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You gotta hand it to Chubby Checker. This guy found a niche and worked it all the way to inner Earth.
After a bit of success with this novelty song:
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Chubby, born Ernest Evans, recorded The Twist in 1960. (I think we all know how that goes.) But what you might not know is that it was actually a cover of a B-side from Hank Ballard & the Midnighters.
It hit #1 in 1960 and stayed on the charts for four months. In 1961 it hit #1 again, according to Allmusic being the only song to hit #1 twice with a year or more separation.
Chubby, or someone close to him, recognized an opportunity. He hit #1 again in ’61 with a new dance song, The Pony. And then latter that year again with Let’s Twist Again.
Reminds me of that Simpson’s parody of Bobby McFerrin doing “I’m Worried, Need Money.”
He then hit with The Fly:
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And then with Limbo Rock:
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Again with something called “Slow Twistin” which I’m too lazy to dig up.
Then the dude made movies!
Twist Around the Clock
And
Don’t Knock the Twist
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He returned to the charts again in 1988 with The Fat Boys cover of…
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This guy has to be the undisputed king of rock dance songs. Yes? The Twist, with the possible exception of Van McCoy’s The Hustle or that Urban Cowboy line dance song thing.
Has anyone else mined a niche so successfully?
In the quest of the next big thing, Chubby never left any stone unturned.
Chubby Checker – Stoned In The Bathroom:
http://www.snuhfiles.com/sound/chuby_checker-stoned.mp3
snuh: That is awesome! I tried to find out more about the album. Its from “Chequered” but found little. 1971. Considered his “Acid” rock album by some.
Anyone own this? hr: check your local thrift store for this willya?
Glad you liked it! I do know that he tried to make a like a hippie in the album, but not much else. I’d love to find out more and this seems to be the best place to ask.
This page says the “Checquered” LP has been reissued:
http://moveyourfeettothebeat.blogspot.com/2008/04/chubby-checker-stoned-in-bathroom.html
I have this album. Sadly, it’s the only Chubby Checker album I have.
TB
TB: That’s one more than I have.
In the 80’s Checker also released one of those mainstream rock albums designed to revive his career. I don’t have it anymore, but I remember it as being quite nice, though he didn’t have high-class help like Gary US Bonds (Bruce Springsteen) or Del Shannon (Tom Petty). Checkers suffered a bit by comparison.
In my freshman year of college, I did a really stupid thing. Although my throat was hurting me on a Friday, I let the “health services” department at school put me off until a Monday morning appointment. So stupid. I was in raging pain that only raged harder and harder as the weekend progressed.
That Sunday night, I flicked on our crappy little black and white TV, which only got a Spanish channel. Around 4am, there was some mid-life crisis 1950’s dance party kind of show and Chubby Checker was on. He did the Twist, then Let’s Twist Again. He followed it up with a cover of Joe Jackson’s, I’m the Man, which I can only believe was done entirely for my benefit. So that is what I think of when I see Chubby Checker. I think that moment got me through those last few hours of pain.
You’re just pissed that Chubby ripped off Bo Diddley!
I’ve always been a fan of Chubby’s rug. I really need to work up an essay on rock rugs one of these days. It’s a topic that’s long fascinated me.