Posted on 07/09/2010 7:33:25 PM PDT by Chi-townChief
PHILADELPHIA – Fifty years to the day after the release of the hip-swiveling tune "The Twist," the man who made it famous celebrated the occasion in his hometown.
Chubby Checker performed Friday at a free noontime concert at Philadelphia City Hall. About 1,000 people joined in on the gyrations, some even invited onstage by the South Philadelphia-bred singer.
"The Twist," released as a single on July 9, 1960, burst into the rock 'n' roll stratosphere after Checker performed it for Dick Clark on his Philadelphia-based "American Bandstand."
Checker's 1960 cover version of the Hank Ballard and the Midnighters song — released a year earlier to mild success — became a smash hit and turned the dance into a pop culture touchstone. It remains the only single to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts during two separate runs, in 1960 and again in 1962.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwAcr-S1LSw
“”CHUBBY CHECKER- “THE TWIST””
“Come on baby let’s do the twist
Come on baby let’s do the twist
Take me by my little hand and go like this
Ee-oh twist baby baby twist
Oooh-yeah just like this
Come on little miss and do the twist
My daddy is sleepin’ and mama ain’t around
Yeah daddy is sleepin’ and mama ain’t around
We’re gonna twisty twisty twisty
‘Til we turn the house down
Come on and twist yeah baby twist
Oooh-yeah just like this
Come on little miss and do the twist
Yeah you should see my little Sis
You should see my my little Sis
She really knows how to rock
She knows how to twist
Come on and twist yeah baby twist
Oooh-yeah just like this
Come on little miss and do the twist
Yeah rock on now
Yeah twist on now”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVQ0MXp-8ds
“”Chubby Checker: Let’s Twist Again””
“Come on everybody!
Clap your hands!
All you looking good!
I’m goona sing my song
It won’t take long!
We’re gonna do the twist
and it goes like this:
Come on let’s twist again,
like we did last summer!
Yeaaah, let’s twist again,
like we did last year!
Do you remember when,
things were really hummin’,
Yeaaaah, let’s twist again,
twistin’ time is here!
Heeee, and round and round and up and down
we go again!
Oh, baby, make me know you love me sooooo,
and then:
Twist again,
like we did last summer,
Come on, let’s twist again,
like we did last year!
TWIST! YO!
Who`s that flyin’ up there?
Is it a bird? Noooooo!
Is it a plane? Noooooooo!
Is it the twister? YEAAAAAAAHH!
Twist again, like we did last summer,
Come on, Let’s twist again,
like we did last year!!!!
Do you remember when, things were really hummin’,
Come on, let’s twist again,
twistin’ time is here
Heeee, and round and round and up and down we go again!
Oh, baby, make me know, you love me sooooo! And then:
Come on, twist again, like we did last summer,
let’s twist again, like we did last year!
Come on, let’s twist again,
twistin’ time is heeeere!”
I live about 3 miles from his home. A local legend. Happy anniversary, Chubby!!!
Learned to play the drums listening him and Fats Domino.
To the best of my knowledge, Chubby Checker is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
And I thought this had to do with the Checker automoblies- I had a Checker Aerobus once-! What a ball-!
If that is true, it is an unfortunate mistake.
...But ABBA is going in!There's justice for ya'
The real kick-off to this craze was Joey Dee and the Starlighters’ recording of the “Peppermint Twist”, performed at the nightclub of the same name in New York City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WIvZu4dPQQ
Just did a google ... chuck seems to be in the RR hall of fame.
I’m always surprised when I learn these guys are still around. The next big deal, after the twist, as I recall, was the Limbo.
If I recall, he had a real nasty rift with Ballard over the Twist.
I drove a checker cab back in the day, working my way through college. That was waaaaaaaaa back when students actually worked their way through school.
I lived in NJ and once you had a draft card and drivers license that proved you were 18 you could travel to NY and go to the nightclubs. It was Sept 1961 and my “gang” and I went to The Peppermint lounge to hear and dance to Chubby Checker! There was a $5.00 cover and beer was $2.50 a bottle! It was GREAT! WE bought home napkins and glasses to prove our foray and we were heros of our Senior Class!
Recorded at King Records Cincinnati, Ohio.
http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/fromthevaults/2900/hank-ballard-the-twist-1958/
I got to see Ballard live in the LA area back in 1960 when I was a young Marine. I forget exactly where it was but El Monte had a lot of shows.
Ballard was raunchy as heck, which is why Dick Clark “created” Chubby Checker. But I always liked Ballard’s version better.
Re #2: She’s beautiful but who is the guy?
Just kidding.
Missed seeing Chubby a few weeks ago due to surgery.
The Twist! Twist Again! The Hucklebuck (we did it in the 60’s), HitchHike!, and the list goes on.
He created more dances than any other rock singer of that period.
PS: Play some of the B sides/Flip Side songs. not bad.
Oh, it’s true...
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