Tropical Jon's Evolution of Rock 'n Roll: Hank Ballard Invented THE TWIST!

From the 1950s to the 1970s, new dance fads appeared almost every week.

Many were popularized (or commercialized) versions of new styles or steps created by African-American dancers who frequented the clubs and discothèques in major U.S. cities like New York, Philadelphia and Detroit. Many of these dances got their popularity, in no small way, due to being danced on shows like Dick Clark’s American Bandstand...

The Diamonds’ The Original Stroll - February 1958

 The Madison is another line dance that features a regular back-and-forth pattern interspersed with called steps. The Madison was created and first danced in Columbus, Ohio, in 1957. 

Dancin' the Madison on "The Buddy Deane Show" in 1960

As the pop music market exploded in the late 1950s, successive dance fads were commercialized and exploited. Standardized versions were printed in dance and teen magazines, often choreographed to popular songs...

Between 1959 and 1961 Hank Ballard had several hits on the R&B and Pop charts, starting with "Teardrops on Your Letter", a number 4 R&B hit in 1959 that had as its B-side the Ballard-written song "The Twist"

(A year later, Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to number 1 on the pop charts. It would return to the top of the charts again in 1962–At the time, the only song in the rock'n'roll era to reach number 1 in two different years)

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters’ ORIGINAL that started the whole Twist "craze"

 “THE TWIST”

"Peppermint Twist" is a song written by Joey Dee and Henry Glover, recorded and released by Joey Dee and the Starliters in 1961. Capitalizing on the Twist dance craze and the nightclub in which Dee performed ("The Peppermint Lounge"), the song hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in early 1962

The Marvellettes were quick to have their Postman twistin’ down the avenue, too! "Twistin' Postman" released in December 1961...

Sam Cooke hit #1 on the R & B Chart by March 24, 1962 with TWISTIN’ THE NIGHT AWAY

By May of 1962, Gary “US” Bonds had his Dear Lady AND his Senora doin’ The Twist too!

In fact all these following "Twist" hits showed up on Billboard over the next few years:

• "The Twist" by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters (No. 28, 1960)
• "The Twist" by Chubby Checker (No. 1, 1960; No. 1, 1962)
• "Let's Twist Again" by Chubby Checker (No. 8, 1961)
• "Twistin' U.S.A." by Danny & the Juniors (No. 20, 1961)
• "Slow Twistin" by Chubby Checker (No. 3, 1962)
• "Peppermint Twist - Part 1" by Joey Dee & the Starliters (No. 1, 1962)
• "Hey, Let's Twist" by Joey Dee & the Starliters (No. 20, 1962)
• "Dear Lady Twist" by Gary "U.S." Bonds (No. 9, 1962)
• "Twist, Twist Senora" by Gary "U.S." Bonds (No. 9, 1962)
• "Twistin' Postman" by the Marvelettes (No. 34, 1962)
• "Twistin' the Night Away" by Sam Cooke (No. 9, 1962)
• "Twist and Shout" by the Isley Brothers (No. 17, 1962)
• "Twist-Her" by Bill Black's Combo (No. 26, 1962)
• "Soul Twist" by King Curtis & His Noble Knights (No. 17, 1962)
• "Bristol Twistin" Annie" by the Dovells (No. 27, 1962)
• "Percolator (Twist)" by Billie Joe & the Checkmates (No. 10, 1962)
• "Twist It Up" by Chubby Checker (No. 25, 1963)

BUT only one cat has the right to ask, “Do You Know How To Twist" and that’s Hank Ballard, ‘cause he invented the whole thing!!!!

THANK YOU, HANK!!!

And R.I.P. Brother!

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