Twist and Shout
Encyclopedia
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley
and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers
. It was covered by The Beatles
with John Lennon
on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album Please Please Me
. The song was covered by The Mamas & the Papas
(in the style of a ballad) in 1967 on their album Deliver
, and on a film soundtrack by Cliff Richard
. It was also covered by The Tremeloes
. Most recently Chaka Demus and Pliers (featuring Jack Radics and Taxi Gang
) reached No. 1 on the UK charts with their version in January 1994. The Who performed it throughout their career, most notably on Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
and 1982's Who's Last
.
became a staff producer at Atlantic records, he was asked to produce a single by an up-and-coming vocal group, the Top Notes (sometimes named "Topnotes"): "Shake It Up, Babe." This was before Spector perfected his "Wall of Sound
" technique, and the recording lacked all of the energy the group exhibited in its live performances. Songwriter Bert Russell felt Spector had ruined the song, and went out to show Spector how the song should be done.
Hot 100 singles chart.
The Isley Brothers' version, with Ronald Isley
on lead vocals, was the first major hit recording of the song, peaking at No. 17 on the U.S. pop top 40 charts, and No. 2 on the US R&B charts. The song quickly became a frequently covered R&B
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 had been a hit for Jerry Butler
. When the Isleys recorded "Twist and Shout", the brothers did not think the song would do well, as they had not had a hit in the three years since "Shout" established them. To their surprise, the song became their first Top 40 hit on both the pop
and R&B charts, and for a time established the group's reputation for producing fast-paced songs during their earlier career.
released the song on their first UK
album, Please Please Me
, the recording of which on February 11, 1963 was their first album session and is notable for 11 songs recorded in a mere 10 hours. "Twist and Shout", with John Lennon
on lead vocals, was the last song recorded; producer George Martin
knew Lennon's voice would suffer from the performance, so he left it until last, with only 15 minutes of scheduled recording time remaining.
Lennon was suffering from a cold, and was drinking milk and sucking on cough drops to soothe his throat. His coughing is audible on the album, as is the cold's effect on his voice. Even so, he produced a memorable vocal performance: a raucous, dynamic rocker. He later said his voice was not the same for a long time afterward, and that "every time [he] swallowed, it felt like sandpaper".
A second take was attempted, but Lennon had nothing left and it was abandoned. George Martin said, "I did try a second take ... but John's voice had gone."
The Beatles' cover was released on March 2, 1964 in the U.S. as a single, with "There's a Place
" as its B-side, by Vee-Jay Records
on the Tollie label. It reached No. 2 on April 4, 1964, during the week that the top five places on the chart were all Beatles singles. (In the Cashbox singles chart for the same week, "Twist and Shout" was No. 1.) In the United States, "Twist and Shout" was the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover record, and the only Beatles cover single to reach the Top 10 on a national record chart. The song failed to hit #1 because the Beatles had another song occupying the top spot, "Can't Buy Me Love
".
In the UK, "Twist and Shout" was released by Parlophone on an EP
with three other tracks, "Do You Want to Know a Secret", "A Taste of Honey", and "There's a Place", from the Please Please Me album. Both the EP and album reached No. 1 (see Twist and Shout (EP)
). 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. 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
". They performed it on one of their Ed Sullivan Show appearances in February 1964.
The Beatles continued to play the song live until the end of their August 1965 tour of North America
. Additionally, they recorded "Twist and Shout" on nine occasions for BBC
television and radio broadcasts, the earliest of which was for the Talent Spot radio show on November 27, 1962.
lip-synced to 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 No. 23 late that summer, giving the group their second chart single of the 1980s (the other being "The Beatles Movie Medley" in 1982). The song's seven-week run in the U.S. Top 40 in 1986, combined with its original 16-week run in 1964, makes Twist And Shout the longest-running Top 40 hit for the Beatles, at 23 weeks.
The highest charting Beatles track in the aftermath of their new availability on iTunes
, it entered the charts at #48 in the first of a two week run.
label
signed Brian Poole and The Tremeloes
, a British 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 boom
in British rock surfaced, following the 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 the number four position in the UK Singles Chart
.
Phil Medley
Philip "Phil" Medley was an American songwriter notable for his composition "Twist & Shout", which he wrote along with Bert Russell. The song was made famous by both The Isley Brothers and The Beatles. Medley also co-wrote "If I Didn't Have a Dime" for Gene Pitney with Russell...
and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
. It was covered by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album Please Please Me
Please Please Me
Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
. The song was covered by The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
(in the style of a ballad) in 1967 on their album Deliver
The Mamas and the Papas Deliver
Deliver is a 1967 album by The Mamas & the Papas. It was their third album release. The album charted second in Billboards "Top Pop" albums for 1967...
, and on a film soundtrack by Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
. It was also covered by The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
. Most recently Chaka Demus and Pliers (featuring Jack Radics and Taxi Gang
Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
) reached No. 1 on the UK charts with their version in January 1994. The Who performed it throughout their career, most notably on Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 is a double live album by The Who, recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970, and released by Sony in 1996. A DVD of the concert was also released....
and 1982's Who's Last
Who's Last
Who's Last is the second live album by British band The Who, recorded in 1982 during what was then billed as the band's "farewell tour". Thus, this album, released in 1984, was to be the band's "last" album...
.
The Top Notes' "Shake It Up, Baby"
In 1961, a year after Phil SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
became a staff producer at Atlantic records, he was asked to produce a single by an up-and-coming vocal group, the Top Notes (sometimes named "Topnotes"): "Shake It Up, Babe." This was before Spector perfected his "Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
" technique, and the recording lacked all of the energy the group exhibited in its live performances. Songwriter Bert Russell felt Spector had ruined the song, and went out to show Spector how the song should be done.
Isley Brothers' version
When the Isley Brothers decided to record the song in 1962, Russell opted to produce, and thus demonstrate to Spector what he had intended to be the "sound" of the record. The resulting recording captured the verve of an Isley Brothers performance, and became the trio's first record to reach a Top 20 position in the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 singles chart.
The Isley Brothers' version, with Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
on lead vocals, was the first major hit recording of the song, peaking at No. 17 on the U.S. pop top 40 charts, and No. 2 on the US R&B charts. The song quickly became a frequently covered R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
tune in the early 1960s. According to Ronald, the song was supposed to be the b-side to the Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
standard, "Make It Easy On Yourself", which had been a hit for Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler (singer)
Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
. When the Isleys recorded "Twist and Shout", the brothers did not think the song would do well, as they had not had a hit in the three years since "Shout" established them. To their surprise, the song became their first Top 40 hit on both the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B charts, and for a time established the group's reputation for producing fast-paced songs during their earlier career.
Personnel
- Ronald IsleyRonald IsleyRonald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
– lead vocals - O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr. , better known as Kelly Isley, was an American singer and one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
– backing vocals - Rudolph IsleyRudolph IsleyRudolph Bernard Isley , better known as Rudy Isley, is an American singer-songwriter and is one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
– backing vocals - Bert Russell – production
The Beatles' version
The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
released the song on their first UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
album, Please Please Me
Please Please Me
Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
, the recording of which on February 11, 1963 was their first album session and is notable for 11 songs recorded in a mere 10 hours. "Twist and Shout", with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
on lead vocals, was the last song recorded; producer George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
knew Lennon's voice would suffer from the performance, so he left it until last, with only 15 minutes of scheduled recording time remaining.
Lennon was suffering from a cold, and was drinking milk and sucking on cough drops to soothe his throat. His coughing is audible on the album, as is the cold's effect on his voice. Even so, he produced a memorable vocal performance: a raucous, dynamic rocker. He later said his voice was not the same for a long time afterward, and that "every time [he] swallowed, it felt like sandpaper".
A second take was attempted, but Lennon had nothing left and it was abandoned. George Martin said, "I did try a second take ... but John's voice had gone."
The Beatles' cover was released on March 2, 1964 in the U.S. as a single, with "There's a Place
There's a Place
"There's a Place" is a song composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and was first released as a track on The Beatles' British debut LP, Please Please Me...
" as its B-side, by Vee-Jay Records
Vee-Jay Records
Vee-Jay Records is a record label founded in the 1950s, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It was owned and operated by African Americans.-History:...
on the Tollie label. It reached No. 2 on April 4, 1964, during the week that the top five places on the chart were all Beatles singles. (In the Cashbox singles chart for the same week, "Twist and Shout" was No. 1.) In the United States, "Twist and Shout" was the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover record, and the only Beatles cover single to reach the Top 10 on a national record chart. The song failed to hit #1 because the Beatles had another song occupying the top spot, "Can't Buy Me Love
Can't Buy Me Love
"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...
".
In the UK, "Twist and Shout" was released by Parlophone on an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
with three other tracks, "Do You Want to Know a Secret", "A Taste of Honey", and "There's a Place", from the Please Please Me album. Both the EP and album reached No. 1 (see Twist and Shout (EP)
Twist and Shout (EP)
The Twist and Shout EP by The Beatles is the band's first British EP, released by Parlophone on 12 July 1963...
). In Canada, it became the title track to the second album of Beatles material
Twist and Shout (Beatles Canada album)
Twist and Shout was The Beatles' second album released in Canada by Capitol Records in mono . It consists of songs mostly drawn from Please Please Me, the first LP released in the United Kingdom.-Track listing:...
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. 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
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
". They performed it on one of their Ed Sullivan Show appearances in February 1964.
The Beatles continued to play the song live until the end of their August 1965 tour of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Additionally, they recorded "Twist and Shout" on nine occasions for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television and radio broadcasts, the earliest of which was for the Talent Spot radio show on November 27, 1962.
1986 recharting
The Beatles' version of the song enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in 1986 after Matthew BroderickMatthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
lip-synced to it in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
. Coincidentally, the Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, where it peaked at No. 23 late that summer, giving the group their second chart single of the 1980s (the other being "The Beatles Movie Medley" in 1982). The song's seven-week run in the U.S. Top 40 in 1986, combined with its original 16-week run in 1964, makes Twist And Shout the longest-running Top 40 hit for the Beatles, at 23 weeks.
2010 UK chart entry
In November 2010, 47 years after its recording, the Beatles' version of "Twist and Shout" made a debut on the UK singles charts.The highest charting Beatles track in the aftermath of their new availability on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, it entered the charts at #48 in the first of a two week run.
Personnel
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– lead vocals, rhythm semi-acoustic guitar - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– bass guitar, backing vocals - George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
– lead guitar, backing vocals - Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
– drums
Brian Poole and the Tremeloes' version
In 1962 the DeccaDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
signed Brian Poole and The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
, a British group from Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, 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 boom
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
in British rock surfaced, following the 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
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
. Brian Poole and The Tremeloes imitated this style, and covered "Twist and Shout" four months after The Beatles had released their version, and achieved the number four position in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Other cover versions
- In 1962, Booker T. & the M.G.s included an instrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version on their album, Green Onions. - In 1963, The SearchersThe Searchers (band)The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
covered the song on the album Meet the Searchers. - In 1964, The Iguanas covered the song on the album Jumpin' with the Iguanas.
- In 1964, Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song on their album The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles HitsThe Chipmunks Sing The Beatles HitsThe Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits is a tribute album of Alvin and the Chipmunks singing the hits of The Beatles. It was originally released in 1964 by Liberty Records on vinyl record, and consists of Chipmunk renditions of early Beatles hits. The reorganized Liberty Records reissued the album in...
. - In 1964, Johnny RiversJohnny RiversJohnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
covered the song in a medley with "La Bamba" on the album At the Whisky à Go Go. - In 1964, Jack NitzscheJack NitzscheBernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
and His Orchestra included "Twist and Shout" on its release of Beatles instrumentals, Dance To The Hits of The Beatles on Reprise Records. It is now available on CD. - In 1965, The Shangri-LasThe Shangri-LasThe Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 they charted with often heartbreaking teen melodramas, and remain best known for "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember ".- Early career :...
covered the song on the B-side to "Give Him a Great Big Kiss", reaching No. 18 in the US charts. - In 1967, The Mamas & the PapasThe Mamas & the PapasThe Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
covered the song on the album The Mamas and the Papas DeliverThe Mamas and the Papas DeliverDeliver is a 1967 album by The Mamas & the Papas. It was their third album release. The album charted second in Billboards "Top Pop" albums for 1967...
. - In 1969, Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
covered the song on his tour, recorded for his album Toronto Rock 'N' Roll Revival 1969 Vol. II. - In 1981, David LindleyDavid Lindley (musician)David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
covered the song on his album El Rayo-XEl Rayo-XEl Rayo-X is David Lindley's first album, released in 1981 .-Track listing:#"She Took off My Romeos" - 3:00#"Bye Bye Love" - 2:50#"Mercury Blues" El Rayo-X is David Lindley's first album, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music).-Track listing:#"She Took off My Romeos" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) -...
. - In 1982, The BlockheadsThe BlockheadsThe Blockheads are an English rock and roll band. Originally fronted by vocalist Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. Current members include Chaz Jankel , Norman Watt-Roy , Mick Gallagher , John Turnbull and Davey Payne...
minus Chaz Jankel recorded a FunkFunkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
version of the song after their break with Ian DuryIan DuryIan Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
. - In 1988, Salt n Pepa recorded a cover version on their album A Salt With a Deadly Pepa. It was released as a single in the UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and reached No. 4. - In 1988, Crvena JabukaCrvena jabukaCrvena jabuka is a Sarajevo-based pop band that originated in 1985, and since then has remained very popular. They were also a part of the so called New Primitives movement that occurred in the 1980s in the Former Yugoslavia territory....
(a Bosnian pop-rock band) recorded a cover version on their album Sanjati in Serbo-Croatian with the title "Twist And Shout (Sviđa Mi Se Ova Stvar)". - In 1993, Chaka Demus & PliersChaka Demus & PliersChaka Demus & Pliers are a Jamaican reggae duo made up of deejay Chaka Demus and singer Pliers, best known for their hit "Tease Me".They had more commercial success with mainstream pop fans after their collaboration in the early 1990s, that either ever had in their solo careers.-Career:Both artists...
recorded a reggae version featuring Jack Radics, which went to No. 1 on the UK charts in 1994. - In 1997, Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
sang a version during her Falling into You TourFalling into You TourThe Falling into You Tour is the seventh world concert tour by Canadian pop singer, Céline Dion...
. - In 2001, ELOELO- Music :* Electric Light Orchestra, a British rock music group** The Electric Light Orchestra , the group's debut album** ELO 2, the group's second album* ELO Part II, an offshoot band of Electric Light Orchestra- Sports and games :...
spin-off group The OrchestraThe OrchestraThe Orchestra is a rock band formed by former members of the Electric Light Orchestra and ELO Part II. It is the continuation of ELO Part II following Bev Bevan's departure and selling of the rights to Jeff Lynne.-History:...
recorded a 6:36 version on their album No RewindNo RewindNo Rewind is an album released by The Orchestra in 2001 and reissued in 2005 and again in 2006. Produced by Eric Troyer, Parthenon Huxley and Jim Jacobsen, No Rewind was recorded without a single penny from any record label...
, starting with slow, picked chords before picking up the famous riff. - In 2002, Svartur Dödur recorded a version on their album Absurdum ad Infinitatem.
- In 2002, Dee Dee RamoneDee Dee RamoneDee Dee Ramone was an American songwriter and musician, best known as founding member, bassist and main songwriter of the punk rock band the Ramones....
and Youth Gone MadYouth Gone MadYouth Gone Mad is a punk rock band founded in California in 1980 by Paul "ENA" Kostabi . Youth Gone Mad signed onto the Posh Boy Records roster, scored a minor radio hit with "Oki Dogs" in 1981, and played with bands such as Black Flag, Caustic Cause, The Mentors, The Stains, Fear, and others.The...
recorded a version on their album Youth Gone Mad featuring Dee Dee RamoneYouth Gone Mad Featuring Dee Dee RamoneYouth Gone Mad featuring Dee Dee Ramone is a collaboration studio album by the American punk band the Youth Gone Mad and former Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone, released in 2002 . This is known to contain Dee Dee's final studio recordings before his death in 2002...
. - In 2003, WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
performed the song on their The Greatest Hits TourThe Greatest Hits TourThe Unbreakable Tour is a concert tour of the Irish pop band Westlife which covered the UK and Europe in 2003. There were 62 tour dates, including a few outside concerts including their coming home concerts in their home towns of Dublin and Sligo...
. - In 2006, Diplo unofficially remixed the Beatles' version.
- In 2008, Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
covered the song on their Lost Highway TourLost Highway TourThe Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi, that took place from October 2007 to July 2008 in support of their tenth studio album Lost Highway...
and in their concert in Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. - In 2008, Plan B also did a version of the song in their first live performance.
- In 2008, The ViewThe View (band)The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
did a version of the song in their last live performance of the year in Dundee. - In 2009, Olly MursOlly MursOliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
performed the song for Songs From Films Week on The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in The X Factor 6. - In 2010, Michael BubléMichael BubléMichael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
covers the song on his Crazy Love TourCrazy Love TourThe Crazy Love Tour is the fourth concert tour by Canadian recording artist, Michael Bublé. The tour supported his fourth studio album, Crazy Love. Visiting North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, the tour has played to over one million spectators in nearly 21 countries. The tour has received...
. - Del ShannonDel ShannonDel Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
covered the song and can be found on The Del Shannon Definitive Collection Disc 2. - The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
covered the song live during their career, with Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
singing lead vocals at the Isle of Wight FestivalIsle of Wight FestivalThe Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
in 1970, and on their 1982 Farewell Tour, with John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
singing lead. The 1982 version can be heard on the live album Who's LastWho's LastWho's Last is the second live album by British band The Who, recorded in 1982 during what was then billed as the band's "farewell tour". Thus, this album, released in 1984, was to be the band's "last" album...
. - Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
has frequently played "Twist and Shout" live (including the Magic TourMagic Tour (Bruce Springsteen)The Magic Tour was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2007–2008 concert tour of North America and Western Europe.The tour began October 2, 2007, in Hartford, Connecticut, and concluded August 30, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
in 2008), usually as an encore, and the song is readily available on bootlegsBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
. - The song was covered as a part of the Backbeat soundtrackBackbeat (soundtrack)Backbeat is the original soundtrack of the 1994 film Backbeat starring Stephen Dorff, Sheryl Lee, Gary Bakewell and Ian Hart. The music was produced by Don Was.The album won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music."The Backbeat Band" consists of:...
by a supergroupSupergroup (music)In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
consisting of Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
, Dave PirnerDave PirnerDavid Anthony "Dave" Pirner is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock/grunge band, Soul Asylum.-Biography:...
, Thurston MooreThurston MooreThurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
, Mike MillsMike MillsMichael Edward "Mike" Mills is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock group R.E.M.. Though known primarily as a bass guitarist, backing vocalist, and pianist, his musical repertoire includes also keyboards, guitar, and percussion instruments...
, Greg DulliGreg Dulli-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
and Don Fleming (of GumballGumball (band)Gumball was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1990. The original lineup consisted of Don Fleming , Eric Vermillion , and Jay Spiegel . In 1992, a fourth member was added, Malcolm Riviera who had previously played with Fleming and Spiegel in the Velvet Monkeys.-History:After Fleming...
). - The TroggsThe TroggsThe Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
recorded a "Louie LouieLouie Louie"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
/Hang on SloopyHang on Sloopy"Hang on Sloopy" is a song by the pop group The McCoys which was #1 in America in October 1965 and is the official rock song of the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University...
/Twist & Shout" medleyMedley (music)In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
. - Alejandra GuzmánAlejandra GuzmánAlejandra Gabriela Guzmán Pinal , better known as Alejandra Guzmán, is a Latin Grammy Award–winning Mexican rock singer and actress. She has had a dedicated fanbase throughout Latin America since the late 1980s, and is known as the "Queen of Rock" in the Hispanic world...
recorded a Spanish languageSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
version with the same melody called "Muévanse Todos" that itself is based in Vianey Valdés version released in the 1960s. - On their debut album N.W.A. and the PosseN.W.A. and the PosseN.W.A. and the Posse was a 1987 Macola Records release that compiled various Dr. Dre-produced tracks and was marketed as an album by N.W.A. It includes previously released tracks by N.W.A, Eazy-E, the Fila Fresh Crew, and Rappinstine. The cover photo is the same as N.W.A's "Panic Zone" single and...
, gangsta rap group N.W.A.N.W.A.N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
recorded "Drink It Up", which sampled the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout". - The PunklesThe PunklesThe Punkles were a band performing songs by The Beatles in punk style. They formed in 1998 in Hamburg, Germany and it was actually a side project of Prollhead!....
did a punkPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
cover on their first album. - Mookie Morris from Canadian Idol 6 performed the song in the semi-finals.
- Mae WestMae WestMae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
covered the song on her album Way Out WestWay Out West (Mae West album)-Charts:...
. - Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
covered the song on his album Tom Jones Sings the Beatles.
Appearances in the media
- An instrumental version of the song appears in the video game MikieMikieMikie, known in Japan as , is a arcade game by Konami where the player must guide a student called "Mikie" around the school, classroom, and locker room to collect hearts which make up a letter from his girlfriend Mandy while being chased by various members of the school staff...
. - In the film Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
, Ferris Bueller (Matthew BroderickMatthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
) engages an entire parade and downtown ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in song and dance to "Twist and Shout". It uses the Beatles version, but Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
was upset that horns were arranged over the track. - In the film The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
, the version of the Beatles playing it live with Jimmie Nicol is played during the scene where Benjamin and Daisy move into their apartment then shows it on their TV. - In an episode of Full HouseFull HouseFull House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
, Jesse persuades Michelle's class to sing "Twist and Shout" rather than "The Wheels on the BusThe Wheels on the Bus"The Wheels on the Bus" is a popular children's song in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It is popular on journeys to keep children amused and has a very repetitive rhythm. In particular it is sung by pre-teens on bus journeys...
". - In an episode of A Different World, Whitley sings "Twist and Shout" on top of a bar when she and Kim decide to go out during their ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
break. - In the series premiere of Round the TwistRound the TwistRound the Twist is a Logie Award-winning Australian children's television series about three children and their widowed father who live in a lighthouse and become involved in many magical adventures....
, all four members of the Twist family sing the song in the car en route to their new home - In the film The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
, Benjamin and Daisy watch the Beatles' performance of the song on The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. - The Beatles' version is used in the game Karaoke Revolution Volume 3Karaoke RevolutionKaraoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
. - On Strictly Come DancingStrictly Come DancingStrictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
the song was danced to by John SergeantJohn Sergeant (journalist)John Sergeant is a British television and radio journalist and broadcaster.-Biography:The son of a missionary who was also a distinguished linguist, Sergeant is of Russian Jewish origin on his mother's side. Sergeant's early life meant that he followed his father's work, and was raised in...
and Kristina Rhianoff. - The Beatles' version is used in a commercial for WSBE, PBS KIDSPBS KidsPBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
. - It is also sung by Coventry City, Preston North End, West Ham United and BarnetBarnet F.C.Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
fans, and played before games. - It is performed by Dale Gonyea with J.R. & the Z-Man in a scene from the film Tuff TurfTuff TurfTuff Turf is a 1985 American drama film starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985.-Plot:...
. - In the TV movie The Jacksons: An American DreamThe Jacksons: An American DreamThe Jacksons: An American Dream is a five-hour American miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992...
, The Jackson 5The Jackson 5The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
is shown performing the song at a the Apollo TheatreApollo TheatreThe Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
. - It is the opening track in the Career mode of The Beatles: Rock BandThe Beatles: Rock BandThe Beatles: Rock Band is a 2009 music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series, in which players can simulate the playing of rock music by using...
. - In the film Back to School, Thornton Melon (Rodney DangerfieldRodney DangerfieldRodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
) leads a barroom full of raucous partiers with Oingo BoingoOingo BoingoOingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
as the backup band. - In an episode of ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Carter calls a radio show to request them to play "Twist and Shout" for Susan. Then he, Susan and Carol proceed to dance to the song in the middle of the emergency room, with various other employees dancing along.