Twistin' the Night Away

1962 single by Sam Cooke
the Sam Cooke song

"Twistin' the Night Away" is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. It was recorded on 18 December 1961 and released as a single in 1962. It became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 (#9) and Billboard's R&B chart (#1). "Twistin' the Night Away" was successful overseas as well, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was recorded with The Wrecking Crew as session musicians, including Rene Hall as band leader, Red Callender on bass, Earl Palmer on drums, Tommy Tedesco and Clifton White on guitars, Ed Beal on piano, John Kelson, John Ewing and Jewell Grant on saxophone and Stuart Williamson on trumpet.

Chart (1962)PeakpositionNew Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)6UK6U. S. Billboard Hot 1009U. S. Billboard R&B1U. S. Cash Box Top 1006

Chart (1962)RankUK 55U. S. Billboard Hot 10023U. S. Cash Box 30

In 1973, Rod Stewart released his version as the third single from Never a Dull Moment, his fourth album. This version achieved marginal success, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1987, he re recorded the song for the soundtrack to the film Innerspace. When released as a single in the summer of 1987, this version hit #80 on the Hot 100.

The song was also covered by the Motown group, the Marvelettes. Their version of the song appeared on the 1962 album, The Marvelettes Sing Smash Hits of 1962. The Glitter Band covered the song in 1974, on their debut album "Hey!". The song was recorded by Hutti Heita as a dark psytrance track in 2009.

Cooke's version also appeared in the 1978 classic Animal House, the 1987 film Innerspace, and the 2011 film The Green Hornet. The Shins titled their third album Wincing the Night Away in an apparent reference to the song. The song appeared in a dance sequence in Umbrella Academy.