Hank Ballard & The Midnighters The Jumpin Hank Ballard and The Midnighters

Hank Ballard was both a prolific writer and recorder, and according to the original sleeve notes to this album, the final selection of twelve songs was whittled down from 368! Hank had a hand in writing half of the tracks on display, including 'It's Twistin' Time', which in turn was inspired by his own composition 'The Twist'. This, of course, would become a major international hit for Chubby Checker, but Hank Ballard & The Midnighters also benefitted from the exposure the song gained. Although many of his contemporaries were primarily concerned with trying to attain single success, Hank had an eye on the potentially much more lucrative album market, as the original sleeve notes confirmed. 'In producing this album, one thing was kept in mind - a variety of moods and a variety of tempos so that in listening or dancing, you will be interested, because each track is different from the previous one.' An admirable mission and one which Hank and the Midnighters manage to pull off. Whilst several of the titles may indicate a dance orientated album, there is a pleasant switch of styles throughout.