The Beatles performing "Twist and Shout" and "Baby's in Black" after having been introduced by the inimitable Ed Sullivan on August 8, 1965, at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York.
1963, Please Please Me
The Beatles' first album, Please Please Me, was recorded in a mere ten hours, with producer George Martin capturing the raw excitement and enthusiasm that the band had let loose with on British and German stages. The final song to be recorded was a cover of the Top Notes' "Twist and Shout," and it is without a doubt the best cut on the album. By the time they got around to the song, it was late at night and there were only 15 minutes left for the recording session. John's voice was worn-out from having sung all day, and as he screeched, "Shake it up, baby, now!" it sounded rough as sandpaper. Which is actually why the song's as great as it is. The Beatles were the punk rockers of the day, and they tear "Twist and Shout" to fucking shreds, screaming and squealing and "Oooooh!"-ing throughout two-and-a-half minutes. About 1:30 in, Paul and George start building up their "Aaaaahs" into John's ragged shout of the title, and it still stands as one of the most exhilarating, orgasmic moments ever put to record.
The Original: "Twist and Shout" was originally released as a single by the Top Notes in 1961, which failed to make a splash. Songwriter Bert Berns blamed Phil Spector's muddy production for ruining the song, and he's mostly right: It's a completely unremarkable song, if not really that bad. The Isley Brothers' version a year later brought the song to prominence, hitting #17 on the U.S. charts, and it's the one that drew the Beatles.
The original Top Notes version of "Twist and Shout," ironically played over pictures of the early pre-fame Beatles.
