Twisting With the Prince

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Most everyone remember that old time favorite “The Twist” by Chubby Checker that remained on the charts at number one for a long time until it tumbled from that spot on January 26, 1962. At the time that “The Twist” was recorded the singer Chubby Checker suddenly found himself a sensation. Everywhere you went the song was played, the dance was done and in the center of it all was Chubby Checker. Life was fine until everyone wanted something new. The teenagers of America moved on to the Mashed Potato and the Pony. Chubby Checker got lucky once more and his second number one hit was “Pony Time”. What he didn’t know at the time was that “The Twist” would make a comeback. At the Peppermint Lounge in New York City actress Merle Oberon put in an appearance accompanied by the elderly prince in exile Prince Serge Obolensky of Russia. Well they did not do a Russian dance at the club what they did do was the twist. As the couple twisted the night away the dance was reborn. Soon adults in America were twisting more than the teens ever did. “The Twist” was once again at number one on January 13, 1962 and stayed there until once again the craze faded away on January 26. Actually I prefer his second twist song “Let’s Twist Again” as it always brought back found memories of the first twist time. As a child I believe in the summer of 1962 at the age of five I did “The Twist” with my dad at a party out in the Catskill Mountains of New York state. The second twist song brought Chubby Checker a Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Solo Vocal Performance.