Music Sales Group has acquired the U.S. publishing rights to The Twist, written by Hank Ballard and recorded by Chubby Checker.
It is the only song in history to have held the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 spot in two separate release cycles – first in September 1960 and then in January 1962.
In 1988, “The Twist” again became popular due to a new recording of the song by The Fat Boys featuring Chubby Checker.
This version reached number 2 in the United Kingdom and number 1 in Germany.
“The twist was an integral part of early rock’n’roll that defined the American experience in the early 1960s.”
John Castaldo, Music Sales
“’It’s impossible to talk about the post-WWII American songbook without referencing The Twist. It’s not just a hit song that spawned a dance craze, but an integral part of early rock n’ roll that defined the American experience in the early 1960’s,” said John Castaldo, SVP at Music Sales Corporation.
“The lyric, ‘My daddy is sleepin’ and mama ain’t around’ propelled the nation’s youth to embrace their independence, foreshadowing America’s counterculture revolution that culminated in Woodstock.”
Although best known for its classical music repertoire, independent publisher Music Sales Group also controls songs by the likes of Jimmy Webb, Gavin Clark and Solomon Grey.Music Business Worldwide
