Not-so-Funky Broadway!

Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Broadway

I was exposed to today's selection by Tim Lawrence at recent "Rhythm & Booze" and "Down in the Basement" appearances. In 1962, before Dyke made Broadway funky, Hank Ballard backed his "Do You Know How to Twist" (one of several "Twist" records Hank made in response to Chubby Checker's smash remake of Hank's 1958 version of "The Twist") with the slab of low-down-get-down "Broadway." It's mostly a swaggering instrumental (Hank gives the song a spoken intro and he and the band chant "Broadway!" throughout the song), and it's a lot of fun. Thanks, Tim, for hipping me to this goodie!