The Wah-Watusi

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"The Wah-Watusi"
Single by The Orlons
from the album The Wah-Watusi
B-side"Holiday Hill"
ReleasedMay 1962 (1962-05)
GenreR&B
Length2:30
LabelCameo
Songwriter(s)Kal Mann, Dave Appell
The Orlons singles chronology
"(Happy Birthday) Mr. Twenty-One"
(1962) 		"The Wah-Watusi"
(1962) 		"Don't Hang Up"
(1962)

"The Wah-Watusi" is a song written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell and performed by The Orlons. It reached #2 on the U.S. pop chart behind Bobby Vinton's "Roses Are Red (My Love)", and #5 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1962.[1] It was featured on their 1962 album The Wah-Watusi.[2]

"The Wah-Watusi" sold over one million copies and was awarded gold disc status.[3]

The song ranked #24 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1962.[4]

Other versions[]

  • Dee Dee Sharp released a version of the song on her 1962 compilation album All the Hits by Dee Dee Sharp.[5]
  • Annette released a version of the song as a single in 1964, but it did not chart.[6]
  • The Miracles released a version of the song on their 1963 album The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey.[7]
  • The Isley Brothers released a version of the song on their 1993 compilation album Shout and Twist with Rudolph, Ronald & O'Kelly.[8]
  • The Ronettes released a version of the song on the 2011 various artists album The Philles Album Collection.[9] Their version had originally been released on The Crystals' 1963 album The Crystals Sing the Greatest Hits Volume 1, but The Crystals received credit for the song.

In popular culture[]

  • The Orlons' version was featured in the 2011 film The Help and was included on the soundtrack.
  • The Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Massachusetts has adapted the song as a commercial jingle for a number of years.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Orlons, "The Wah-Watusi" Chart Positions". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  2. ^ "The Orlons, The Wah-Watusi". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  3. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins. pp. 149 & 164. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  4. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1962", Billboard, Section II, December 29, 1962. p. 82. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  5. ^ "Dee Dee Sharp, All the Hits by Dee Dee Sharp". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  6. ^ "Annette, "The Wah Watusi" Single Release". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  7. ^ "The Miracles, The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  8. ^ "The Isley Brothers, Shout and Twist with Rudolph, Ronald & O'Kelly". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  9. ^ "The Ronettes, The Philles Album Collection". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  10. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc4bH9u1O_c Wachusett Summit Commercial


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