HANK BALLARD

ONE OF THE STARS OF 1950s RYHTHM ‘N’ BLUES ORIGINATOR OF THE EARLY 1960s TWIST CRAZE.

Early in their long stint at Cincinnati’s King/Federal Records, Hank Ballard and his high‐ stepping Midnighters specialized in risqué double‐entendre grinders ‐ Work With Me Annie, its inevitable sequel Annie Had A Baby, Sexy Ways ‐ that daringly pushed the bounds of propriety as they sailed up the mid‐1950s R&B charts like rockets. As the tumultuous decade HANK BALLARD ROCKS RELEASE DATE 10 JUNE , 2022 LABEL: BEAR FAMILY CAT NUMBER: BCD17580 FORMAT: CD (Digipak) w/ BOOKLET PRICE: £ 9.99 GENRE: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, VINTAGE RYHTHM ‘N’ BLUES BARCODE: 4000127175809 neared its conclusion, Hank and his bawdy Detroit‐based crew invented the greatest dance theme of ‘em all, The Twist, embarking on a slew of additional workouts after that. Both phases of the group’s vast recording legacy are represented in abundance on ‘Hank Ballard and The Midnighters Rock,’ its highlights also encompassing Finger Poppin’ Time, Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go, and The Hoochi Coochi Coo. Get out your dancing shoes for this one ‐ Chubby Checker may have ultimately won the Twisting wars, but Hank Ballard and The Midnighters were rocking houses coast to coast long before Chubby ever even saw the inside of a recording studio, and that mindset permeates this disc. When it came to rock and roll dance fare, Hank and his rowdy group were the living end!