60's Instrumentals: Calcutta & Midnight in Moscow

Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Bill Price, and in this episode of 60's Instrumentals, I will feature two recordings that - even though they were not technically Rock and Roll - both singles became hits. Interestingly, one was recorded by a US bandleader and his well-known television show orchestra and the other by a Jazz band from the UK.   

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Transcript

In this episode of 60's Instrumentals, I will feature two recordings that even though they were not technically Rock and Roll, both singles became hits. Interestingly, one was recorded by a US bandleader and his well-known television show orchestra and the other by a Jazz band from the UK.   

“Calcutta” was a German composition written by Heino Gaze in 1958. Initially it was titled “Tivoli Melody”, but went through several changes before settling on “Kolkata”, which is the name of a city in India. In German it was known as Kalkutta spelled with a K and in English as Calcutta spelled with a C. The German version also included lyrics written by Hans Bradtke. In the US, Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss wrote English lyrics for the song.

In the 1960's some instrumentals managed to penetrate the pop charts despite not being Rock and Roll. “Calcutta” became a 1961 instrumental hit in the US by American bandleader and television host Lawrence Welk. Lawrence was born in North Dakota in 1903 and later began his career as a bandleader in the Great Plains of the US. As he became well known, he relocated to Los Angeles where his popularity increased, which led to The Lawrence Welk Show that first appeared on KTLA in 1951 and was televised from the Aragon Ballroom in Venice Beach. When the show became a hit, the ABC television network picked it up in June 1955. ABC televised the Lawrence Welk Show for 16 years until it’s termination in 1971. The show then continued in broadcast syndication until 1982.

Initially Welk was not interested in the “Calcutta” composition, however when his music director George Cates said that if Welk was not going to record the song, he would record it. Welk replied, “ Well if it’s good enough for you George, I guess it’s good enough for me”. Surprisingly it only took one take to record the song. Interestingly “Calcutta” which was released in December 1960, reached the number one position in 1961 for two weeks. Surprisingly it displaced The Shirelles’  “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and keeping The Miracles’ “Shop Around” from the number one spot. The single sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.  Welk’s recording of “Calcutta” employed the harpsichord as the lead instrument, and also featured the accordion, along with handclaps and a rock rhythm. Lawrence, who at the time was 57 years old, became the oldest artist to have a number one hit in the US. Louis Armstrong, at the age 63, would then hold that distinction three years later with the single titled “Hello Dolly”.

Lawrence Welk passed away on May 17th 1992 at the age of 89.

Here is Lawrence Welk’s number one instrumental hit from 1961,  “Calcutta”.          

Another instrumental recording that surprisingly rose to the number two position in the US, was a composition titled “Midnight in Moscow”. The song whose original title was “Leningrad Nights” and later renamed “Moscow Nights”, was a Soviet patriotic song written in 1955. In January 1961, a Dutch jazz group recorded an arrangement of the composition using the title “Midnight in Moscow”. Later in November, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen used the same arrangement to record their version.

Kenny Ball was born in the UK on May 22nd, 1930. When he was fourteen years old, Kenny dropped out of school to work for an advertising agency and also began taking trumpet lessons. Later, his music career began as a sideman in several bands while still working for the advertising agency. In 1953 he played the trumpet in several bands and in 1958, formed his own Jazz band; Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. In the early 60's, his Dixieland style band was an integral part of the UK Jazz revival.

In  1961 they recorded a cover version of Cole Porter’s   “Samantha” which became a hit, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, The next year they achieved a number two hit in the UK and US with “Midnight in Moscow”.  The single was released in November and went on to sell over one million copies, earning a gold disc. From 1961 to 1967, Kenny recorded and released several singles and albums that increased the band’s popularity. In the following years he appeared in various events, which included the BBC’S “Pop Go The Sixties”, a performance with Louis Armstrong and at the wedding reception for Prince Charles and Lady Diana. 

In 1963 Kenny was awarded the honorary citizenship of New Orleans and made an appearance in the film titled “Live It Up” which featured Gene Vincent.

Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen continued to tour up until the last concert on February 21st 2013, which included Acker Bilk and Chris Barber. On March 7th 2013, Ball passed away at the age of 82.

Here is the number two instrumental hit from 1961, “Midnight in Moscow” by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.

This has been a look back at two instrumentals from the early 1960's, “Calcutta” and “Midnight in Moscow”. Until next time, I’m your host Bill Price.