Peppermint Twist
| "Peppermint Twist" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Joey Dee and the Starliters | ||||
| from the album Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge | ||||
| B-side | "Peppermint Twist (Part 2)" | |||
| Released | 1961 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 4:05 (Parts 1 and 2 combined) | |||
| Label | Roulette | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Joey Dee, Henry Glover | |||
| Joey Dee and the Starliters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Peppermint Twist" is a song written by Joey Dee and Henry Glover, recorded and released by Joey Dee and the Starliters in 1961.[1] Capitalizing on the Twist dance craze and the nightclub in which Dee performed ("The Peppermint Lounge"), the song hit No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in early 1962. It replaced Chubby Checker's "The Twist", the song that sparked the Twist fad, at the No. 1 position.
It should not be confused with "The Peppermint Twist", which is a different song written by Danny Lamego, whose group Danny Peppermint and the Jumping Jacks had a #54 Billboard hit with it in December 1961. Danny Peppermint performed at that time at The Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan, after which both songs are named, as did Joey Dee And The Starliters who went on to have the bigger hit.
Background
[edit]The lead singer in the Starliters' version is David Brigati, whose brother, Eddie Brigati, was a singer for 1960s rock band the (Young) Rascals.[2]
The original recording of the song was considered too long for release on a 45 rpm single, so it was split into two parts. It was this first part, "Peppermint Twist (Part 1)", with a length of 2:03, which became the No.1 hit; the mostly instrumental second half of the recording is rarely heard today.
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[3] | 33 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[5] | 8 |
Personnel
[edit]- David Brigati - lead vocals
- Billy Butler - guitar
- Don Martin - drums
- Carlton Lattimore - organ
- Jerome Richardson - sax
The Sweet version
[edit]| "Peppermint Twist" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Sweet | ||||
| from the album Sweet Fanny Adams | ||||
| B-side | "Rebel Rouser" | |||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Recorded | January 1974 | |||
| Studio | Audio International Studios, London;[6] Advision Studios, London[6] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Joey Dee, Henry Glover | |||
| The Sweet singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was covered by English glam rock band the Sweet on their second album Sweet Fanny Adams.[9] It was released as a single in 1974, but only in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, reaching No. 4 on the weekly chart and No. 26 on the 1975 year end chart in the former.[10]
A pop song with swirly vocal harmonies,[8] "Peppermint Twist" is the last example of the band's bubblegum sound. It's been criticized as out of place on Sweet Fanny Adams, a hard rock album.[11]
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 4 |
Personnel
[edit]- Brian Connolly – lead vocals, handclaps^, tambourine^
- Steve Priest – bass guitar and 6-string bass^
- Mick Tucker – vocals, timpani^, tubular bells^, gong^, effects^ (drums is uncredited)
- Andy Scott – guitars, piano^, cello^
^credited only (uncredited)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Breihan, Tom (April 13, 2018). "The Number Ones: Joey Dee And The Starliters' "Peppermint Twist – Part 1"". Stereogum. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ Pinchot, Joe (July 13, 2000). "Light still shines on Joey Dee". The Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 226.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 151.
- ^ a b Sweet Fanny Adams (LP sleeve). RCA Records. 1974. 172832.
- ^ Swanson, Dave (April 30, 2015). "How Sweet Finally Broke Out With 'Sweet Fanny Adams'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ a b "Sweet: Sweet Fanny Adams - Album Of The Week Club review". Classic Rock. September 14, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ Donald A. Guarisco. "Sweet Fanny Adams Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970 - 1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 302. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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