Everybody Twist! A week after the second coming of the Twist, by Chubby Checker, charted on the POP Charts it also hit on the R&B Charts. The Dance craze would be the first modern record to bring both teens and their parents on to the dance floor. This version of the Twist made popular by Ernest Evans (Chubby Checker) was originally written and recorded by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as the flip side of his record “Teardrops On Your Letter” in 1958. In 1960 the dance craze was taking the Country by storm and the song was re-released by Chubby with the Philly Group, the Dreamlovers singing the background. The Song and Chubby’s TV appearances triggered an avalanche of marketing for young teens and adolescents. I have an original Chubby Checker Twister Belt with the booklet at my Music Museum along with the Twister Towel and of course the Hola-hoop. There was a number of Twist Movies, and Twist Contests at every amusement park, wedding reception and teen dance. TV sitcoms were having episodes featuring the Twist, variety shows with famous people doing the Twist even Grandparents giving it try on Newsreels. The Twist’s success even brought others to the party who were caught up in the Twist Craze the likes of Sam Cooke, “Twistin The Night Away”, Joey Dee and his Starliters “Peppermint Twist”, the Isley Brothers singing “Twist and Shout” and the Marvelettes doing “Twistin’ Postman” … welcome to Twistmania! To this very day, for over 60+ years … people are still doing the Twist … heck I even saw John Travolta twisting with Uma Thurman in the Movie “Pulp Fiction”! Give this a try at your next party or get together … throw on the Twist, sit back and watch the show … “Everybody Twist!”