This week at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag,
he’s asking us to write about a song in which
the title or a line mentions the current month.
Here’s my December artist and their song.
Tag: Disco
Let’s Get It On
This week at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag,
he’s asking us to write about a song in which
the title or a line mentions the current month.
Here’s my featured March artists and their song.
And It Goes Like This
Jim over at Song Lyric Sunday has challenged us to write about a song that mentions a dance style or craze or a song that has it’s own dance. My choice covers all those options.
The Peppermint Lounge was a popular disco on West 45th Street in New York City from 1958 to 1965. The club had a lengthy mahogany bar running along one side, many mirrors and a dance floor at the back, a capacity of about 180 people, and a large gay clientele. It was a happening scene.
As Chubby Checker’s “Twist” craze hit the scene, celebrities swarmed to the Peppermint Lounge, big names such as Audrey Hepburn, Truman Capote, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Liberace, Noël Coward, Frank Sinatra, Norman Mailer, Annette Funicello, even the elusive Greta Garbo had a swinging time there. Jackie Kennedy was such an enthusiast that she arranged for a temporary Peppermint Lounge to be mounted in the White House.
The Beatles were filmed visiting the club during their first U.S. visit in 1964. Artists who performed at the Peppermint Lounge include the Beach Boys, the Ronettes (who made their professional debut there in 1961) the Crystals, the Isley Brothers, Chubby Checker, Liza Minelli and the Four Seasons. But the crowds loved to dance to the house band, Joey Dee and the Starliters …. especially after they recorded their biggest hit song “The Peppermint Twist”, written in 1961 by Joey Dee and Henry Glover.
Capitalizing on the “Twist” dance craze started by Chubby Checker and the name of the nightclub where Joey Dee performed, “The Peppermint Twist” hit No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in early 1962. The song was a huge hit, replacing Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” at the No. 1 position.
I was just a kid but that didn’t matter; people of all ages loved dancing to “The Twist” and still do; “The Peppermint Twist” was no different. It was lots of fun, easy to do and had a great sound. Get ready to start cutting the rug. Here are Joey Dee and the Starliters with their biggest hit …. “The Peppermint Twist”.
And it goes like this…..
Lyrics
Well they’ve got a new dance and it goes like this
(Bop shoo-op, a bop bop shoo-op)
Yeah the name of the dance is Peppermint Twist
(Bop shoo-op, a bop bop shoo-op)
Well you like it like this, the Peppermint Twist
It goes ’round and ’round, up and down
‘Round and ’round, up and down
‘Round and ’round and a up and down
And a one two three kick, one two three jump
Well meet me baby down at 45th street
Where the Peppermint Twisters meet
And you’ll learn to do this, the Peppermint Twist
It’s alright, all night, it’s alright
It’s okay, all day, it’s okay
You’ll learn to do this, the Peppermint Twist
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Ey yeah
Ey yeah
Ey yeah
Ey yeah
Ey yey yeah
Ey yey yeah
Ey yey yeah
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Henry Glover / Joseph Di Nicola
Peppermint Twist (Original Artist Re-recording) lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Wixen Music Publishing
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This portfolio (including text, graphics and videos) is copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR © 2017-present.
IN THE GROOVE (June 20, 2023)
Right from his start in Gary, Indiana with his brothers in The Jackson 5, it was obvious that Michael Jackson was destined for stardom. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance and fashion, along with his globally publicized personal life, made him a world-renown figure in pop culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot.
He was indeed destined for stardom. Michael Jackson is the most awarded recording artist in pop music history.
It was not easy for me to pick a song by Michael Jackson; after watching a few videos, I kept coming back to one because of its creativity in both song and dance. The precision of the dance moves by Jackson and the ensemble cast is impeccable. We’d never seen anything quite like it before or since. My choice for you today is Thriller.
What you are about to see is the short version; no singing or dancing has been cut from the long version so you won’t be missing anything. The full version is more than 13 minutes long and is all about what happens before the zombie song/dance routine. I saw no reason in taking up your time with what can readily be viewed on YouTube at your leisure.
The first time I saw this on MTV, I couldn’t believe what I was watching. Hold onto something and get ready for Thriller!
That was crazy good! So fabulous to watch and still great after all these years!
Now for the question of the day:
In the original long version of “Thriller”, we can hear narration being done by a very ‘creepy’ and easily recognizable voice. Can you name the famous old-time actor well known for his many spooky movies who was the voice of “Thriller”?
Check the bottom of the page for the answer.
Well, I hope you’re having a great time here In The Groove. I love comments as well as answers so don’t be shy; let me know what you’re thinking.
Catch you Thursday At The Movies.
See you on the flip side.
I’m The Sicilian Storyteller
NAR © 2023
The unforgettable spooky voice was that of ….. Vincent Price.
NAME THAT TUNE (May 14, 2023)
Welcome back for another chance to Name That Tune!
I’ve got some clues for you; let’s see if you can come up with the correct name of today’s song and the group that made it a hit.
Here are your clues:
- The featured group today is by far one of the most popular to come out of Scandinavia.
- Today’s song, which is about dancing at a disco, has a joyful meaning which resonated with many American listeners.
- The name of this quartet changed several times before they settled on an acronym using the initials of the group member’s first names.
- The featured song today was used in a 2008 movie with the same name as another hit song by this group.
- The members of this group were two married couples who eventually met their Waterloo, resulting in divorce for both couples.
Are you feeling lucky today? Did you guess the group and its song? Scroll down for the big reveal.
Of course! ABBA is the group and today’s song is the disco hit “Dancing Queen”.
Now here’s the video. Everybody up on the dancefloor!
That was fun and who doesn’t like a little disco! Did you break out your spandex and platform shoes?
Do you enjoy disco dancing? What’s your favorite disco song? Let us know by leaving a comment or posting a video.
Don’t forget to join Pete tomorrow in Breaktime Whodunnit. It’s going to be a fun week in The Rhythm Section.
I’m outta here, boys and girls!
See you on the flip side.
I’m The Sicilian Storyteller
NAR © 2023
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