Dance Crazes

Dance Crazes: Part 1

And now for something completely different, it's time for a quick, 2-part series on those fun and footloose dance crazes of the 1960s!
Obviously, we have to begin with American singer-songwriter Chubby Checker who popularized the twist dance style with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B tune "The Twist." It was actually Dick Clark who was extremely instrumental in helping propel this song to the top of the American charts by exposing it on American Bandstand and The Dick Clark Show. At the age of 19, Checker became a star when this nationwide smash hit reached #1 in that September and again in January of 1962 (the only song to top the Billboard 100 twice in two separate runs). This twist phenomenon also marked a significant turning point for adult acceptance of rock and roll as this song joined grown-ups and teenagers on the dance floor. In 1961, Checker had a successful follow-up single with "Let's Twist Again." Including a introduction by the late Dick Clark, here's one of Checker's many twistin' appearances on American Bandstand.

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After starting her career as a backup singer in 1961, Dee Dee Sharp got her big break recording a 1962 duet with fellow Philadelphian Chubby Checker called "Slow Twistin'" (which reached #3 on the charts). A successful string of hits followed including #2 hit "Mashed Potato Time," which sold over a million copies and earned a gold disc. James Brown had two Mashed Potato-related chart hits beginning 1959, but Sharp's tune was written to showcase this emerging new dance fad of the Mashed Potato. Even the "Monster Mash" (featured on the Halloween post here) is a variation of this dance with the same footwork (but with 'monster' arm and hand gestures). Also a #1 hit on the R&B chart, here's Dee Dee Sharp mashin' it up (and if you're interested in how to do this dance, take a lesson from the blonde dancer in this clip!).      

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Released in June 1962 and performed by Puerto Rican soul singer Little Eva, "The Loco-Motion" is a popular and enduring tune of the dance-song genre. While Eva Boyd worked as a babysitter for American songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin, the duo were amused by her individual dancing style, and wrote "The Loco-Motion" for her. Hitting #1 on the charts, the song is notable for reaching the American Top-5 two more times in two other decades (#1 with Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 and #3 by Australian singer Kylie Minogue in 1988), and is ranked among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. There was no dance for the song when it was originally written, so once it became a smash hit, Boyd created a dance to go along with the song. Here's Little Eva performing what appears to be a live version on Shindig!.

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Starting out as the house band at the infamous Peppermint Lounge in New York City, Joey Dee & The Starliters were a popular music team best-known for their successful million-selling record "The Peppermint Twist" from 1961. Wanting to capitalize on the Twist dance craze and the nightclub they performed in, Joey Dee and Henry Glover wrote this tune, and saw it hit #1 on the chart in early 1962, replacing Chubby Checker's "Twist." Featuring lead singer David Brigati (older brother of singer Eddie Brigati of The Young Rascals), the original song was considered too long for release as a single, so it was split into two parts: the first being "Peppermint Twist (Part 1)" and the second half (which was mostly instrumental) is rarely heard today. Actually, how about this for some trivia: while on tour in Europe in the 1963, The Beatles were the opening act for these guys, and over the next two years, Joey Dee toured with various Starliters including Eddie Brigati, Gene Cornish, and Felix Cavaliere (three-quarters of what later became The Young Rascals), as well as guitarists Jimmy James (later known as Jimi Hendrix!) and Joe Pesci (yes, that actor from Jersey). Anyway, check out Joey Dee & The Starliters, one of the first racially-integrated mainstream bands in America.  

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Finally, we'll conclude this dance crazy post with Shirley Ellis, the American soul singer and songwriter (of Caribbean origin) known for her novelty hits including "The Name Game" Written by Ellis with her manager Lincoln Chase, this children's singalong rhyming song was released in late 1964, reaching #3 on the pop chart and #4 on the R&B chart in 1965. Shortly after that song's success, Ellis released "The Clapping Song" which reached #8 on the US chart. With lyrics borrowed from the 1930s song "Little Rubber Dolly," this song also features instructions for a clapping game. Sure looks like these dancers are getting a pretty good work-out with this spunky tune. Actually, I just noticed this song being used in a VW Beetle commercial the other night. So here's the classy Shirley Ellis doing her thing (too bad the video is way out of sync).