The Wah-Watusi Explained

The Wah-Watusi
Type:	single
Artist:	The Orlons
Album:	The Wah-Watusi
B-Side:	Holiday Hill
Genre:	R&B
Label:	Cameo
Prev Title:	(Happy Birthday) Mr. Twenty-One
Prev Year:	1962
Next Title:	Don't Hang Up
Next Year:	1962

"The Wah-Watusi" is a song written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell and performed by The Orlons. It reached No.2 on the U.S. pop chart behind Bobby Vinton's "Roses Are Red (My Love)", No.5 on the U.S. R&B chart,^[1] and No. 12 in Canada^[2] in 1962. It was featured on their 1962 album The Wah-Watusi.^[3]

"The Wah-Watusi" sold over one million copies and was awarded gold disc status.^[4]

The song ranked No.24 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1962.^[5]

Other versions

• Dee Dee Sharp, on her 1962 compilation album All the Hits by Dee Dee Sharp.^[6]
• Annette, as a single in 1964, but it did not chart.^[7]
• The Miracles, on their 1963 album The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey.^[8]
• The Ronettes included their version on the 2011 various artists album The Philles Album Collection.^[9] Their rendition 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]
• In an episode of Mama's Family, Naomi and her friend Luann are singing and dancing to it.

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Orlons, "The Wah-Watusi" Chart Positions. March 8, 2019.
2. Web site: CHUM Hit Parade - July 23, 1962.
3. Web site: The Orlons, The Wah-Watusi. . 1962 . March 8, 2019.
4. Book: Murrells , Joseph . 1978. The Book of Golden Discs. 2nd. Barrie and Jenkins. London. 149 & 164. 0-214-20512-6. registration.
5. "Top 100 Singles of 1962", Billboard, Section II, December 29, 1962. p. 82. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
6. Web site: Dee Dee Sharp, All the Hits by Dee Dee Sharp. . 1962 . March 8, 2019.
7. Web site: Annette, "The Wah Watusi" Single Release. . 1964 . March 8, 2019.
8. Web site: The Miracles, The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey. . 11 November 1963 . March 8, 2019.
9. Web site: The Ronettes, The Philles Album Collection. . 24 October 2011 . March 8, 2019.
10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc4bH9u1O_c Wachusett Summit Commercial