"Twisted" is a 1952

vocalese Vocalese is a style of jazz singing in which words are added to an instrumental soloist's improvisation. Definition Vocalese uses recognizable lyrics that are sung to pre-existing instrumental solos, as opposed to scat singing, which uses nonsen ...

song with lyrics by

Annie Ross Annabelle McCauley Allan Short (25 July 193021 July 2020), known professionally as Annie Ross, was a British-American singer and actress, best known as a member of the jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Early life Ross was born in Surr ...

, set to a

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

solo of the same name by

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods. Biography Early years Gray was born in Oklahoma City, the youngest of four children. He spent his early chil ...

that was recorded in 1949. It has been covered by Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, and many others.

Background

"Twisted" is a whimsical account of the protagonist's insanity that satirises

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...

. In 1952, Ross met Prestige Records owner

Bob Weinstock Bob Weinstock (October 2, 1928 – January 14, 2006) was an American record producer best known for his label Prestige Records, established in 1949, which was responsible for many significant jazz recordings during his more than two decades o ...

, who asked her to write lyrics to a jazz solo, in a similar way to

King Pleasure King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks; March 24, 1922 – March 21, 1982) was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a well-known instrumental solo. Biography Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, Te ...

, a practice that would later be known as

. The next day, she presented him with "Twisted", a treatment of saxophonist

's 1949 composition of the same name, a classic example of the genre. She later said of the inspiration for the song: The song, first released in 1952 and later collected on the album ''King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings'', was an underground hit, and resulted in her winning '' DownBeat''s New Star award. Ross released a second version with the vocalese trio

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

on their 1960 album ''

The Hottest New Group in Jazz ''The Hottest New Group in Jazz'', also known by its full title ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!: "The Hottest New Group in Jazz"'' or alternatively considered self-titled, is the fourth album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, released in 1960. The titl ...

''. '' Gramophone'' described that recording as "more lighthearted, perhaps a little more individual" than Ross' first release of the song.

Covers

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell recorded the song on her 1974 album ''

Court and Spark ''Court and Spark'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in January 1974, it infuses the folk rock style of her previous albums with jazz elements. It was an immediate commercial and critical success— ...

'', featuring

Cheech & Chong Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The duo found commercial and cultural success in the 1970s and 1980s with their stand-up routines, studio recordings, and feature films, which were based on the hippie a ...

. In a 1974 interview, when asked why she covered the song, she said: "Because I love that song, I always have loved it. I went through analysis for a while this year and the song is about analysis. I figured that I earned the right to sing it. I tried to put it on the last record 'For_the_Roses''.html"_;"title="For_the_Roses.html"_;"title="'For_the_Roses">'For_the_Roses''">For_the_Roses.html"_;"title="'For_the_Roses">'For_the_Roses''but_it_was_totally_inappropriate._It_had_nothing_to_do_with_that_time_period_and_some_of_my_friends_feel_it_has_nothing_to_do_with_this_album_either._It's_added_like_an_encore."

_Others

Other_covers_include: *Mark_Murphy_(singer).html" ;"title="For_the_Roses">'For_the_Roses''.html" ;"title="For_the_Roses.html" ;"title="'For the Roses">'For the Roses''">For_the_Roses.html" ;"title="'For the Roses">'For the Roses''but it was totally inappropriate. It had nothing to do with that time period and some of my friends feel it has nothing to do with this album either. It's added like an encore."

Others

Other covers include: *Mark Murphy (singer)">Mark Murphy on his 1961 album ''Rah!'' * Bette Midler on her 1973 Bette Midler (album), self-titled album *Marlena Shaw on her 1973 album ''

Marlena Shaw Live at Montreux ''Marlena Shaw Live at Montreux'' (also released as ''Marlena Shaw Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at Montreux'') is a live album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' * Crystal Waters on her 1991 album '' Surprise'' *

Jane Monheit Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977"Jane Monheit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 33. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2001. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2017-05-07.) is an American jazz and pop singer. Early life Monheit was bo ...

on her 2000 album ''

Never Never Land Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live. Altho ...

'' The song was part of the live repertoire of

the New Journeymen The Journeymen were an American folk music trio in the early 1960s, comprising John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, and Dick Weissman. Formation and career John Phillips and Scott McKenzie (born Philip Blondheim) were childhood friends and had sung to ...

, before they evolved into

the Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California, which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group consisted of Am ...

In popular culture

*The original recording of the song was used in the introduction to the 1997

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

film ''

Deconstructing Harry ''Deconstructing Harry'' is a 1997 American black comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis and others. The fil ...

''.

References

{{Authority control Jazz songs Songs with lyrics by Annie Ross Annie Ross songs Lambert, Hendricks & Ross songs Bette Midler songs Joni Mitchell songs 1952 songs Patter songs