Twist Uptown

Twist Uptown
Studio albumby The Crystals
Released	August 1962
Recorded	1961–1962
Genre	Pop,R&B
Label	PhillesPHLP 4000
Producer	Phil Spector
Phil Spectorchronology
The Teddy Bears Sing (1959) Twist Uptown (1962) 'He's a Rebel' (1963)
SinglesfromTwisted Uptown
"There's No Other (Like My Baby)" Released: October 1961 "Uptown" Released: February 14, 1962

Twist Uptownis the first album byThe Crystals,issued to capitalize upon their success with theCynthia WeilandBarry Manncomposition "Uptown"which was a #13 US hit, and their first top forty hit"There's No Other (Like My Baby)"(#20 US).Twist Uptownnotably features the first released version of "On Broadway,"a composition written byCynthia Weil and Barry Mann.The song was later modified byJerry Leiber and Mike Stollerand became a hit forThe Driftersin 1963.

Barbara Alston was The Crystals' main lead singer at the time, and the only songs from this album not to feature her on lead are "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" on which Patricia "Patsy" Wright sang lead; and "Gee Whiz"and" Frankenstein Twist "which featuredDolores "LaLa" Brooks.During this period, The Crystals appeared as a quintet but this album features the vocals of six Crystals; it contains tracks with original member Myrna Giraud as well asDolores "LaLa" Brookswho was Giraud's permanent replacement by its release. Recording sessions took place mainly atAldon Musicand Mirasound in late 1961 and early 1962.

In 1963, the album was repackaged asHe's a Rebelto benefit from theirhit of the same name(although the song was really recorded byThe Blossoms) and the two tracks that were omitted were "Please Hurt Me" and "Gee Whiz Look at his Eyes (Twist)."

Track listing

Side One

1. "Uptown"- (Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil) - 02:33
2. "Another Country-Another World" - (Spector/Pomus) - 03:06
3. "Frankenstein Twist" - (Henry/McCorkle) - 03:01
4. "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" - (Spector/Hunter) - 02:28
5. "Please Hurt Me" - (King/Goffin) - 02:16

Side Two

1. "There's No Other (Like My Baby)"- (Spector/Bates) - 02:31
2. "On Broadway"- (Weil/Mann/Leiber/Stoller) - 02:31
3. "What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen" - (Kolber/Keller) - 02:42
4. "No One Ever Tells You" - (Spector/King/Goffin) - 02:21
5. "Gee Whiz Look at His Eyes (Twist)"- (Thomas) - 02:47
6. "I Love You Eddie" - (Spector/Hunter) - 01:58

Personnel

• Barbara Alston - Lead vocals (backing vocals on "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby", "Gee Whiz", and "Frankenstein Twist" )
• Patricia "Patsy" Wright - Backing vocals (lead vocals on "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" )
• Myrna Giraud - Backing vocals
• Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew- Backing vocals
• Dolores "LaLa" Brooks- Backing vocals (lead vocals on "Gee Whiz" and "Frankenstein Twist" )
• Mary Thomas - Backing vocals
• Phil Spector- Producer

Singles history

• "There's No Other (Like My Baby)"/" Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby "- (#20 US)
• "Uptown" / "What A Nice Way to Turn Seventeen" - (#13 US)

Critical reception

Pig River Recordsreviewed 'Twist Uptown' on its 50th anniversary giving the record 7.1/10 stating the album "epitomizes this contradiction of innocent purity with a borderline lack of imagination."