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In other words, we can blame Dick Clark's wife for Chubby Checker? Works for me. "The Twist" was the record, though I preferred "Limbo Rock" myself. I'm sure Chubby's still bitter about being ignored by the R&R HOF folks. Given some they've inducted, I don't see why they don't let him in, too.



ED :)
 
I have a DVD with a concert of him, called "Soulmates - Absolutely Live", which has a Best of CD included with some tracks from People. Unfortunately the song in question is not included.

If you like to see what you may have to look for here's his webpage discography:

http://www.mandoki.net/en/alben/

-Kristian
 
I had the 45 of "The Twist" when I was 10 and I don't know what became of it. It would be well-worn anyway, it got played so much. Orange and yellow Parkway label.

Nazz's second album "Nazz Nazz" is one of my all-time favorites. They really kick as* on it. The original releases were pressed on translucent red vinyl and my friend was always trying to sell me his copy at an outrageous price. I had/have a later black vinyl version and it turns out the black version is rarer than the red.

So, the last time I saw him, I notified him of this revelation and tried (jokingly) to sell him my black copy at an outrageous price. We had a good laugh over it and he said he still has his red copy.

Doug
 
I had the 45 of "The Twist" when I was 10 and I don't know what became of it. It would be well-worn anyway, it got played so much. Orange and yellow Parkway label
You and I are about the same age then - I had that one too. And Limbo Rock. They were both presents. The very first 45 that I bought was a Beatles record. I wanted to buy She Loves You so I went to the record store but the clerk told me they were out of stock. But, he said he had another Beatles record and the song was called I Want To Hold Your Hand. Well I was hesitant because I hadn't heard that song before but I really wanted a Beatles record so I bought it anyway.

Many Beatles' purchases later, in 1966, the strangest thing having to do with Beatles records happened. A couple of blocks from where I lived (in New Brunswick, Canada) was a corner store which we went to all the time first buying candy and as we got older cigarettes. One day I'm in there and I look up on one of the shelves and there is a 45 record. Actually I wasn't sure at first but it was the size of a 45 only it was a full sleeve - no whole in the middle. And the sleeve was a photograph. So I moved closer to get a better look and it said The Beatles. And in the picture were 4 guys but they all had mustaches and different haircuts then the Beatles. I took the record down from the shelve and turned in over and there were baby pictures on the other side and printing "Penny Lane" and Strawberry Fields Forever".

I'm going what? I've never heard of these songs. This must be fake. I looked at the photograph again and something convinced me that these really were the Beatles. So I bought the record, took it home and played the hell out it. About a week after I bought it they were playing on the radio.

A similar thing happened to a friend of my older brother who somehow got a copy of Stepenwolf's debut album before it was released. It was something like his father owned a store and this album was inside a box of merchandise.
 
How old am I? One of the first few hundred 45's I owned included a white label copy of "The Twist" (with "Toot" on the B-side), which was the original 1959 release. By the time it finally charted in 1960 C/P had moved to an orange label, then the orange/yellow design they kept into 1966. I also still have a white label copy of "The Class," Chubby's first chart side (also from '59) which was actually a pretty solid novelty record for its time. He recorded a good share of junk, sure, but sprinkled about were some pretty good dance records like "Pony Time" and (with Dee Dee Sharp) "Slow Twistin'."

ED :)
 
My first 45 was (blush) "Puff the Magic Dragon", WB red label with the arrows all around it. First Beatles 45 was "Do You Want To Know a Secret", yellow VJ, bought at the supermarket check out line!! Really. I told my mother I wanted to buy it (79 cents), and she said "Are you sure you want to spend your allowance on this?"

Oh yeah! Yeah yeah yeah!

My collective "disease" began at that checkout and continues to this day.
 
When I was a kid in grade school I remember "Puff" being the kind of thing our music teacher (yes, we had those back in the day) liked; indeed, she was something of a folkie, playing us Ed McCurdy, the Kingston Trio, and the occasional pop record (don't remember her name, but I do remember her pretty face and that she loved the Serendipity Singers' "Crooked Little Man" aka "Don't Let the Rain Come Down." This was in the midst of Beatlemania (which she probably wisely ignored), so while she did get to "Wynkyn, Blynkyn and Nod" by the Simon Sisters, and played more than a few Peter, Paul and Mary gems, she stayed away from Dylan, presumably because he was too 'adult' for us eight and nine-year-olds. It was fun, though; pity we had to grow up and move on.

ED :)
 
The Cameo/Parkway early '60s hits remain somewhat underrated, as if they were second-rate (although I wonder: compared to whom, or what?) Beyond Chubby there was Dee Dee, who also did "Ride!" and "Gravy" (yes, for her "Mashed Potato Time"). The Dovells had "Bristol Stomp" and "You Can't Sit Down," the Orlons "Don't Hang Up" and "South Street" (where all the hippies meet). Even Bobby Rydell had a few decent ones ("Kissin' Time," "Wild One") amidst his usual dross. I thought C/P was more of an assembly line than Motown, even if it did begin to run out of steam after the Beatles and the Invasion kicked in.

ED :)
 
At the start of my high school days here in the land of Oz my music teacher took us through the recently released "In The Court Of The Crimson King". Wondrous times indeed. I wonder if she knew she was starting me on a lifelong obsession?
 
Linda's post about Hurricane Smith and his hit reminded me about the kind of short little era back then from 1970 to about 1972 when there were these quirky little tunes and they were good ones.

Another was Mungo Jerry's "In the Summer Time". I even consider Seals and Croft's "Summer Breeze" one of those because of it's unusual meter. It was difficult to "sync" to when you first heard it. Also, "Little Green Bag" by George Baker and "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" which I believe was Lobo's first hit.

Doug

And then there was this one-

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2005
 
Some wonderful posts, gang!

My first record was a 78, which I bought at three: Cindy, oh, Cindy (a sea shanty) - Vince Martin & The Tarriers (one of which was Alan Arkin.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYGJvuserZQ&list=PL5DEFF58FD84EE5FF Vince later did an album with Fred Neil, which I have on CD.

My first 45 was House of Bamboo - Andy Williams on Cadence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4T5wGnoCzM Believe it or not, it was a rockin' beatnick number! It was the b-side of Hawaiian Wedding Song, which I hated at the time, but like now. House of Bamboo actually got lots of airplay, although hardly anyone remembers it. I was four when I bought this. The next year, we moved to Berwyn. My new best friend Louie's dad was in the juke box business. We had a jukebox stocked with our favorites. I found out that Louie dug House of Bamboo, as well. So, that was in the jukebox. I'm not sure it was ever on an LP. In the late '90's, Varese Sarabande put it on a compilation CD of Andy's Cadence recordings, which I bought.
"Listen to a platter that rocks the jukebox."

My first LP was a kids' record: The Alvin Show Alvin, Alvin, ALVIN! OK!!! Even though I had a stereo, I bought it in mono. I have a stereo CD.

My first Beatle record was the album Something New in mono when it was a new release. My first Beatle single was Lady Madonna b/w The Inner Light. I owned lots of Beatle albums already at that point, all the rest in stereo.

My first prerecorded reel was Get that Feeling - Jimi Hendrix & Curtis Knight. I had a 7" reel deck since '61.

The first prerecorded cassette I bought was At Your Birthday Party - Steppenwolf. It was a new release on Ampex.

My first CD was the Beatles Abbey Road on Japanese Toshiba/EMI. The next week, it became unavailable, and remained so for a few years. At that point, it was already my 6th copy. I still have it, although I've bought it several more times since. It is my fave Beatles album and in my 10 fave albums by anyone.

My first Quad LP was Hold on to Me - Bonnie Koloc QS. I could actually decode it a year later.

My first Q8 was Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits, which Lafayette Radio gave me for free with my Akai CR-80DSS.

My first DVD-A was Brain Salad Surgery - ELP

My first SACD was Hourglass - James Taylor

When the Twist was a hit in '60, my Dad belonged to a private club. Chubby's Twist was one of the few rock tunes on the jukebox. Glenn Miller and Guy Lumbago were their normal fare. Every time I was in that place, I'd play The Twist. The members stocked the jukebox, and the plays were free. After two years of Twist being loaded, I showed up one day and it wasn't on the jukebox. I protested, "why did you take the Twist out? It's a huge hit!" "Yeah, but that was two years ago," was the adult response. "No, they're playing it NOW!" I responded. "Sure, as an oldie." "No, it's a hit again," I said. None of the men believed me, figuring I was a dumb kid and blowing smoke. When they found out that the Twist hit #1 a second time, it was loaded back in the jukebox and never left it.
 
Another 45 Louie and I had loaded on that jukebox was Johnny Horton's Battle of New Orleans. From Ed Sullivan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBmE_clkBBU Although it's still a great song, I prefer the Homer & Jethro version, Battle of Kookamonga Live and in living color!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mGFjAySTw I met Jethro Burns at a gig he played, opening for another mandolin player, David Grisman at Chicago's Park West. He was a delight and a true gentleman.
 
Cat Killerrrrrr!

:D

I have a folk album by Chubby called "Chubby's Folk Album" from 1962. It actually has the copyright date on the label, which was rare in those days (it wasn't until about 1969-70 that it became common). It has "Hey Bobba Needle", "Loddy Lo", and "Hooka Tooka" on it.

The inner sleeve has almost all of the albums/songs on it referenced by Ed above.

I guess I didn't like "Timothy" enough to ever pay attention to the lyrics. A nice, fun little ditty, huh. :D

Oddly enough, my record-playing buddy, when I was a little kid, was my neighbor Timothy who, as far as I know, is still alive. :D My situation was similar to Linda's in that my gram worked at the Terp Ballroom in Austin and they would give her records removed from the jukebox to give to me. Tim's mom and dad ran a roller rink and brought home records for him from the jukebox there. Needless to say, we were well-stocked with the hits of the late fifties.

Doug
 
How old am I? One of the first few hundred 45's I owned included a white label copy of "The Twist" (with "Toot" on the B-side), which was the original 1959 release. By the time it finally charted in 1960 C/P had moved to an orange label, then the orange/yellow design they kept into 1966. I also still have a white label copy of "The Class," Chubby's first chart side (also from '59) which was actually a pretty solid novelty record for its time. He recorded a good share of junk, sure, but sprinkled about were some pretty good dance records like "Pony Time" and (with Dee Dee Sharp) "Slow Twistin'."

ED :)

This is too much! The twist- sick shit! Hula hoops-super balls-twin twirler yo-yo's- Ahab the Arab, rainbow taffy, gas for $0.27 a gallon- $0.35 for 2 movies, and cartoons-with a buttercup popcorn for $0.55, and a Coke for a nickel.
I'm OLD!!!:yikes
 
This is too much! The twist- sick shit! Hula hoops-super balls-twin twirler yo-yo's- Ahab the Arab, rainbow taffy, gas for $0.27 a gallon- $0.35 for 2 movies, and cartoons-with a buttercup popcorn for $0.55, and a Coke for a nickel.
I'm OLD!!!:yikes

You forgot the Slinky and Mr. Machine--the latter the favorite toy I never got as a kid, but my wife found a perfectly working one some years ago and surprised me one Christmas with it (still works, I'm glad to say, though it does nothing more than walk and march, essentially).

LIMBO ROCK (1962) and CHUBBY'S FOLK ALBUM (1963) were Checker's only C/P albums to be released in full stereo (a few others have some stereo tracks, but some rechannelings, too). The latter has three chart sides, the others being "Loddy Lo" and "Hey Bobba Needle." As for "Hooka Tooka" my guess is the inspiration for recording that one probably came from Judy Henske's live album (Elektra EKL-321/EKS-7231, released that spring) where she offers a fine version in which she explains its dubious origins (whether I believe her or not, she knew how to tell a story).

ED :)
 
I had a Mr. Machine and it was made to be taken apart and put back together which I did many times. I guess my mechanical skills influenced me, even then, and I made sure I kept him lubricated. Unfortunately, it was with oil NOT plastic compatible and the plastic gears eventually became brittle and broke. At the time, I couldn't imagine it was actually the oil causing it.

Anyway, the original Mr. Machine had a bell that rang continuously as he walked and a squawk box that sounded every 10 seconds or so. A delight for my parents, I'm sure. I usually removed the bell so he would walk faster. Hours of fun.

Ideal toys released a Mr. Machine in the seventies which was different from the original. You couldn't take him apart anymore and I think it played a tune instead of the bell and squawk box.

My mono copy of "Chubby's Folk Album" sounds real good. Something about the recording studios/engineers of those days...

Doug
 
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