How To Play Twist & Shout By The Beatles

This lesson has the easy and Intermediate guitar method on how to play the song. It covers the verses, chorus and guitar solo.

“Twist and Shout” is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns (later credited as “Bert Russell”). The song was originally recorded by the Top Notes. It first became a chart hit as a single by the Isley Brothers in 1962. The song has since been covered by several artists, including the Beatles on their first album Please Please Me (1963), as well as the Tremeloes in 1962 and the Who in 1970 and 1984.

Released on the Beatles’ first UK album, Please Please Me (1963), the complete recording of which on February 11, 1963, was their first album session and is notable for 10 songs recorded in a mere 13 hours. Loosely based on the Isley Brothers version, “Twist and Shout”, with John Lennon on lead vocals, was the last song recorded; producer George Martin knew Lennon’s voice would suffer from the performance, so he left it until last, with only 15 minutes of scheduled recording time remaining.

Lennon was suffering from a cold, and was drinking milk and sucking on cough drops to soothe his throat. His coughing is audible on the album, as is the cold’s effect on his voice. Even so, he produced a memorable vocal performance: a raucous, dynamic rocker. He later said his voice was not the same for a long time afterward, and that “every time [he] swallowed, it felt like sandpaper”.

A second take was attempted, but Lennon had nothing left and it was abandoned. George Martin said, “I did try a second take … but John’s voice had gone.”