The Wah Watusi

As Tunesmate noted in March, 1962 was a huge year for the Twist.  However, the Twist wasn’t the only dance craze that enjoyed significant success that year.  Exactly 50 years ago today, The Orlons’ very first single, “The Wah Watusi,” peaked at number two on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart.  Not only was “The Wah Watusi” the Philadelphia-based group’s first hit, it was also their biggest hit. They would hit number four with “Don’t Hang Up” and number three with “South Street” as their two follow-up singles to “The Wah Watusi,” but then they never made it back to the top ten.  In the meantime, the Watusi went on to become one of the more memorable dances to come out of the 1960s, as the song has been remade by a number of artists, referenced in various popular culture texts, and used as the basis for a the name of “The Batusi” dance from the 1960s’ Batman television series.