Gary "U.S." Bonds - Twist Up Calypso (Music CD)

The success of "Dear Lady Twist" (included here) inspired an entire album of songs derived from calypso music. Bonds and producer Frank Guida, it must be said, didn't do it halfway: almost everything here employs prominent calypso beats, and in addition to covers of the calypso tunes "Day-O" and "Mama Look a Booboo," several of the originals are obviously based on calypso riffs (such as "A Woman Is Smarter"). Bonds pulls off his task with genuine exuberance -- the arrangements are considerably hotter and more indebted to the "party" sounds of his hits than the filler on his first LP -- though as usual it's the hits, "Twist, Twist Senora!" and the fabulous "Dear Lady Twist," that stand out. The album was reissued, together with Bonds' first LP (1961's Dance 'Til Quarter to Three), on a single-CD compilation by Ace in 1998. ~ Richie Unterberger