The Wah-Watusi

1962 single by The Orlons

"The Wah-Watusi"

Single by The Orlons

from the album The Wah-Watusi

B-side

"Holiday Hill"

Released

May 1962 (1962-05)

Genre

R&B

Length

2:30

Label

Cameo

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 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.

References

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