The String-A-Longs

An instrumental group that had three hits, more or less, counting the other two that I don’t have. They join The Crickets and The Fireballs as part of the Norman Petty stable of performers.

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The String-A-Longs:

• Wheels – A loping instrumental, and the title kind of fits, though I’m not sure why. I guess the title of an instrumental has a profound effect on how we hear it. Imagine if this were called “Fido” or “Chesnut Trees” or “Beer Belly.” We’d hear it very differently. I think. From the winter of 1961.
• Red River Twist – It was Johnny & The Hurricanes that took Red River Valley and rocked it up as Red River Rock; these guys sped it up just a bit and made it into a twist. Apparently a twist song has to be very fast. It wasn’t fast enough, though, to make the top 100.