Coventry's Own Dance – The Twang

 

Coventry's Own Dance – The Twang

by Pete Clemons

In 1962, Dione LaRue was signed to the Cameo/Parkway label. She was given the stage name of Dee Dee Sharp. Dee Dee then went on to release a string of successful singles including 'Slow Twistin' with Chubby Checker, 'Mashed Potato Time', 'Gravy (For My Mashed Potato)', 'Ride' and 'Do the Bird' which provided Dee Dee with her only entry in the UK singles chart which it entered during April 1963. It appears that the short lived Coventry dance, The Twang' was inspired during 1963 by 'Do the Bird'.

The song caught on at dance halls like The Locarno but the accompanying dance did not. Possibly it lacked something, and so it was forgotten. Until, that is, till later in 1963, when variations of the dance were devised. New steps were added that the 'hipsters' of the day found more interesting – interesting to perform, interesting to watch.

It appears that the dance spread too. Dancers all over Warwickshire, and further South were shaking their heads, swinging their hips and generally having a great time. The name of the dance was changed too. It was know as the Blues in Leamington and the Twang in Coventry and parts of London where it was still spreading.

This it seems was down to a Coventry PR company called Friars Promotions who specialised in putting rock 'n' roll / beat / pop acts on at local pubs and other venues and were run by local lads Mick Tiernan and Jack Hardy.

Friars operated from Whitefriars Street. For a short time the business became an incredible success as Friars set up dances at pubs not only in Coventry but also Birmingham and London. Even as far away as Wales and Scotland.

Mick Tiernan was, it seems, an incredibly forward thinking person and was always looking for ways and ideas to keep his dances fresh and to keep them in the public eye. And he appeared to push 'Do the Bird' even after it had dropped out of the chart.

What made The Twang unique and identifiable was that the dancers hands spent a considerable time behind their backs. Well, believe it or not, this posture was inspired by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Twang even made the national press where it was described: 'The idea it seems is to look as sullen or fed up with life as possible while, at the same time, shaking your legs ferociously. Your hands stay in Philip fashion most of the time, though occasionally they wake up and perform like those of the lady who advertises Windowlene on the television'.

The article continued 'The 'experts', of course, have a traditional pattern to follow. After a period of leg shaking they clap hands loudly and jump around to face a different angle. Then, hands back behind back, legs still shaking and head forward almost touching their partners. Occasionally they hit one hand into the palm of the other and create a pecking noise'.

Dee Dee Sharp may not have had huge success here in the UK but her other hits were million sellers in the US and would subsequently feature in films such as 'Sister Act'. And due, in part, to the silver screen her hits are more recogniseable today than they ever were.