My mother bought this single when I was a young teenager. I don't remember any specially heavy airplay of events at the time to explain it's success. It was just a nice bouncy tune that people seemed to connect with. It's very memorable - I haven't heard it since but I have a very clear memory of the arrangement etc.

There were a lot of instrumentals around in the 60's as pointed out above and the nationality of the band mattered a lot less than where there were vocals. Anyone remember Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66? I seem to remember trying to play Baby Elephant Walk on my first guitar - just because I had the sheet music.

I think I would have liked the Jankowski record a lot more if I had know it was called Schwarzwaldenfahrt!

I still have an old Amon Duul record kicking around from the early seventies but the Can records have gone west - very avant garde!