Twist And Shout – The Isley Brothers | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop(#17) and R&B (#2); 1962
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
When Ronald, O’Kelly, and Rudolph Isley recorded Angels Cried for the tiny Teenage label in 1957, they had no idea that this marked the beginning of a musical dynasty.
Two years later Shout – Part 1 on RCA Records garnered radio play and sales, yet, it failed to bring chart success for follow-up singles. Another label, Wand, and a song originally recorded by the Top Notes in 1961 to capitalize on the Twist phenomenon, finally brought the Isley brothers into the pop Top 20.
The huge success of The Beatles‘ recording of Twist And Shout in 1964 focused attention on the Isley’s earlier rendition, and helped ensure its place in rock ‘n’ roll history. As for the Isley Brothers themselves, they placed a remarkable total of 74 singles on the R&B charts before century’s end.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Phil Spector
Lyrics Written by:
- Bert Berns
- Phil Medley
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).