Billboard #1 Hits: #45 “Calcutta” Lawrence Welk. February 13, 1961- #1 2 weeks. Released on Dot Records. Written by Heino Gaze. Genre: Easy Listening. Time: 2:13. B-Side:” My Grandfather’s Clock.” Grade: F
I was kind of shocked to see that from 1955-65 that hipster bandleader, LSD pioneer – and The King of Cool- Lawrence Welk had 21 Hot 100 singles- with seven of them even making the Top 40- his big hit being this one- “Calcutta” which went to #1. “Calcutta” is a German pop song written in 1958-the original title was “Tivoli Melody.” At the time it went to #1- Welk was 57 years old making him the oldest artist to have a #1 hit- that recorded would be broken when the truly great Louis Armstrong went to #1 at the age of 63 in 1964 with “Hello, Dolly!”
slicethelife 
I’m surprised by how many of these American #1s are new to me. This one is very bland…
I think it says a lot about America in 1961- that Lawrence Welk had a #1 single. Bland and boring music indeed!
I actually liked this as a kid, but eventually came to realize how insipid it was.
Many memories of spending weekends with my grandparents and my grandmother watching Lawrence Welk.
Oh god yes! My mother liked to watch his show, and I wanted to gag. As I got into my teens, I’d make snide remarks about how Welk and his mealy-mouthed crew sucked all life and soul out of every song. They were adept at turning great classics by the likes of Cole Porter, Gershwin, et. al. into milquetoast drivel that was torture to my ears. It would be like the DeFranco family covering the Stones or Dylan. Yuk!
The other night I came across Welk’s show on PBS station I think it was– I changed it fast!
This music and the Lawrence Welk Show takes me back to another time. I enjoy the music in the context of the show.