Pony Time by Chubby Checker

Album: It's Pony Time (1960)

Charted: 27 1

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Songfacts®:

Chubby Checker rode "Pony Time" to #1 in America in February 1961, five months after he topped the chart with "The Twist." Both songs are about dances, with Checker calling out instructions on how to do them. Dance crazes were all the rage in the early '60s, and Checker had a grip on that market. He also delivered "The Hucklebuck" and "The Fly."
The soul singer Don Covay recorded the original version of "Pony Time" and released it as the first single with his group The Goodtimers in 1960. Checker's version came out soon after and became the hit, as he was the big name. The Goodtimers' rendition made it to #60 in March 1961, a month after Checker's topped the chart.
Don Covay wrote this song with John Berry; they were in a group together called The Rainbows. Berry and Covay teamed up to write songs that were recorded by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters ("The Continental Walk"), Solomon Burke ("I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You") and Steppenwolf ("Sookie Sookie"). Both had solo careers as well, but were more accomplished as songwriters; Covay wrote "Chain Of Fools" and "See Saw," both hits for Aretha Franklin.
This is based on a 1928 song by the R&B piano man Pinetop Smith called "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie."
Unlike "The Twist," "Pony Time" was a #1 R&B hit, Checker's only #1 on that chart.

Comments: 1

Barry from Sauquoit, NySixty years ago today on February 27th, 1961, "Pony Time" by Chubby Checker peaked at #1 {for 3 weeks} on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
Two weeks later on March 13th, 1961 "Pony Time" also reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart...
Between 1959 and 1989 Spring Gully, South Carolina native had thirty-five records on the Top 100 chart, seven made the Top 10 with three reaching #1, "The Twist" for one week in September of 1960, the above "Pony Time", and once again "The Twist" for 2 weeks in January of 1962...
He just missed having a fourth #1 record when his "Limbo Rock" peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} on December 16th, 1962, and the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Telstar" by The Tornados...
Three of his thirty-five charted records were duets, one each with Dee Dee Sharp, Bobby Rydell, and the Fat Boys...
Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, celebrated his 79th birthday four months ago on October 3rd, 2020...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of Billboard's Top 10 on February 27th, 1961:
At #2. "Calcutta" by Lawrence Welk {the #1 record for the two previous weeks}
#3. "There's A Moon Out Tonight" by The Capris
#4. "Surrender" by Elvis Presley
#5. "Don't Worry" by Marty Robbins
#6. "Dedicated To The One I Love" by The Shirelles
#7. "Where The Boys Are" by Connie Francis
#8. "Shop Around" by The Miracles
#9. "Ebony Eyes" by The Everly Brothers
#10. "Wheels" by The String-A-Longs
And at #73 was Don Covay's original version of "Pony Time"

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