[Lynn Bowman] from New York City: “I taught Arthur Murray to dance
The Twist” and Arthur Murray himself: “Now I’m going to teach Garry Moore to
Twist”
Chubby
Checker created a sensation with his June, 1960 recording of “The Twist”,
especially after an August appearance on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. More
than a year later, the original song (and dance) inexplicably and belatedly
caught on again, this time with an older audience that had always been the
demographic of Murray and his franchised dance studios. The revived interest would make the original
song reach number one for a second time in January 1962, and Checker kept the
craze alive with similar recordings such as “Let’s Twist Again.” The success of the song, especially with an
older crowd, is considered a watershed moment in adult acceptance of rock and
roll music. Here, Norman Paris and a
larger band than usual perform live for the various demonstrations.
Horst Assmann from Orlando, Florida will light his pumpkin with:
“A grapefruit”
There’s no
great scientific marvel at work here. It’s
well known that the acidic juice of a grapefruit or most any citrus fruit can
conduct electricity, as kids have demonstrated in science fair projects for
years. It does make a nice visual for
the show. (Also see E563)
Special guest Martha Raye plays a
practical joke on Betsy, whose birthday is November 1. With Betsy blindfolded, the other three (who
are in on the joke) merely pretend to perform Halloween stunts such as bobbing
for apples, as Raye cues the audience to react as if they were actually
happening. Norman Paris and the boys
perform “Happy Birthday To You.”
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