Hank Ballard And The Midnighters - The Twist

First performance: 02/11/2002


Coverinfo

Bruce performed the song 1 time in full, 1 time as a snippet: 
 
 
2002-11-02 Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ 
  
This song was played during the The third annual Light of Day Benefit together with Gary U.S. Bonds in a medley with the Twist - Peppermint twist (as a set closer) . Held once again at the Tradewinds in Sea Bright, the Light of Day show brought together a host of Jersey-style rockers to benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (and celebrate organizer Bob Benjamin's birthday while they were at it). He played nearly an hour with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers, on a few of their songs. They are joined by Garland Jeffreys for "96 Tears" and "Wild in the Streets," and by Gary U.S. Bonds. In the midnight hour, he comes back to the stage to play "Jole Blon" and "Quarter to Three - Having A Party" with Bonds. With the Tradewinds scheduled to close, this is the last Light of Day benefit to be held there. 
 
 
 
 
2012-09-02 - CITIZENS BANK PARK, PHILADELPHIA
'The twist' was soundchecked (partial) together with 'Let's twist again' . Not played during the regular show. Other special soundchecks before the show: 'Bristol Stomp' (partial) and 'Love train' (partial) 
 
 
  

Songinfo

"The Twist" is an American pop song written and originally released in early 1959 (having been recorded on November 11, 1958) by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side to "Teardrops on Your Letter". Ballard's version was a moderate 1960 hit, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chubby Checker's 1960 cover version of the song gave birth to the Twist dance craze. 
 
 
  
  
  

Bruce on the artist

2003-03-04 - JACKSONVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM, JACKSONVILLE, FL
 
"We´ll do something tonight as one of the great, great fathers of rock´n´roll just passed away, a man by the name of Hank Ballard, Hank Ballard wrote "The Twist"....along with "Let´s Go", "Sexy Ways," "Annie Had A Baby", "Work With Me, Annie" . He´s a great, great, great, great father of rock´n´roll, without of whom and which, of course, we wouldn´t be here tonight, we´re gonna do, this is for Hank Ballard...."
 
 
Hank Ballard
 

Lyrics

Everybody, twist
They're twisting in Cleveland
In Kansas City too
They're wailing in Warwood
In Pittsburgh and St Lou
So, baby, get ready
I'm gonna twist with you
Round and around and
Up and down we go
(Yeah, oh, baby)
Making with the
Shaking to and fro
(Yeah, well, now from)
Boston to L A (oh, baby)
Twistin U S A
They're twisting in New York
In old Chicago town
In Hartford and Frisco
They all go round and round
They're twisting on Bandstand
So don't you put me down
Round and around and
Up and down we go
(Yeah, oh, baby)
Making with the
Shaking to and fro
(Yeah, well, now from)
Boston to L A (oh, baby)
Twistin U S A
They shimmy in Charlotte
They shake in Baltimore
In Detroit and Dallas
And down Miami shore
So, baby, oh, baby
What are we waiting for
Round and around and
Up and down we go
(Yeah, oh, baby)
Making with the
Shaking to and fro
(Yeah, well, now from)
Boston to L A (oh, baby)
Twistin U S A
Round and around and
Up and down we go
(Yeah, oh, baby)
Making with the
Shaking to and fro
(Yeah, well, now from)
Boston to L A (oh, baby)
Twistin U S A