I know just how absurd and ridiculous some of these childish comments are. Not only is it clear you don’t know the Holkers, my guess is that you probably never even met them. For if you had you would realize how stupid you really are. Not to mention a coward for posting your funny aliases.

    I grew up with this family, know them well, call them friends, and am dang (that’s the word us right wing Christian nuts use instead of Damn because we are improperly shielding our children from the “real” world where that sort of language and other noble pursuits like doing drugs, and wanting to grow up and be like Paris Hilton is far more fruitful and full of joy than doing things as vile, laughable and disgusting as signing songs with your kids and having fun as a family). Wow, nice run on sentence eh? Anyways, my 2 cents is that if even half of the families in this country operated with even a tenth of decency this family has operated, than I am certain this would be a much better place to live.

    Thank you for creating the contrast that reminded me through your antics of how much I miss the Holkers and even today, as a family man myself, take lessons from the great times I had with the awesome Holker family and try to run my family with half the decency.

    I do have a few bones to pick with some of the Holkers….

    Brian – I could never beat him in a game of horse, pig, dude, or any other word applied. The dude can shoot some mean hoops.

    Terry – Never met a person that can make me laugh so hard I would need to concentrate on not wetting myself. And he could make me crack up in the strangest of places. Bait Shops, shopping malls, riding a bus, etc. You name it and Terry will crack you up.

    Marty – as a middle schoolers seeing Marty perform on the football and basketball field and then be able to hang with him was, to me, like spending time with a pro football player. Ill never forget the day Marty scolded me and challenged me to be a better person. His wisdom still rings in my ears.

    Angie – Say what you want about the holkers singing ability. And watch us all laugh about what you obvious have no clue about. Not to mention Angies husband once put me in a choke hold and I still have a strange bend in my neck.

    Bob and Kay – Raised 7 children (plus all the kids they basically adopted) have beautiful families, contribute to society, and work hard, and helped thousands of families over the course of decades earn great personal wealth and success where previously there’d was little hope.

    Tammi – A walking definition of compassion for people. I won’t honor you with the details, but she has more class in her left thumbs than most of us will dream of in our lifetime.

    Bobby – Never knew Bobby well other than when he would come to the house and he was so tall I thought he might need to call air traffic control just to leave the house.

    Mike – he was the little dude of the family when I was around. And as a little guy Mike had what I call “Omni-noyance”. He could annoy two brothers and a sister, each of who were in opposite ends of the house, at the SAME time. I also think he was made of rubber cause we would often set traps for him so when he would run out of the locker room Terry would toss a bags of canned good at his head, Brian would pull the trip line, and I would swing a 2×4 at his head. He would dive to the ground in pain and groan as though he was in intense pain and then, without warning, he would leap to his feet and super slap you in the “boys” with a telescoping flyswatter. Then run into the sunset leaving all three of us singing soprano. Mike was a clever little one.

    But anyways back to my insulting you and helping to restore your self esteem following your self admitting of how much of a low life you are. Here is the good news! And I offer this to you at no cost. You CAN find joy in life beyond calling in sick to work so you can spend all this time reassuring everyone how amazing you are at calling little kids bad singers and for them offering their own time and money to sing for kids and bring smiles to their faces. Yes I know, if they were really truly interested in putting smiles on young children’s faces they would have been better off spiking the cafeteria pancakes with crack and other more effective and real life values for youth. Nope, they just chose to get some fun costumes together sing some some songs and be role models for kids who might want to grow up to be leaders in their families vs. Their second choice of Dennis Rodman.

    Anyways, just for fun, I might suggest you redirect your excitement and ego boosting mania towards tearing people down you don’t know/understand better like perhaps that lead singer thing from culture club, or the amazing milli vanilli, or better yet why not just post all of the life changing achievements you have done with your life that have impacted peoples life in a positive way.

    Or if you lack any real thing you can identify that makes you valuable as a human being other than your funny desire to make fun of others since you have apparently the cornerstone on truth and you have command authority to decide what is cool or not. Please by all means, teach our empty souls how we can be more courageous, thoughtful, constructive, productive, and successful like you must be.

    Or on the other hand you may simply realize you are a self-absorbed putz (that’s the word us Christian fanatics use instead of words like dumb ass, or inbred bio-trash) in which case you STILL are loved by Jesus. Let’s face it, you KNOW Christs love must be unexplainable if he still want to have a relationship with someone who mocks and poses as his father while tearing down a family you probably should take a few lessons from. God is Good ! Imagine how life would change for you if you were able to cut back on your railing against and harboring jealously towards a family that if you asked would give you the shirt off their back and redirected your creativity towards something that makes you look like a real man, vs. A real worm.

    Ok, just wanted to chime in. God Bless you all and God Bless the Holker family and all other families that go through hard time but always stay together as a family. Praise the Lord for family models.

    Good Night

  • Cleveland Steamer says:

    I enjoyed this album immensely when I was a teenager. Lots and lots of hidden sexual messages in their songs. For example, how many of you knew that “Hawaii’s Great but We Love Minnesota” was really about about receiving a Tokyo Sandblaster while giving a Porteguese Breakfast?

    Those Holkers were sure ahead of their time. In retrospect, they were the clear leaders of the Mormon Sexual Revolution.

    Also, did you guys know that “Feeling Good” was really about recieving a Bumpkin while simultaneously Taking a Rolling Brown-Out?

  • kimber says:

    The Holker Family preformed at our little school in I think 1979??
    Anyway, I remember them fondly and I still have this album. They were “stars” to us in the 5th grade.
    The world needs more positive family role models… Better than the Cirus’s and Lohans…
    Kay & Brain, You were as good as the osmonds to our small town!!!

  • Greg says:

    As if this kind of stuff isn’t totally hip now/again/still. I hear such gems unearthed frequently over at dublab.com, mixed in (expertly!) with any and every other genre, era, etc.

    As for the Holkers, you can be sure they ‘stayed together’. Making music must be an excellent recipe for all kinds of harmony.

  • Michelle Holker says:

    there is also ” The Holker Sisters” they used to sing. There form minnesota.

  • Tim Johnson says:

    Is that the whole family on the cover back then? I was always kind of a fan growing up. Very good music

  • John Wood says:

    hilarious. I grew up next the Holkers, and knew the family pretty well. I went to school with Brian and Terry. The thing i am most surprised about is how poorly the whole family spells in this thread. Maybe you should have spent more time studying and less time singing.

    “your a tool”

    “there form minnesota”

    I agree with the other guy, Brian, you have some anger issues. I love it how your mother applauds you for ripping some random guy online and using words like cocknut (which isnt even a word). I’d like to see a 2014 holker reunion album. Maybe it could be titled ‘Riches to Rags’

  • John Wood says:

    and yes, Bob and Marty Holker are the guys convicted of several counts of securities fraud and send to prison.
    I suppose we’re all still jealous of your money huh Brian?
    A quick google of the their names and you’ll find an article in Utah’s Desert News. My fav part:

    “The Holkers told some investors that revelation from God had promised that gold would be found in the mine near Sheridan, Mont., and misled investors as to the mine’s profitabillity”

    Funny and sad, but much more sad than funny.

  • Steven Jones says:

    I spent much of my childhood with this family. Good music for kids of all ages. I remember them coming to my school on many occasions and handing out free albums. Wish more families in today’s world were like this one.

  • Terry Holker says:

    Wow… Just found this post. I was going to show someone our old record for kicks and giggles, so I googled it just to see if it was there, and here it was. It’s so funny to me to read all these posts. Just sitting back looking at the ignorance of those who have never met our family, those who read an article in the paper about inspiration of gold, not understanding that the idiots got it wrong and it was the guy suing my dad who told my dad HE had the inspiration, vision or revelation. What, the newspaper forgot to tell you my dad put in ALL his money and LOST ALL his money “scamming” people?!?! What, how could a newspaper lie?!? What, you mean the paper didn’t mention that the guy suing my dad after he told my dad he was told by god to invest the money was cool with just a handshake but my dad wouldn’t do that and signed a note… That same guy after he invested once and the gold never got extracted invested again? What? You mean the paper never mentioned that my dad was helping an old man who owned the mine who also swindled every dime my dad had?!? How about the fact that my dad paid them all back even when he didn’t need to? Or about 100 other truths that the paper never found out about during their quest to sell shocking news?! Did they mentioned that in the state of utah my dad was the states example and gunnie pig? That years later they kicked the judge to the curb stripping him of ever becoming a judge because they found out he was scandalous? How about the fact that during his two year stint in prison my dad didn’t swear once, look at porn once, read more uplifting and spiritual books in one day than all these bloggers have ever read in their entire lives, unless you count their porn! My dad wrote books, inspired people, held church services, received blessing and miracles while on his second two year mission. It’s funny people without the Holy Spirit look at my dad as going to prison as he must have been a bad guy. Those who understand the gospel of Christ understand that great men go to prison to be put in gods refiner fire. Christ, and practically every apostle and great man MLK etc have gone to prison. Prison has the words of the worst and those who god has a plan for. Visiting him in prison elevated me and my soul to a new level. I’ve never felt someone so powerful and filled with the power of god. Conversion happened to many because of my dad. I could go on and on about my fathers stint in prison, but those who don’t need to hear it already know what I speak of, those who are idiots won’t hear anyway, so I will wrap this up by saying, the truth will all come out in the wash, and by wash I mean the judgement bar of Christ… At that day I will look you idiots in the eye and say nothing, I will just look at you! Have a great day and yes, I’m “FEELING GOOD”
    Ps… I’m doing this on my phone and typing fast john wood, so if my spelling sucks, blame my big fingers or Steve Jobs!

  • Steven Jones says:

    Marty Holker and The Holker Family, a good album with family values.

  • Jeff from Hopkins says:

    For such a good guy, Robert Holker has had some bad luck, having been charged by the SEC with securities fraud twice, in 1979 http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/BR/61/698/1906667/ and then again in 1998 http://www.deseretnews.com/article/610272/Father-and-son-who-bilked-investors-ordered-to-go-to-jail-pay-restitution.html.

    I knew Brian (the one posting above) in high school, and in fact have played basketball in that home gymnasium in the liner notes. The also had a home auditorium (like a theater with maybe 80 seats) which at the time, I just thought twas awesome and because they were rich. Later I found that the family was engaged in all manner of multi-level-marketing vitamin schemes and this was where they held events. They must have been good at it as they had a spectacular amounts of money. This remains the bread-and butter of the family. http://synerbiz.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-team-directors-bob-kay-holker.html

  • Jeff from Hopkins says:

    Here is the full track list, for those like me who remember this record. Our schools in MN must have been low on A/V content as I remember this being played in music class and other events from time to time.

    Brian (angry poster above) is the angelic lead vocals on “Little White Shoes,” a song which I remember far too many of the lyrics of, 30+ years on.

    A1 Feelin’ Good
    A2 Circle Of Your Love
    A3 Jesus Loves…
    A4 Something Special
    A5 Little White Shoes
    A6 Hawaii’s Great But We All Love Minnesota
    B1 America
    B2 Country Boy
    B3 My Dad
    B4 Daddy’s Nose
    B5 Plant A Radish
    B6 Kids Are People
    B7 A Patriot’s Challenge

  • Jeff from Hopkins says:

    For such a good guy, Robert Holker has had some bad luck, having been charged by the SEC with securities fraud twice, in 1979 (google “stewart energy systems” along with his name) and then again in 1998 (google “H&H gold”, along with his name).

    I knew Brian (the one posting above) in high school, and in fact have played basketball in that home gymnasium in the liner notes. The also had a home auditorium (like a theater with maybe 80 seats) which at the time, I just thought twas awesome and because they were rich. Later I found that the family was engaged in all manner of multi-level-marketing vitamin schemes and this was where they held events. They must have been good at it as they had a spectacular amounts of money. This remains the bread-and butter of the family. (google “synerbiz” along with Bob and Kay Holker)

  • Tim Ackerman says:

    Sooo, can I find the Album anywhere?

  • Chardee MacDennis says:

    Hahahahahaha!!!!
    Get over it, Holkers. Not everyone likes you.

  • Susan Lee says:

    I went to Church with The Holker Family and I’ve never seen a more kind and unjudgemental group of people! Marty Holker graduated with my brother Christian. The Lee family still loves The Holker Family!

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