Library Rock's Backpages

How 'Twist and Shout' Shook the World

Mitchell Cohen, Music Aficionado, November 2019

UNLIKE MOST stories, this one begins with a twist. "Come on, baby," Hank Ballard commanded, "let's do the Twist," immortalizing a dance that was catching on when he recorded the song with his group the Midnighters in 1958. It was relegated to the B-side of a King 45, and there it might have remained if the shrewd cats at Cameo-Parkway Records in Philadelphia not decided to cover the song, and cop its arrangement, with their artist Chubby Checker. In the summer of 1960, the Checker record shot to #1; a year later came what might be rock'n'roll's first summer-sequel, 'Let's Twist Again,' and phase two of the twistin' craze was a pop phenomenon. By 1962, it was Twist Nation: 'Twistin' Postman,' 'Dear Lady Twist,' 'Twistin' the Night Away,' 'Hey, Let's Twist,' Everybody's Twistin'.' There were Twist albums, Twist movies, Twist dance classes (which you wouldn't think necessary: this was a dance equivalent of improv).

Total word count of piece: 2276

Subscribe

Becoming a member is easy. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library.

Click here to go to Subscribe page.

Click here for academic and other group subscriptions.