Twist and Shout

"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally recorded by the Topnotes and the Isley Brothers and was later covered by the Beatles, with John Lennon on the lead vocals, and originally released on their first album Please Please Me. It was also covered by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. Most recently, "Chaka Demus and Pliers, Jack Radics and the Taxi Gang" reached #1 in the UK charts with their version in January 1994.

History

Isley Brothers version

The Isley Brothers' version in 1962 was the first major hit recording of the song, peaking at #17 on the U.S. pop top 40 charts, and #2 on the US R&B charts. The song, with Ronald Isley on lead vocals, quickly became a frequently covered soul music tune in the early 1960s. According to Ronald, the song was supposed to be the b-side to the Burt Bacharach standard, "Make It Easy On Yourself", which was a hit for Jerry Butler. However, when the Isleys recorded "Twist & Shout", the brothers didn't think the song would do well as they hadn't had a hit in the three years since "Shout!" established them. Fortunately, however, the song became their first Top 40 hit on both the pop and R&B charts and for a time established the group for producing fast-paced songs during their earlier career.

Isley Brothers' version credits

• Lead vocals by Ronald Isley
• Background vocals by O'Kelly Isley, Jr. and Rudolph Isley
• Instrumentation by assorted musicians
• Written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell
• Produced by Bert Berns

The Beatles version

The Beatles released the song on their first UK album, Please Please Me. The recording session for that album is notable for being their first album session and for eleven songs having been recorded in a mere 10 hours or so. Twist and Shout was the last song recorded: producer George Martin knew John Lennon's voice would suffer from the performance and so he left it until last.

Lennon was suffering from a cold and was drinking milk and sucking on cough drops to soothe his throat. Even so, he produced a memorable vocal performance. He later said his voice was not the same for a long time afterwards, and that "every time [he] swallowed, it felt like sandpaper."^[1]

Two takes were recorded, and the first take is heard on the album. George Martin said, "I did try a second take ... but John's voice had gone."^[2]

The Beatles' cover was released in the US as a single by Vee-Jay Records on the Tollie label. It reached #2 on April 4th 1964, the week when the first five places on the chart were all Beatles singles. In the UK, it was released on an EP with three other tracks from the Please Please Me album. In Canada, it became the title track to the second album of Beatles material to be issued by Capitol Records of Canada on February 3, 1964.

It is regarded as one of the finest examples of British rock and roll for its vocal performance.^[3] The song was used as a rousing closing number on Sunday Night at the London Palladium in October 1963 and at The Royal Variety Show in November 1963, the former signalling the start of "Beatlemania". It was also performed on their Ed Sullivan Show appearance in February 1964.

Instrumentation for The Beatles version

• John Lennon on rhythm guitar, lead vocal
• Ringo Starr on drums
• Paul McCartney on bass guitar, backing vocals
• George Harrison on lead guitar, backing vocals

1986 recharting

The Beatles' version of the song enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in 1986 after Matthew Broderick lip synced it in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Coincidentally, the Rodney Dangerfield film Back to School (released two days after Ferris) also featured the song, this one sung by Dangerfield himself and patterned after the Beatles' arrangement. The use in the two films help propel the single up the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #23 that summer.

Brian Poole and the Tremeloes

In 1962 the Decca record label signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, a group from Dagenham, Essex, in preference to the Beatles. Both groups auditioned on the same day, and it has become legend that the Beatles were rejected by the label. Ironically, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes had no chart success until the "Beat group" boom in British rock surfaced, following the phenomenal success of the Beatles. This triggered the frenzied signing of most of the popular Liverpool rock groups of that period by the major record labels, and their distinctive "sound" became known as Merseybeat. Brian Poole and the Tremeloes imitated this style, and covered “Twist and Shout” four months after the Beatles had released their version, and achieved number 4 position in the British charts.

The Who version

The Who covered the song live on several occasions with John Entwistle singing lead vocals, including at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.

The Kinks version

Although The Kinks were never known to have recorded the song, "Twist and Shout" was frequently featured in live sets, an example of which is in 1979 when performed in Rhode Island.^{[citation needed]}

Bruce Springsteen version

Bruce Springsteen has frequently played "Twist and Shout" live, usually as an encore, and the song is readily available on bootlegs.

See also

• Twist and Shout (EP)

References

1. ^ The Beatles. The Beatles Anthology. Chronicle Books, LLC, 2000.
2. ^ Mark Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
3. ^ Ian Macdonald, Revolution In The Head, p.67

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