@Remulakfubar Why would anyone think he was gay? Because he could dance? Maybe YOU thought he was gay. It's never wise to guess what other people might do or think.
I am 35 and ive loved this song sinse i was about 11 when i found it in my grandmothers broken console stereo with a whole bunch of other influential songs
plus bobby and barbs moves at 2:06 wow, I havent see anything near that good on DWTS
It is with utmost sadness that I inform you that Norma Zimmer (nee Larsen), the lovely Champagne Lady with a beautiful soprano voice, passed away recently at the age of 87.
Two years after the Mickey Mouse ended Bobby (with Barbara) entered a contest conducted by Lawrence Welk to dance to Welk's hit song Calcutta. This appearance on Welk's show in 1961 was the prize. The audience reaction was so strong the couple became a part of the cast. Bobby stayed with the show until it went off the air in 1982.
Yep, the Mickey Mouse Club taught Bobby well. I remember watching him dance on there and the LW Show. Calcutta was a no 1 hit and brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for sharing on You Tube. I had a big crush on Janet Lennon (popular WAY before John & no relation) and watched their show every Sat night trying to get a glimpse of her. We were born the same year and I watched her grow into a beauty right on the show. Wonder what they're doing now?? Great years.
@remulak56 Let's rephrase that... :"Everyone who had class and is sitting in that audience has unfortunately passed away and we are now left with just TV trash!"
Apparently this was top-ten on the R&B charts as well. Elijah Wald mentions it in his book, Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues (2004). He adds, "The world is not a simple place."
Late legendary bandleader Welk was born in Strasburg, N.D., March 11, 1903. (He passed away in 1992). His instrumental "Calcutta," billed as by Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra, led for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 beginning, coincidentally, exactly 50 years ago this week, on the chart dated Feb. 18, 1961.
@somewhationgdong..Hey, why make fun of the audience? This was in 1961, the culture was not blessed yet with stage diving, drugged out groping, overdoses,partially nude groupies, incoherent screaming, or passing around the doob or pipe and getting high as a kite or fights in the parking lot....have a little compassion, please. They hadn't a chance to "evolve" up to today's standards...just sitting and enjoying great music was enough for these "uncultured" ones...
@mujerado I know. Too bad he ever did! It wouldn't have mattered though. We would still be where we're at today with a bunch of losers trying to pretend they are winners and not whiners.
Growing up in the early '60s, I remember noticing the elderly retired couple next door as they would have their Saturday dinner together, then watch The Lawrence Welk Show on their patio while sitting on a swing lounge, holding hands, telling each other how much they loved one another....at the time I thought this all was real cornball...now, as I look at today's television, hear today's music and sit in a condo by myself, separated from my wife, I sure don't think i'ts cornball anymore....
Thank you for sharing this! It's very enjoyable. The one thing I remember about the women of those days is you NEVER touch their hair (unless you have a death wish).
Lawrence Welk had a cool show and very enjoyable soundies from the 40's.
Well before Cissy. Wonder why she left the show. My Grandmother always watched this when I was little. Brings back happy memories of a simpler time when we had variety shows like Ed Sullivan, and American Bandstand had the latest songs and dances. Television now is a big black hole. Teenagers of the late '50's & early '60's had the best era. I miss something I didn't have!
@The1fuzzylogic .. Barbara Boyland left the show in the mid-60s to start a family of her own.. she married into a well-to-do family and raised adorable children. and yes, I agree, TV is nothing but TRASH ! I only watch reruns of those fabulous shows from the 50s-70s and SOMETIMES the 80s. Otherwise, I read a book or watch something on YouTube
It's funny, as popular as Lawrence Welk was - his show ran from 1951 to 1982, and can still be seen in reruns on PBS - Calcutta was the only Top 40 hit he had, although it made #1. Mr. Welk wasn't out to make hit records, just consistently good entertainment.
Thanks for posting. Nothing better than this for dancing. Barbara has always been my favorite Welk dancer. Wish Mr . Welk could have made a few more tunes like this.
I agree with all of the moronic fan comments on here. This is real old-skool german Heimat music - music to commit mass murder by. Lawrence Welk himself would look great in an SS uniform, sloshing the old Zyklon B around, as like all real germans, he's got a head of the same shape and weight as a frozen turkey, that looks best with a steel Wehrmacht helmet jammed down on top of it. Pity that Nazis like Welk never won WWII - we'd be listening to this fucking shit 24/7!... It's an atrocity itself.
@ronniespraggs It seems that you have some deep rooted issues with German people, but geez, WWII was over half a century ago. It is wrong of you to put Lawrence Welk in such a horrible category of people. He is not a NAZI. As you should know, he was born in the US. Anyway, in short, just because you don't like this POSITIVE music, don't leave prejudiced comments about the maker/rranger of the music. PEACE!!!
That seems like 100yrs ago now. Don't get me wrong, I've liked this tune since I 1st heard it, & more as I get older.
I think the dancers were very polished. There were rules,..& they followed them.....there is something to be said about those (now ancient times---versus today---it's now almost expected to "break,..(no, make your own rules,eh) to be acceptable) . We see this example of grace,..& dancing by "the book" & now it so far stands the test of time!
you got to see this one.... this is the no.1 hit way back '6l..... the time of the oldies but goodies.. ooh... how i love the music and itself the dance partner !!
I was looking for another song, thinking, incorrectly, that its name was "Calcutta". Please tell me what I was seeking; save me from a sleepless night. It was a poignant song. I was too young for champagne bubbles, so it was a guilty secret that I liked that song.
i LOVED this song as a very young kid! It reminds me of my parent's old stereo & we'd put on the 45's, and be entertained for hours. Do kids have ANY tolerance for their parents' music anymore?
Kalkutta liegt am Ganges Paris liegt an der Seine Doch dass ich so verliebt bin Das liegt an Madeleine Am schönen Rhein liegt Basel Und Kairo liegt am Nil Doch ich träum' von Madeleine An der liegt mir viel! Die schwarzen Kulleraugen Das ganze Drum und Dran Das schau ich an und sage dann:
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
That Bobby guy is the most complete dork in the history of TV. First on the Mickey Mouse club and later on Lawrence Welk. The Welk show ain't bad when you see the old clips, but it was awful later on. The clue is—if it's after original Champagne Lady Alice Lon was let go, it sucks.
The Welk version of this song is good, but I like the Les Baxter version better. I also like this song coz it's easy to play on the piano & I'm a lousy piano player.
i love how the young lady is wearing an underskirt to keep people from seeing her panties. today, all the dancers love showing off their panties, yuck.
no thanks. i wish we lived in days where there was more of a sense of public decency.
I love this song and the dance that goes with it. Though I was born 33 years after this was recorded I have an image of what it was like when it first was shown to the public. My favorite part is when Myron does the accordion lead.
Me too, Loved this song! I was 7 years old! My Mom and Dad and Aunt and Uncle use to watch him and remembered the older songs of that year! 'Remembering the Good old days!
I loved this song at 11 yrs old when it came out.Now my 7 year old grandson adores this and most music I listen too. Little kids now still seem to love the 50 's and 80's cool sounds.
One of the great things about the Lawrence Welk Orchestra is that he always worked with the cream of the crop of all of the available players: Pete Fountain, Dick Kessner, Jack Imel, Dick Cathcart, JoAnne Castle and Jerry Burke, to name but a few. Calcutta is truly one of the most perfect instrumentals ever made. That said, Welk outdid himself in 1965 with the utterly stupendous Apples And Bananas. Thankfully, the clip of that song also survived and can be found elsewhere on YouTube.
Calcutta was always my favorite Lawrence Welk tune. Sprightly & upbeat, this was about as close to pop music that Mr. Welk got. On February 13, 1961, this topped the Billboard Hot 100 & became his only #1 pop hit (and was his sole top 10 tune during the rock era (1955-present).
@kaymcclain1 Bobby Burgess still lives in Los Angeles, and they tape Dancing with the Stars in LA as well, I think they should have him on, either as a guest judge or as a dancer.
Well, speaking of a timeless-hit...This is it...Calcutta...Such great tune, and what superb dancing...It's a real pleasure looking & hearing this...that was dancing in 1961...thanks Lawrence, Barbara & Bob & Orchestra for this...
Now that's what i call good music. a No.1 hit from 1961 long before the days of Beatlemania, hippie rock, folk rock, disco, new wave, long hair metal, Alternative like Nirvana, hip-hop, pop tart stuff like Miley, & those american idol hacks. that we grow into today. Lawrence Welk was the best.
@yogafan6500 Lennon and Mccartney were musical genuises.To lump them together with Hip Hop is ridiculous.I do agree however that the music from Lawrence Welk is better than the Hip Hop because Hip hop is just a bunch of talking into a microphone and requires no musical ability such as playing an instrument. Let it be , Yesterday , And I love her ,In my life,The long and winding road,Here Comes the sun Lawrence Welk could not write music like that.
I've always thought that "Calcutta" was a strange name for this perky, sugary, and 100% American-sounding song. Especially since, for most Americans, Calcutta (if we think about it at all) is the home of the miseries of mass poverty that Mother Teresa took care of - certainly nothing to clap our hands over, or dance to.
50,000 yards of crinolin, an "under dress" so you don't see her panties every time she spins.. and those HEELS!!! and yet, she's so graceful!! How does she do it?
No, Barbara and Sissy are not the same people. Barbara Boylan was Bobby's first dance partner on the show. When Barbara left, Bobby paired up with Sissy King. After Sissy came Elaine Balden who he still dances with today.
I,too, watched the LW Show if we were visiting my grandparents on Saturday evening in the 60"s. There was no talking except during commercials (lol). As children we were somewhat bored with it but enjoyed being at "grandma & grandpa's house". Now it's nothing but fond, wonderful memories.
No wonder this was a #1 hit song on the Pop Chart. In fact, Welk topped the chart with many of his recordings. As a child I was forced to watch Welk with my family and some 30 years later, after the music in general got really bad that now I can appreciate the quality and appeal.
Also, at the time (1961) teenagers weren't the only ones buying up the 45 rpms (that wouldn't start occuring in the manner we would later normally think of until 1965 and after).
Great daning. I know this is a stretch BUT since the "indivudual" dance style from rock-n-roll came out in the 1960's and 1970's people did not have to dance together. Any surprise that the rock-n-roll generation is the most selfish and self-centered to date?
This tune rocks!!! Without question hearing this over and over can put that much needed pep in your step and get you through the work week, let alone the stress and the many things in life that get you down. This piece picks you right up!!!
Heard of this for years, but never saw it until now. This is a time capsule- the debut of "Bobby and...," the dance team which became a staple of LW for the next 30 or so years. It's wonderful to see the original team of Mr. Burgess and Ms. Boylan, so young and fresh here, in style reminiscent of Marge and Gower Champion. (A shame musicals were dying out by 1961; they surely would've had a future in films as a latter day Astaire and Rogers.)
I always loved "Calcutta " too Keith even as a teenager too.
My dear Grandma used to look forward to seeing Lawerence Welk every week and there was some other show on at the same time I as a teenager wanted to watch and it drove my poor Mom crazy. I hope she let my Grandma get her choice instead. So right these were the innocent and wonderful days we loved so much. Barbara is my favorite Welk dancer. Thanks for the music Mr Welk.
Ah yes, Saturday night with Lawrence Welk, it was a staple in our house along with Saturday night baths before church Sunday Morning Hated it then but now it reminds me of my deceased parents and
remember qhen life was predictable and structured? before parents became "freinds" with their kids and wernt afraid to initiate stability and grown up behavior that kids need?
saturday night baths, pajamas and lawrence welk. the comfort food of our childhood memories. safe, reliable, structured homes. too bad a lot of parents now care more about reality tv than what the kids are being exposed to and providing a warm safe enviroment.
I grew up in the 60's and70's listening to LW. At was a given that we would watch every Saturday night. My Mom and Dad grew up in Canada not far from Mr. Welk, also of German heritage. Both of them would either sing along or dance a few numbers each time. My Mom is 86 and still cuts a mean rug. Thanks to LW and the Champagne music maker's I might have been a "square" kid growing up but boy did/do I have soul because of music like this.
absolutely one of my favorite songs of all time! and i listen to alot of current rock and pop and all that...but "calcutta" is simply a great instrumental! it so deserved to go to #1 in america ...even as rock was getting so big.
We weren't sure of a whole lot growing up in our small east Tennesee hometown. Didn't know if the sun would be up tomorrow, or if death and taxes would really ever occur...
But one thing we Did know for absolute certain- was that on Saturday night at 7:00 Lawrence Welk was going to be on - and everything else would come to a standstill until it was over.
What a great way to grow up, and one of the Great bands of all time!
I use to watch this show as a kid growing up with my grandparents. They were in their 70's, yet they would get up and dance to the music, too. Probably why they lived into their 90's.
This song was actually very popular with people of all ages. I remember hearing it at school dances. We actually danced to it. Most kids sarcastically sang the "La-La-La" part.
Barbara's dress reminds me of my junior and senior proms' gowns...with layers and layers of crinolines and especially, those vulgar spiked-heels with those pathetically UGLY ultra-pointy toed shoes It's a wonder we girls could dance AT ALL while wearing nasty shoes like that. Bobby Burgess: such a true gentleman.
without question this tune was tailored with welk written all over it! cannot picture any other artist or group doing this except for welk himself. LONG LIVE CALCUTTA AND L.W.
Lawrence Welk was really something. This is staged in a little non-descript auditorium -- maybe some shopping mall -- in southern California. Probably didn't cost a dime to rent, and very little to produce, and here is going national. The sponsor -- Plymouth -- also may explain why all three of my automobiles are Plymouth / Chryslers.
The clip of the same song from 1971 shows the subtle changes that affected the show over those years. The dancers had aged about 40 years, so to speak, and a big GERITOL logo hangs over the background ( I guess that that started around the time this clip was made, but I don't see it here). The addition of color, in 1965, only seemed to rob the show of more dignity, though the shows that targeted younger audiences were just as bad. Anything that even vaguely suggested coolness had been banished.
It seems to me that GERITOL was the inspiration for I Love Lucy's VITAMETAVEGAMIN episode. But I'm not sure if greitol had alcohol. It had 7 vitamins and the iron of two servings of calves' liver. Think I'll go out and buy a bottle!
So the camera can get a view of both the dancers and the audience's reaction to them.
When I was growing up in the early '70s, no one my age would be caught dead saying anything good about the LWS. It was more of a curiosity, like a view of life on a different planet. But once in a while, when I'd hear this on an oldies station, I couldn't help be notice how catchy it was.
Attention, YouTubees and Lawrence Welk Fans--Volumes 1-4 of The Lawrence Welk Show will be coming out on DVD on February 21.
It's about time.
Juliaflo 1 day ago
Bailan fenomenal :)) They dance very, very well
Nuluck 1 week ago
Eat your heart out, DWTS!!!
debabe7 2 weeks ago
@Remulakfubar Why would anyone think he was gay? Because he could dance? Maybe YOU thought he was gay. It's never wise to guess what other people might do or think.
mujerado 1 month ago
Ooops! I meant to type: Barbara Boylan! Sorry.
glorybra 1 month ago
I loved Barbara Burgess! She was cute and had a great pair of legs! Not like the skinny anorexic types you see today.
glorybra 1 month ago
Dancing with the Stars cannot touch these dancers. They aren't naked! They are skilled and graceful.
1949chefjojo 3 months ago
Comment removed
jdollinter 5 months ago
kaymcclain1 in spike heels no less
caleb6868 6 months ago
Don't kid yourselves, I'm 65 years old, and I watched these beautiful women dancers hoping to see the skirt fling a little higher....Oh Yeah!
DannyBruiz 6 months ago
I am 35 and ive loved this song sinse i was about 11 when i found it in my grandmothers broken console stereo with a whole bunch of other influential songs
plus bobby and barbs moves at 2:06 wow, I havent see anything near that good on DWTS
jbennz02 6 months ago
aaawwannnafullllaaawannnafulll!
cosycleaner 7 months ago
Does anybody know if this clip appears on the Welk TV Treasures dvd? It's a great one.
wahoo76 7 months ago
Dear Welk Fans:
It is with utmost sadness that I inform you that Norma Zimmer (nee Larsen), the lovely Champagne Lady with a beautiful soprano voice, passed away recently at the age of 87.
Condolences to her family.
Juliaflo 8 months ago
Those kids' chance of being cool were ruined for life!
ThreadCityDeanF 8 months ago
Two years after the Mickey Mouse ended Bobby (with Barbara) entered a contest conducted by Lawrence Welk to dance to Welk's hit song Calcutta. This appearance on Welk's show in 1961 was the prize. The audience reaction was so strong the couple became a part of the cast. Bobby stayed with the show until it went off the air in 1982.
Gnillob802 9 months ago
Heck with pilates...you can gain strength, flexibility and control of the body doing these moves. And share with your best girl or guy!
newjerseybt 9 months ago
DWTS pales compared to these two.
gomezesmorticia 10 months ago
Yep, the Mickey Mouse Club taught Bobby well. I remember watching him dance on there and the LW Show. Calcutta was a no 1 hit and brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for sharing on You Tube. I had a big crush on Janet Lennon (popular WAY before John & no relation) and watched their show every Sat night trying to get a glimpse of her. We were born the same year and I watched her grow into a beauty right on the show. Wonder what they're doing now?? Great years.
bearclaw46 10 months ago
For some reason, reminds me of the movie UP
DangerFeder 10 months ago
Everyone in the audience is dead now. :(
remulak56 10 months ago
@remulak56 Let's rephrase that... :"Everyone who had class and is sitting in that audience has unfortunately passed away and we are now left with just TV trash!"
1groovychickk 9 months ago
@1groovychickk Very true groovy! Blessed be us old folk! :)
remulak56 9 months ago
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pigbearman69 10 months ago
This song was 50 years ago no. 8 in the world charts #lawrence #welk #and #his #orchestra
LittleSweety 11 months ago
Apparently this was top-ten on the R&B charts as well. Elijah Wald mentions it in his book, Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues (2004). He adds, "The world is not a simple place."
babybloc 11 months ago
I remember Bobby Burgess dancing with Annette Funicello on The Mickey Mouse Club!☺
WytZox1 11 months ago
Bobby didn't check his marks as obviously when he got older. Here it was too obvious. It's called "peripheral vision," kid!
mikewarns 11 months ago
Late legendary bandleader Welk was born in Strasburg, N.D., March 11, 1903. (He passed away in 1992). His instrumental "Calcutta," billed as by Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra, led for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 beginning, coincidentally, exactly 50 years ago this week, on the chart dated Feb. 18, 1961.
PenaltyKillah 11 months ago
This song was 50 years ago no.4 in the world charts #lawrence #welk #and #his #orchestra
LittleSweety 11 months ago
How rude of the audience to start applauding before they were done? Like they were saying, "enough, already"!
themightyjaybird 11 months ago
@somewhationgdong..Hey, why make fun of the audience? This was in 1961, the culture was not blessed yet with stage diving, drugged out groping, overdoses,partially nude groupies, incoherent screaming, or passing around the doob or pipe and getting high as a kite or fights in the parking lot....have a little compassion, please. They hadn't a chance to "evolve" up to today's standards...just sitting and enjoying great music was enough for these "uncultured" ones...
rainstormz28 1 year ago 11
@rainstormz28 I remember. I was 12 years old in 1961 and my parents, some of their friends and even we kids would watch Welk every Saturday night.
People had a little more class and sophistication in those days. There were no Kardashians or Snookies trying to get their '15 minutes of fame'.
glorybra 1 month ago
@glorybra In 1961 Andy Warhol hadn't even created the idea of "15 minutes" of fame yet.
mujerado 1 month ago
@mujerado I know. Too bad he ever did! It wouldn't have mattered though. We would still be where we're at today with a bunch of losers trying to pretend they are winners and not whiners.
glorybra 1 month ago
Growing up in the early '60s, I remember noticing the elderly retired couple next door as they would have their Saturday dinner together, then watch The Lawrence Welk Show on their patio while sitting on a swing lounge, holding hands, telling each other how much they loved one another....at the time I thought this all was real cornball...now, as I look at today's television, hear today's music and sit in a condo by myself, separated from my wife, I sure don't think i'ts cornball anymore....
rainstormz28 1 year ago 8
@rainstormz28 You took the words out of my mouth. I laughed at this stuff when I was younger, but grew to appreciate it more and more as I got older.
jpcfit 10 months ago
@TheJorgSacul..you said it!!!!.
rainstormz28 1 year ago
that's the real dancing tot biggiy bop hip-hop today
smarter1then3u 1 year ago
Thank you for sharing this! It's very enjoyable. Lawrence Welk had a cool show and very enjoyable soundies from the 40's.
1nightstorm 1 year ago
Thank you for sharing this! It's very enjoyable. The one thing I remember about the women of those days is you NEVER touch their hair (unless you have a death wish).
Lawrence Welk had a cool show and very enjoyable soundies from the 40's.
1nightstorm 1 year ago
This song was 50 years ago no.7 in the world charts #lawrence #welk #and #his #orchestra
LittleSweety 1 year ago
Brings back memories of when my parents watched this show and use to dance in the living room... lol:)
shrxfn68 1 year ago
exceptional music and what graceful steps- lawrence welk and his entire troupe has been amazing- watch calcutta 71 as well really rewarding
bind2457 1 year ago
Wun'erful, wun'erful song by the Lawrence Welk orchestta. Am I right, gang? Billboard's 84th #1 hit of the rock era. God bless! RIP, Lawrence!
DaveWollenberg 1 year ago
The audience looks like a bunch of inflatable love dolls...
50Emerald 1 year ago
Love the lady in the front row with the big sun glasses on. Was she not supposed to be at the taping? LOL
Robert4770 1 year ago
I think my aunts Ruby and Sally were in the third row.
RawUmbers1 1 year ago
That Guy was AMAZING.
msscott73 1 year ago
Well before Cissy. Wonder why she left the show. My Grandmother always watched this when I was little. Brings back happy memories of a simpler time when we had variety shows like Ed Sullivan, and American Bandstand had the latest songs and dances. Television now is a big black hole. Teenagers of the late '50's & early '60's had the best era. I miss something I didn't have!
The1fuzzylogic 1 year ago
@The1fuzzylogic .. Barbara Boyland left the show in the mid-60s to start a family of her own.. she married into a well-to-do family and raised adorable children. and yes, I agree, TV is nothing but TRASH ! I only watch reruns of those fabulous shows from the 50s-70s and SOMETIMES the 80s. Otherwise, I read a book or watch something on YouTube
kerryincolumbus 4 weeks ago
The audience is catatonic.
somewhatlongdong 1 year ago
It's funny, as popular as Lawrence Welk was - his show ran from 1951 to 1982, and can still be seen in reruns on PBS - Calcutta was the only Top 40 hit he had, although it made #1. Mr. Welk wasn't out to make hit records, just consistently good entertainment.
cornermoose 1 year ago
Ok, so on weekends it was this and Hee Haw.... Thanks Dad, now I like Lawrence Welk and think Buck Owens is the Bomb!
tiranchula 1 year ago
Does anyone know where I can find a version of this song by Ray Davis?
BBBOOD 1 year ago
where are all the women today that can dance like that?
wausauman 1 year ago
@wausauman
Dancing - not sitting on YouTube. :-)
Hadewijch 1 year ago
Could the song, band, performers and audience be more soul-less?
gprickril 1 year ago
#1 in '61. A real classy song.
angusthethird 1 year ago
Bobby Burgess Was already a great dancer & singer on the original Mickey Mouse Club.
wwrigle2 1 year ago
They are dancing.. not seeing how close they can get to having...
kactuscat 1 year ago
Thanks for posting. Nothing better than this for dancing. Barbara has always been my favorite Welk dancer. Wish Mr . Welk could have made a few more tunes like this.
Cheers.
craignshari 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I agree with all of the moronic fan comments on here. This is real old-skool german Heimat music - music to commit mass murder by. Lawrence Welk himself would look great in an SS uniform, sloshing the old Zyklon B around, as like all real germans, he's got a head of the same shape and weight as a frozen turkey, that looks best with a steel Wehrmacht helmet jammed down on top of it. Pity that Nazis like Welk never won WWII - we'd be listening to this fucking shit 24/7!... It's an atrocity itself.
ronniespraggs 1 year ago
@ronniespraggs It seems that you have some deep rooted issues with German people, but geez, WWII was over half a century ago. It is wrong of you to put Lawrence Welk in such a horrible category of people. He is not a NAZI. As you should know, he was born in the US. Anyway, in short, just because you don't like this POSITIVE music, don't leave prejudiced comments about the maker/rranger of the music. PEACE!!!
Ouranos94 1 year ago
I understand that Barbara was/is a horseback rider. Is this true? If it is, I would like to read more about her. I'm a horseback ride.
countrysinger1952 1 year ago
Good Day,
That seems like 100yrs ago now. Don't get me wrong, I've liked this tune since I 1st heard it, & more as I get older.
I think the dancers were very polished. There were rules,..& they followed them.....there is something to be said about those (now ancient times---versus today---it's now almost expected to "break,..(no, make your own rules,eh) to be acceptable) . We see this example of grace,..& dancing by "the book" & now it so far stands the test of time!
RetroCaptain 1 year ago
VERY POSITIVE DANCE-MUSIC, COULD WATCH IT FOREVER.
88ROLL88 1 year ago
Growing up I hated Lawrence Welk, now I love him. Love those wild clothes they wear.
dahsuerk 1 year ago
Always loved this song. And this version with these dancers is the best - their rhythm and grace really stand out.
lilOspiCB 1 year ago
you got to see this one.... this is the no.1 hit way back '6l..... the time of the oldies but goodies.. ooh... how i love the music and itself the dance partner !!
TheMrSaSuKe1997 1 year ago
Kuinka kauniisti daamin liikkuukaan!
ylenolmal 1 year ago
sweet flawless n' perfection!
therealraybaby 1 year ago
I've recently started to get into Lawrence Welk; he's terrific. I wish more people from my generation like his music (I'm 17!)
chrishanson70 1 year ago
They would KILL the opponents on Dancing with the Stars!
TheJorgSacul 1 year ago
I was looking for another song, thinking, incorrectly, that its name was "Calcutta". Please tell me what I was seeking; save me from a sleepless night. It was a poignant song. I was too young for champagne bubbles, so it was a guilty secret that I liked that song.
urwclwg 1 year ago
@urwclwg it went"Boom bada bada Boom, a very pretty song, done mostly with strings I think
urwclwg 1 year ago
@urwclwg NO! It was Boom bada bada BADA boom
urwclwg 1 year ago
@urwclwg in rising thirds I think. OK, here it is: half note D above middle C followed by six quarter notes: F-sharp D G E G-sharp and half-note A
urwclwg 1 year ago
i LOVED this song as a very young kid! It reminds me of my parent's old stereo & we'd put on the 45's, and be entertained for hours. Do kids have ANY tolerance for their parents' music anymore?
RAG1060 1 year ago
You can't be sad listening to this song.
CuyahogaJoe 1 year ago
auntcamille 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
That Bobby guy is the most complete dork in the history of TV. First on the Mickey Mouse club and later on Lawrence Welk. The Welk show ain't bad when you see the old clips, but it was awful later on. The clue is—if it's after original Champagne Lady Alice Lon was let go, it sucks.
The Welk version of this song is good, but I like the Les Baxter version better. I also like this song coz it's easy to play on the piano & I'm a lousy piano player.
RRaquello 1 year ago
Peerless dancing and the finest harpsichord performance I've ever heard. This was the first 45 RPM I ever bought -- at age 11 in 1961!
50Emerald 1 year ago 2
This is so nice to watch. Very classy, not slutty like what's out there today. "Dancing with the Stars" have nothing on these two.
1stgroovychickk 1 year ago 15
@1stgroovychickk Burgess was on the original Mickey Mouse Club
karmic454 7 months ago
@1stgroovychickk I second that, especially with the crop of dancers coming this season.
Juliaflo 4 months ago
i love how the young lady is wearing an underskirt to keep people from seeing her panties. today, all the dancers love showing off their panties, yuck.
no thanks. i wish we lived in days where there was more of a sense of public decency.
bluemeanie81 1 year ago 5
I love this song and the dance that goes with it. Though I was born 33 years after this was recorded I have an image of what it was like when it first was shown to the public. My favorite part is when Myron does the accordion lead.
Ouranos94 1 year ago
good foot work... some thing not found these days.
oracle11iappsdba 2 years ago 4
Bobby & Barbara are so sexy!
TheNanosteve 2 years ago
Me too, Loved this song! I was 7 years old! My Mom and Dad and Aunt and Uncle use to watch him and remembered the older songs of that year! 'Remembering the Good old days!
LYNXVAL 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Asswad.
sharx35 2 years ago
I loved this song at 11 yrs old when it came out.Now my 7 year old grandson adores this and most music I listen too. Little kids now still seem to love the 50 's and 80's cool sounds.
craignshari 2 years ago 2
One of the great things about the Lawrence Welk Orchestra is that he always worked with the cream of the crop of all of the available players: Pete Fountain, Dick Kessner, Jack Imel, Dick Cathcart, JoAnne Castle and Jerry Burke, to name but a few. Calcutta is truly one of the most perfect instrumentals ever made. That said, Welk outdid himself in 1965 with the utterly stupendous Apples And Bananas. Thankfully, the clip of that song also survived and can be found elsewhere on YouTube.
MikeBlitzMag 2 years ago 2
Calcutta was always my favorite Lawrence Welk tune. Sprightly & upbeat, this was about as close to pop music that Mr. Welk got. On February 13, 1961, this topped the Billboard Hot 100 & became his only #1 pop hit (and was his sole top 10 tune during the rock era (1955-present).
hoffenpot 2 years ago
The Celebrity Dance contestants should watch the Lawrence Welk reruns to see how dancing in done.
kaymcclain1 2 years ago 25
@kaymcclain1 You SAID it.
Juliaflo 2 years ago
@kaymcclain1 Bobby Burgess still lives in Los Angeles, and they tape Dancing with the Stars in LA as well, I think they should have him on, either as a guest judge or as a dancer.
karmic454 7 months ago
@karmic454 I agree...KM
kaymcclain1 7 months ago
bobby burgess was always a bit light in the loafers, if you know what i mean
somewhatlongdong 2 years ago
Actually he is married with several children. An era gone bye for sure.
kevinomreb 2 years ago
@somewhatlongdong Ha ! I bet he used to be heavy over the nutts after dancing with Annette way back when.....
blueticecho 1 year ago
That's the Mouskateer Bobby, correct?
TheMemphisSlim 2 years ago
Yup, he's the one with ears. :-P To think now each of them are in their late 60's!
weatherboi 2 years ago
It is a pleasure to see videos like this ... thanks for sharing! music and dance exelentes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
commetoujoursinsieme 2 years ago 2
Wow!
motorcitymiguel 2 years ago 2
Well, speaking of a timeless-hit...This is it...Calcutta...Such great tune, and what superb dancing...It's a real pleasure looking & hearing this...that was dancing in 1961...thanks Lawrence, Barbara & Bob & Orchestra for this...
Beachman112 2 years ago 3
The Four Preps ("26 Miles," "Down By the Station," etc.) have a vocal of "Calcutta" on one of their albums if anybody is interested...
50Emerald 2 years ago
lovely song, lovely performence.
vidhi200 2 years ago
wow love the way they dance to this wish do this dance have fun dancing to it
raymond36679 2 years ago 2
Now that's what i call good music. a No.1 hit from 1961 long before the days of Beatlemania, hippie rock, folk rock, disco, new wave, long hair metal, Alternative like Nirvana, hip-hop, pop tart stuff like Miley, & those american idol hacks. that we grow into today. Lawrence Welk was the best.
yogafan6500 2 years ago 21
@yogafan6500 Lennon and Mccartney were musical genuises.To lump them together with Hip Hop is ridiculous.I do agree however that the music from Lawrence Welk is better than the Hip Hop because Hip hop is just a bunch of talking into a microphone and requires no musical ability such as playing an instrument. Let it be , Yesterday , And I love her ,In my life,The long and winding road,Here Comes the sun Lawrence Welk could not write music like that.
MrBuc128 1 year ago 2
@yogafan6500 I agree
handinside 1 year ago
@yogafan6500 My God! I can detect a melody line!
duroche53 1 year ago
@yogafan6500 doesnt seem that good to me....
s1phor 1 year ago
@yogafan6500 Totally in agreement with you
hugogozalavida1 10 months ago
I've always thought that "Calcutta" was a strange name for this perky, sugary, and 100% American-sounding song. Especially since, for most Americans, Calcutta (if we think about it at all) is the home of the miseries of mass poverty that Mother Teresa took care of - certainly nothing to clap our hands over, or dance to.
hebneh 2 years ago
@hebneh
Hey nebneh.....
I'm sure Mother Teresa is up there tapping her toes and smiling as she listens.... and watches this marvelous song and performance...
I'm really sorry you missed it!!
VeeVeeVeeV 2 years ago
50,000 yards of crinolin, an "under dress" so you don't see her panties every time she spins.. and those HEELS!!! and yet, she's so graceful!! How does she do it?
eyesopenuw 2 years ago 4
Today all you see is panties when they're dancing.
BUNGLEJYME 2 years ago 2
I've kissed the girls of naples
I've kissed them in Paree
But the ladies of Calcutta
Do something to me
The ladies of Calcutta
Will steal your heart away And after it is stolen
You'll say...I've kissed etc.
(We loved this song in India Twas a big hit)
angelialvares 2 years ago 2
Hmm. Bobby lives in Escondido, California.
polarisathena 2 years ago
Was this the only Lawrence Welk song to make the charts?
Jaydublus 2 years ago
CALCUTTA was knocked out of the #1 spot on the charts by BLUE MOON by the Marcels.
Soapking1965 2 years ago
Whoever's playing the harpsichord is *really* kicking ___! Tell me Barbara doesn't define sexiness with her dancing!
50Emerald 2 years ago
Is Barbra's nickname 'Sissy'?
If so...
LW-Bobby, when are you going to ask 'Sissy' to marry her? She's a-ready.
Yourmomisnthere 2 years ago
No, Barbara and Sissy are not the same people. Barbara Boylan was Bobby's first dance partner on the show. When Barbara left, Bobby paired up with Sissy King. After Sissy came Elaine Balden who he still dances with today.
bluewingtip 2 years ago
this is so fallout... the whole time i was watching this i was thinking "here comes the blaaaaaaast"
Maddie89Arg 2 years ago
I,too, watched the LW Show if we were visiting my grandparents on Saturday evening in the 60"s. There was no talking except during commercials (lol). As children we were somewhat bored with it but enjoyed being at "grandma & grandpa's house". Now it's nothing but fond, wonderful memories.
sdbclement 2 years ago 2
Can someone post the early Lennon Sisters rendition of a "A Summer Place" from the Lawrence Welk show?
RLRich22 2 years ago
This was the first 45 RPM I ever bought!
50Emerald 2 years ago
No wonder this was a #1 hit song on the Pop Chart. In fact, Welk topped the chart with many of his recordings. As a child I was forced to watch Welk with my family and some 30 years later, after the music in general got really bad that now I can appreciate the quality and appeal.
badbobfan 2 years ago
Also, at the time (1961) teenagers weren't the only ones buying up the 45 rpms (that wouldn't start occuring in the manner we would later normally think of until 1965 and after).
whatever30345 2 years ago
Great daning. I know this is a stretch BUT since the "indivudual" dance style from rock-n-roll came out in the 1960's and 1970's people did not have to dance together. Any surprise that the rock-n-roll generation is the most selfish and self-centered to date?
Jimincleveland1 2 years ago
I think you're right, Jim!
KittyTube 2 years ago
Everyone loves the rock bands but you just can't beat the classics.Its best original.
TheYohan78 2 years ago 2
I remember tha familiy parties in early 70's with this song. Meanwhile we were eating we listen this song. Even, I think we ate at this rythm.
And like everybody liked it, it was played many many times.
timmhg 2 years ago
Would loved to have heard Nirvana do a cover of this!
MrOldSlacker 2 years ago
Just imagine what Led Zeppelin could have done with it! Or Run DMC. I can't wait for "Perry Como Sings Led Zeppelin's Greatest Hits".
SirCharlesPerkins 2 years ago
A few years back, Pat Boone did a number of metal hits! Even Metallica was impressed, and encouraged him, so I heard!
loveoldsongs 2 years ago
I think of my grandparents when I hear this. I remember sitting in their living room thinkin what is this.... many years later I understand.
cheyenne86 2 years ago
I feel the same way, my parents liked this as well...
ncasti 2 years ago
"The swept-wing Dodge... for 1957" ( voice-over from one of LW's sponsors )
SirCharlesPerkins 2 years ago
This tune rocks!!! Without question hearing this over and over can put that much needed pep in your step and get you through the work week, let alone the stress and the many things in life that get you down. This piece picks you right up!!!
envision43 2 years ago
My new favorite video on YouTube. Thanks for Posting!!!!! I only discovered this song about 5 years ago and I love it. It is a masterpiece.
turbo1964 2 years ago 4
Heard of this for years, but never saw it until now. This is a time capsule- the debut of "Bobby and...," the dance team which became a staple of LW for the next 30 or so years. It's wonderful to see the original team of Mr. Burgess and Ms. Boylan, so young and fresh here, in style reminiscent of Marge and Gower Champion. (A shame musicals were dying out by 1961; they surely would've had a future in films as a latter day Astaire and Rogers.)
mca1218 2 years ago
I always loved "Calcutta " too Keith even as a teenager too.
My dear Grandma used to look forward to seeing Lawerence Welk every week and there was some other show on at the same time I as a teenager wanted to watch and it drove my poor Mom crazy. I hope she let my Grandma get her choice instead. So right these were the innocent and wonderful days we loved so much. Barbara is my favorite Welk dancer. Thanks for the music Mr Welk.
craignshari 2 years ago
Very true those were the sweet and innocent days, where have they gone.
vegaswoman20 2 years ago 3
Ah yes, Saturday night with Lawrence Welk, it was a staple in our house along with Saturday night baths before church Sunday Morning Hated it then but now it reminds me of my deceased parents and
my long lost youth. Miss you folks.
jdollinter 2 years ago 5
remember qhen life was predictable and structured? before parents became "freinds" with their kids and wernt afraid to initiate stability and grown up behavior that kids need?
saturday night baths, pajamas and lawrence welk. the comfort food of our childhood memories. safe, reliable, structured homes. too bad a lot of parents now care more about reality tv than what the kids are being exposed to and providing a warm safe enviroment.
rainydaywoman1957 2 years ago 2
This is where "The Hustle" started from.
randy4147 2 years ago
whomever posted this....I thank you...a reminder of a different time, different family values.
greeneyedtrixie 2 years ago 4
Wonderful and unpretentious, unlike so much of what we see these days! I love how smoothly she lands from the lifts - seamless!
mzklover 2 years ago
I grew up in the 60's and70's listening to LW. At was a given that we would watch every Saturday night. My Mom and Dad grew up in Canada not far from Mr. Welk, also of German heritage. Both of them would either sing along or dance a few numbers each time. My Mom is 86 and still cuts a mean rug. Thanks to LW and the Champagne music maker's I might have been a "square" kid growing up but boy did/do I have soul because of music like this.
Reloader223 2 years ago 3
The good old days.....
after WW2 and before Vietnam
strappingYungLad 2 years ago 4
Skills in heels.
irvingklaw57 2 years ago
absolutely one of my favorite songs of all time! and i listen to alot of current rock and pop and all that...but "calcutta" is simply a great instrumental! it so deserved to go to #1 in america ...even as rock was getting so big.
600keith 2 years ago
We weren't sure of a whole lot growing up in our small east Tennesee hometown. Didn't know if the sun would be up tomorrow, or if death and taxes would really ever occur...
But one thing we Did know for absolute certain- was that on Saturday night at 7:00 Lawrence Welk was going to be on - and everything else would come to a standstill until it was over.
What a great way to grow up, and one of the Great bands of all time!
GodsFavoriteBassPlyr 2 years ago 2
Barbara and Bobby were the best.....
Love this video....
Lawrence Welk was a regular at our house growing up...
cutegrandma 2 years ago
I use to watch this show as a kid growing up with my grandparents. They were in their 70's, yet they would get up and dance to the music, too. Probably why they lived into their 90's.
Nekofemme 2 years ago
This song was actually very popular with people of all ages. I remember hearing it at school dances. We actually danced to it. Most kids sarcastically sang the "La-La-La" part.
Barbara's dress reminds me of my junior and senior proms' gowns...with layers and layers of crinolines and especially, those vulgar spiked-heels with those pathetically UGLY ultra-pointy toed shoes It's a wonder we girls could dance AT ALL while wearing nasty shoes like that. Bobby Burgess: such a true gentleman.
brownies4you 2 years ago 2
This is natural talent...not that Dancing With The Snobs BS.
GoldRushDutch 2 years ago 6
without question this tune was tailored with welk written all over it! cannot picture any other artist or group doing this except for welk himself. LONG LIVE CALCUTTA AND L.W.
envision43 2 years ago
Comment removed
envision43 2 years ago
Billboard Top 100 #11 - 1961
Serrulatu 2 years ago
Number One Record. You mean the 11th best song of the year.Calcutta got to Number One.
jameycruz 2 years ago
It is tought to dance in high heels. SHe is good.
drpreatorius 2 years ago 3
I watched Lawrence Welk every Saturday night from late 1961 until about 1973. There is value in clean music. No raunch on this show.
byroner 2 years ago 4
Lawrence Welk was really something. This is staged in a little non-descript auditorium -- maybe some shopping mall -- in southern California. Probably didn't cost a dime to rent, and very little to produce, and here is going national. The sponsor -- Plymouth -- also may explain why all three of my automobiles are Plymouth / Chryslers.
bruceok 2 years ago
I love this song, my Dad played it all the time!!
HeelnToad 2 years ago
I grew up watching the show with my mom,and now I am 60 years old !!
I still remember our black and white tv and Lawrence Welk !
Calcutta is my favorite song from the show !!
I love this song..it just is in my heart and my being. I think about my mom whenever anything about Lawrence Welk comes on.
A warm glow..
love you mom !!
rip 2001
peacequiet 2 years ago
The clip of the same song from 1971 shows the subtle changes that affected the show over those years. The dancers had aged about 40 years, so to speak, and a big GERITOL logo hangs over the background ( I guess that that started around the time this clip was made, but I don't see it here). The addition of color, in 1965, only seemed to rob the show of more dignity, though the shows that targeted younger audiences were just as bad. Anything that even vaguely suggested coolness had been banished.
lrd9999 2 years ago
It seems to me that GERITOL was the inspiration for I Love Lucy's VITAMETAVEGAMIN episode. But I'm not sure if greitol had alcohol. It had 7 vitamins and the iron of two servings of calves' liver. Think I'll go out and buy a bottle!
handinside 2 years ago
why are they facing away from the audience??
ukohiobloke 2 years ago
So the camera can get a view of both the dancers and the audience's reaction to them.
When I was growing up in the early '70s, no one my age would be caught dead saying anything good about the LWS. It was more of a curiosity, like a view of life on a different planet. But once in a while, when I'd hear this on an oldies station, I couldn't help be notice how catchy it was.
lrd9999 2 years ago 3
At :24 the audience starts applauding. At :29 the audio engineer, realizing the audience mics aren't open, quickly opens them. Welcome to live TV!
Calcutta was a huge hit when it came out in the early '60s. Not only could it be heard on the Welk show, it got a LOT of radio play as well.
chris319 3 years ago 3
If I could've played the piano I would've danced instead just to make a clear point.
humdrum99 3 years ago