Twist Uptown is the first album by The Crystals

The Crystals

The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...

, issued to capitalize upon their success with the Cynthia Weil

Cynthia Weil

Cynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....

 and Barry Mann

Barry Mann

Barry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...

 composition "Uptown" which was a #13 US hit, and their first top forty hit "There's No Other (Like My Baby)

There's No Other (Like My Baby)

"There's No Other " is a song written by Phil Spector and Leroy Bates, and first recorded by girl group The Crystals.-Beach Boys version:...

" (#20 US). Twist Uptown notably features the first released version of "On Broadway," a composition written by Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. The song was later modified by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Jerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...

 and became a hit for The Drifters

The Drifters

The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...

 in 1963.

Barbara Alston was The Crystals' main lead singer at the time, and the only song from this album not to feature her on lead was "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" on which Patricia "Patsy" Wright sang lead. During this period, The Crystals appeared as a quintet but this album features the vocals of six Crystals; it contains tracks with original member Myrna Girard as well as Dolores "LaLa" Brooks who was Girard's permanent replacement by its release. Recording sessions took place mainly at Aldon Music

Aldon Music

Aldon Music was a New York-based music publishing company, founded by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins in 1958. Aldon is regarded as having played a significant role in shaping the so-called "Brill Building Sound" in the late 1950s and 1960s....

 in late 1961 and early 1962.

In 1963, the album was repackaged as He's a Rebel to benefit from their hit of the same name

He's a Rebel

"He's a Rebel" is a pop song credited to the girl group The Crystals, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in November 1962. Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector, it is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group sound.In 2004, the song was...

 (although the song was really recorded by The Blossoms

The Blossoms

The Blossoms were a backing group from California. They had a recording career in their own right and were to the American West Coast what The Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and The Andantes were for Motown.-Early years:...

) and the two tracks that were omitted were "Please Hurt Me" and "Gee Whiz Look at his Eyes (Twist)."

Track listing

Side One

1. "Uptown"- (Weil/Mann)
2. "Another Country-Another World"- (Spector/Pomus)
3. "Frankenstein Twist"- (Henry/McCorkle)
4. "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby"- (Spector/Hunter)
5. "Please Hurt Me"- (King/Goffin)

Side Two

1. "There's No Other (Like My Baby)
   There's No Other (Like My Baby)
   "There's No Other " is a song written by Phil Spector and Leroy Bates, and first recorded by girl group The Crystals.-Beach Boys version:...
   
   "- (Spector/Bates)
2. "On Broadway"- (Weil/Mann/Leiber/Stoller)
3. "What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen"- (Kolber/Keller)
4. "No One Ever Tells You"- (Spector/King/Goffin)
5. "Gee Whiz Look at His Eyes (Twist)"- (Thomas)
6. "I Love You Eddie"- (Spector/Hunter)

Personnel

• Barbara Alston - Lead vocals (backing vocals on "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby")
• Patricia "Patsy" Wright - Backing vocals (lead vocals on "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby")
• Myrna Girard - Backing vocals
• Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew - Backing vocals
• Dolores "LaLa" Brooks - Backing vocals
• Mary Thomas - Backing vocals
• Phil Spector
  Phil Spector
  Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
  
   - Producer

Singles history

• "There's No Other (Like My Baby)
  There's No Other (Like My Baby)
  "There's No Other " is a song written by Phil Spector and Leroy Bates, and first recorded by girl group The Crystals.-Beach Boys version:...
  
  "/"Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby"- (#20 US)
• "Uptown"/"What A Nice Way to Turn Seventeen"- (#13 US)