Chaka Demus & Pliers (with Jack Radics & Taxi Gang) 'Twist & Shout'

Chart Peak: 1 (2 weeks)

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'Twist And Shout', a chart-topper in January 1994, was the 3rd of the duo's 4 UK hits to date... It followed 'Tease Me' and 'She Don't Let Nobody' and has now been followed into the chart by 'Murder She Wrote'

Before we start, I should acknowledge that yes, I am stretching a point somewhat by including the "Beatles cover" tag down there, but I ultimately concluded that they were the act most commonly associated with this song even though theirs wasn't the original version and was never released as UK single - it finally made the Top 50 in 2010 when it was made available as a download. Also, I should point out that Blogger doesn't seem to like ampersands, so if any of the ones in this post go a bit haywire, apologies.

In minor contrast to the preceding track, I remember this one very well but didn't realise until much later how much other success Chaka & Pliers had had: this was their third consecutive UK Top 5 single, an unprecedented feat for a Jamaican act (though it was reportedly only a last-minute change of mind by the record company that awarded them lead credit). I think only Shaggy has matched them in this regard.  And of all the versions of this song, this is the only one ever to reach Number One. That it became one of the few chart-toppers from the mid-90s pop-reggae revival may be something of an accident of timing in that it took advantage of traditionally low sales at the turn of the year, but it's fortuitous because this proves to be one of the best examples of the "cover an old song with some toasting over it" subgenre. It's possibly closer to the style of the Isley Brothers version than the Beatles, really, but what stands out most is the joyful, celebratory atmosphere. It sounds like a huge summer hit, whenever it really came out.


Also appearing on: Now 25, 26, 28, 29
Available on: True Reggae