The Midnighters, and then renamed Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, were formed in 1952 Detroit. The group transitioned several talents before gaining success with comebacks like, "The Twist." The group is often recognized for their contributions to R&B, but they fit into the Garage rock era with the emphasis their music places on the beat and low-fi, relaxed sound. Listening to "The Twist" which is about a dance, it suits the fun-loving feel of Garage rock throughout the 50s and 60s. The band is so influential that in 2012, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll hall of fame.
The reason I found this group to be so interesting was because of their great comeback story. They had to find a new lead singer and go a couple of years before finding success, but they were determined to not be "one hit wonders" and made music so special that they have been recognized with one of music's highest honors. Twist!
Hey, I thought it was so interesting that Hank Ballard and the Midnighters first big hit was the song "The Twist". There are so many popular songs that have created dance crazes including: the Electric Slide, the Macarana, and the Hand Jive to name a few. Do you think the band's initial success came from the popularization of their dance move or their music?
Be careful. The Midnighters were a 1950s R&B group while the 1960s garage rock band was a Chicano rock group called Thee Midniters (changed to avoid legal issues with Hank Ballard's similarly-named group)! SEE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thee_Midniters.
Hey, I thought it was so interesting that Hank Ballard and the Midnighters first big hit was the song "The Twist". There are so many popular songs that have created dance crazes including: the Electric Slide, the Macarana, and the Hand Jive to name a few. Do you think the band's initial success came from the popularization of their dance move or their music?
ReplyDeleteBe careful. The Midnighters were a 1950s R&B group while the 1960s garage rock band was a Chicano rock group called Thee Midniters (changed to avoid legal issues with Hank Ballard's similarly-named group)!
ReplyDeleteSEE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thee_Midniters.