Tittyshakers

Jennie Lee, Queen of The Tittyshakers

Andre Williams Sweet Little Pussycat Wingate

Doris Beatmaker Odeon

I have recently found out that Martin of Soul Generation fame is starting a new website dedicated to Tittyshakers. Some of you might ask what are Tittyshakers?

Martin already has an excellent page on the subject and he defines Tittyshakers as:

The sound? Well fundamentally it is as the name implies, any form of music that makes you want to tear off your shirt and shake your titties, spinning the nipple tassels you are naturally wearing underneath your garments like the blades on a helicopter. Typically you will be grinding to the frantic beat doing the ‘Monkey’ or the ‘Dog' or the 'Shing-a-ling' or the 'Push and Pull' ... whatever dance steps that takes you really.

Martin goes on to document the origins of Tittyshakers starting in the 50's with sleazy joints playing any music with a rhythm for a girl to shake her assets to any drunken audience. The 60's saw the rise of the ‘Go-Go Dancer’ after girls performed in gilded cages at the legendary 'Whiskey A Go Go' on the Sunset Strip in LA. The girls would grind out their stuff to the grooves laid down by the DJs. Short mini skirts and long boots became the standard outfit which has become associated with go go dancing . Soon every discotheque and club had dancers and TV shows such as Hulabaloo through to local shows such as The Beat had go go dancers behind the acts or leading the dancing to discs or bands.

Martin explains how Tittyshaking has developed into a craze for recent times. He documents that dance parties in the late 80’s and early 90’s that started utilising Go-Go girls coupled with explosive psychedelic visuals. In recent years , DJs such as Mr Finewine and DJ Franco at gigs such as “Vampyros Lesbos’ in New York City have included dancers such as Jaiko Suzuki and Viva Knievel. The craze seems to be developing all over the US and Europe and many of the events advertised on IDR have go go dancers. The craze must also be seen alongside the Burlesque thing which is also permeating the club scene in the UK.

Martin has several playlists on his Soul Generation site featuring his recommended Tittyshakers as well as playlists from Mr Finewine, Jazzman Gerald, Ms Shing A Ling and Daddy Bones.

I will keep you posted on Martin's new website but in the meantime I have posted up 2 tracks which are classic Tittyshakers.