Twist and Shout

I think everyone's heard "Twist and Shout". It's a staple at almost every wedding I've ever been to, and it never fails to remind me of elderly relatives getting their jam on. 

The history of this song, specifically of The Beatles' version (it was originally done by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers), is pretty fascinating. It was recorded, along with 11 other songs from Please Please Me, in a 10-hour marathon in the studio. George Martin (the band's producer) "knew Lennon's voice would suffer from the performance, so he left it until last, with only 15 minutes of scheduled recording time remaining." John was also violently ill with a cold that day (apparently they couldn't reschedule the session) and he was downing milk and inhaling cough drops just to keep his voice going a little bit longer. According to Wikipedia, "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.'" I read that and thought, wow. That's true devotion. I myself happen to be sporting a sore throat this week, and I probably wouldn't try to record most of an album in a single day with it. That's the difference between me and John Lennon (one of many).

As far as the song itself is concerned, if you manage to shake off its reputation as a boring wedding song that all the aunties dance to, it's actually fun and catchy. After all, Ferris Bueller made it cool on his day off (and apparently although the movie "uses the Beatles version... Paul McCartney was upset that horns were arranged over the track"). I think we should all take a moment to appreciate it as a work of vocal achievement. 

Well, I've finally made it to the end of Please Please Me. I'll be posting an album summary shortly. :)

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Heard It Tally: 2

Songs Completed: 14