Roy Orbison - Twinkle Toes
I wasn't a major fan of his when I was a kid but I have to recognize that he was a pretty unique artist in his time, with his own unique style as a singer/songwriter. He never had a real hard rocking sound and went his own way with songs like Crying and Oh Pretty Woman. I guess you could categorize him as rockabilly with an often darker, less macho vibe. One song of his that I found a little strange for him was the hit Twinkle Toes. The title doesn't reek of coolness or rock to me and I found it amusing. To me, Orbison didn't look the part of a rocker (more like a shoe salesman) and he barely moved on stage. But I think he had a tremendous voice and a very unique songwriting take. I spent a year in France in the mid 60s when this came out and at night while lying in bed I would listen to English top 40 rock and roll radio coming in from London. Orbison was apparently extremely popular in England (probably even more than in the States) and the radio stations for awhile were playing the hit Twinkle Toes every few minutes. It rose to #29 on the UK charts.
Twinkle Toes to me doesn't sound like a typical Roy Orbison hit tune. The tune is about a go-go dancer in a private club that Orbison loves and calls Twinkle Toes. The girl has a broken heart but still has to dance the night away for the amusement of customers. Orbison I understand wanted to try his hand at a more "go-go" styled tune and included a guitar with a fuzz tone.