Talk about being in the right place at the wrong time. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters cut a little song called "The Twist." It met with moderate success and was on the cusp of obscurity when a cover version by an unknown singer with a stupid name shot to Number One (twice, no less) to become the biggest hit single of the pre-Whitney Houston era. Lucky for Hank and company, they had laurels upon which to rest, and in years to come rock critics would speak of the Midnighters in reverential tones while Chubby Checker thanklessly toured the clubs of Hoboken.

The Midnighters initial claim to fame was a string of bawdy songs featuring one Annie and her fondness for "work" (a barely disguised sexual euphemism). Hank first begged "Work With Me Annie," but had to desist when "Annie Had A Baby." In between, Ballard and others cut a seemingly endless string of answer songs (a tradition that continues in R&B to the present). After that, in addition to "The Twist," Ballard hit with "Sexy Ways," "Let's Go Let's Go Let's Go," "Finger Poppin' Time," and others. Rhino's Sexy Ways: The Best Of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters is your best bet.