Covering a 1958 B-side by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters called "The Twist," Chubby Checker broke into the public consciousness in 1960, taking the song all the way to number one and igniting a dance craze in the process. Although he really only had that one trick up his sleeve, Checker made the most of it. It was such a delightful trick that it worked again and again in minor variations, and he scored hits with "Do the Pony," "The Fly," "Limbo Rock," "Let's Twist Again," and "Slow Twistin'," most of which are collected here. Unfortunately these aren't the original Cameo-Parkway single versions, though, but re-recordings that Checker did later in his career to get around licensing problems. The newer versions don't really sound a whole lot different than the original ones, but they are different. "Limbo Rock," for one, had more calypso in it in than the Cameo-Parkway version, while the later version collected here has a more pronounced reggae feel, although the tone of the song remains virtually the same. As a rule, the Cameo-Parkway recordings usually have a little bit more spark to them, but these later recordings are OK if you're looking for something for a dance party where no one is going to know the difference anyway. It's all about dancing and motion and not much else, and that was what Checker was aiming for no matter which version it is. ~ Steve Leggett
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