You can consider this article a sequel. Recently, I wrote about The Isley Brothers and their legendary song Shout. Well, for special people, you have to do special things, and the Isleys are special. They’ve been around for decades, and have had a ton of hits, several of which have real cultural weight. One of their biggest and first smashes was Twist and Shout. Yup, that one. The one that Ferris Bueller performed, that was covered by The Beatles, that was covered by The Isley Brothers…the first artists to make the song a hit.
The Isley Brothers weren’t the first to sing Twist and Shout. The song was originally sung by another R&B vocal group, The Top Notes in 1961. Their version didn’t do well. In fact, it didn’t make it on any of Billboard’s charts. In 1962, The Isleys remade the single with their own modifications, and released it to massive success. Twist and Shout became the group’s first Top 40 hit on Billboard’s pop chart, reaching number 17.
The Isleys had to have done something right with Twist and Shout, because none other than The Beatles decided to cover The Isley Brothers’ version of the tune two years later. The Fab Four’s version of the cut sold one million copies and went to number two on Billboard’s pop chart. The Beatles’ take on the song was later performed, 22 years later, by the lead character in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in an iconic scene. His (Matthew Broderick’s) performance in the film brought The Beatles’ cover of Twist and Shout back to the pop charts in 1986, peaking at number 23.
No matter who sung it first, or who covered it afterward, The Isley Brothers created the most important verison of Twist and Shout. Theirs was the first hit take on the song, and the blueprint for everyone else on how to sing it. Not a bad accomplishment from a family hailing from Southern Ohio.
Miami Valley Music Focus explores the places and people behind the music of Southwest, Ohio. This series is made possible by support from Ohio Arts Council.
