Download MP3 Here   The great Sam Cooke had several huge hits in the early ’60s, among them “Another Saturday Night”, “Cupid”, “You Send Me”,  and this gem – “Twistin’ the Night Away”.  He was born Samuel Cook in 1931 and died (or rather was killed) just 33 years later.  The circumstances of his death don’t make for a pretty story and are disputed to this day.  You can “google” it if you’re curious.  He added the “e” to his last name in 1957 because he thought it was classier and would make him more appealing to white audiences.  Didn’t need the extra letter, Sam… your voice was all you needed.

Sam recorded “Twistin’ the Night Away” in 1962 using the best studio musicians in L.A. at the time – The Wrecking Crew.  Kind of an odd name for such a fine group of musicians, but it didn’t hurt their popularity.  They were the backup/studio band for just about everybody back then.  The likes of The Beach Boys,  Sonny & Cher, and Frank Sinatra used these session players in almost all of their recordings.  And they were the only musicians behind The Monkees since those boys couldn’t play an instrument to save their lives.

Nobody “twists” anymore (sad), but if invited to do so by a savvy bar band, they’ll do it forever.  That’s why I made this arrangement longer than usual.  It includes piano, sax, trumpet, and organ solos just to stretch it out a bit.  Give this one a shot at your next gig – they’ll twist ’til they drop.