Feature Song: “Twist Again”/ “Let’s Twist Again”
Twist Again,” and it’s sequel, “Let’s Twist Again” are two songs that are firmly implanted in my brain. There are two reasons for this: They are the first songs that I can remember listening to as a ten/eleven year-old when they first came out; And that is because it was my older cousin, Ann, who introduced me to the songs whilst babysitting my brother and I, teaching me how to do the “twist.” While the recollection of how I took to learning this new dance remains a bit fuzzy, I am willing to bet that I really sucked at moving my hips and body that way at ten. It’s sixty-two years later and the memory is as if it was yesterday!
“The Twist” is an American song written and originally released in 1958 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side to “Teardrops on Your Letter.” The song was inspired by the twist dance craze. While Ballard’s version was a moderate hit, Chubby Checker’s cover in 1960 reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for one week, and then subsequently setting a record at the time as the only song to reach number one during two different chart runs when it resurfaced and spent another two weeks at the top spot several weeks later. It would take another 59 years for this to happen again with Mariah Carey’s, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” topping the charts in 2019 and again in 2020.
“Let’s Twist Again” is a song written by Kal Mann and Daved Appel, and was released by Chubby Checker in 1961, becoming one of the biggest hit singles for that year. The song refers to Checker’s previous hit, “The Twist,” the dance craze. The song received the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Rock & Roll Recording. The song was also recorded in German and Italian as “Der Twist Beginnt,” and “Balliamo il Twist.” While you can see videos of people dancing the twist to both these classic songs for yesteryear, one of the more recent iconic movie scenes features the dance is from Quentin Tarantno’s 1994 Pulp Fiction, when John Travolta and Uma Thurman perform in a twist contest at the restaurant, Jack Rabbit Slims. Interestingly enough, the song they danced the twist to was Chuck Berry’s 1964 released song, “You Can Never Tell.” The song was actually written by Berry in 1960 while he was in prison.
Ernest Evans (1941), known professionally as Chubby Checker, is an American rock & roll singer and dancer. He is known for popularizing many dance styles, including the twist with both aforementioned songs. In 1961, he also covered the song “Pony Time,” which introduced another dance, the pony. In 1962, he again covered a previous-year instrumental by the Chromes, “Limbo Rock,” to which he added lyrics and its trademark limbo dance. One more dance style that he popularized was the fly.
As you can see by the picture above, my memory of this song came flooding back to me when I was listening to the 2022 album, Spreading Rhythm, by the JoJo Effect, who are an established electro lounge Project from Germany. Producers Jürgen Kausemann, Kitty the Bill, and Maxim Illion (Club des Belugas) are pioneers in the genres of contemporary lounge, nu jazz, swing, and Latin. They often feature some amazing vocal talents such as California soul diva, Brenda Boykin, jazz crooner Iain Mackenzie (from London BBC Big Band) Loana Mour, Nelly Simon, Anne Schnell, and soul singer Dennis LeGree, who handles the vocals for “Let’s Twist Again.” While they keep to Checker’s original, there are a few surprises that I feel only add to the song’s endearing quality.
Enjoy!
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. “The Twist” original 1959.
Chubby Checker. “The Twist” cover 1960.
Chubby Checker. “Let’s Twist Again” 1961.
JoJo Effect featuring Dennis LeGree. “Let’s Twist Again” cover 2022.
Los Angeles 2025
Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” hit #1 again in 1962, and Billboard ranks as the biggest hit single of all time.
I loved these two songs, and the dance. It’s one that my uncooperative body could almost do! And I loved that you picked the video with Stephen Sayers and Chandrae Roettig-Gomez dancing to Let’s Twist Again! They are local (LA) swing dancers I follow on IG and think they are mesmerizing. I made it through only 30 seconds of the Jo Jo Effect and Dennis Legree version. So lackluster and boring.
I had a rather pithy comment (that’s my story) all written up on here yesterday and I don’t know what happened to it! Anyway as you said the song is certainly legendary and much storied. That said, I like your cover version. It’s gives the Twist a fresh new vibe!