This song connects the first movement of rock and roll (close harmony groups like The Crew Cuts and The Silhouettes) with the second movement (defined as the “Stupid Dance Movement” that includes Chubby Checker and The Orlons and their ilk). It provides the perfect bridge. So perfect in fact that Danny & The Juniors were never heard from in the top ten again. A great song that’s about nothing but dancing, which is fine but imagine a song today about “In Da Club” or something. I mean it just wouldn’t work...
Granted it was Rock and Roll fluff but an important song of the times it came from. The follow up song was Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay which true to the lyrics proved to be quite profetic. They had to other regional hits in the Philadlephia are with Dottie and In the Meantime. Were it not for the fact that Danny and the group were royally screwed by Dick Clark they might have had a longer spot in the sun. Unfortunetly Danny broke with the original Juniors and struck out on his own although without much success, he later attempted to form a new Danny and the Juniors but ended up in a courtroom fighting two of the original Juniors for use of the name. The other guys won and Danny drifted first to New York City and then eventually out west, finding work in the occasional club or hotel lounge. Sadly, it was reported that he committed suicide (some beleive that it was murder)some twenty years ago. On a positive note, Dave White one of the original Juniors, found a lucrative career as a song writter and went west to LA, he currently resides in Las Vegas. Two of the other original Juniors are still touring as Danny and the Juniors and can currently be found headlinning a cruise in the carribean, I guess Rock and Roll truly never does die. For the record, Danny Rapp was my mom's first cousin on her mother's side. Consequently, I had the good fortune to see most of their 15 miniutes of fame from the close sidelines as a kid.
Posted by: Patrick O'Hara | December 07, 2005 at 10:00 AM