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Chubby Checker - Burn Up the Night | 646

·1 hr 33 min·5 clips
Chubby Checker's 1982 song 'Burn Up the Night' sounds like a Gene Simmons-fronted Devo track.
The episode opens with the hosts Andy, Nick, and Chris promoting sponsors Curiosities and Patreon while celebrating Andy's 43rd birthday with night cookies and a custom mug. They discuss the show's upcoming 13th anniversary in April. The main segment begins with Nick randomly selecting song number 439 from the listener submission pool, which turns out to be Chubby Checker's 'Burn Up the Night' from his 1982 album 'The Change Has Come.' The hosts express surprise at Chubby Checker venturing into new wave rock, noting Devo-like synthesizers and a driving beat. They mishear the opening lyric as 'I'm an old black man' before later confirming it's 'I'm an all-night man' from the album liner notes. Andy compares Chubby's vocal rasp to Gene Simmons, suggesting the song could fit on a Kiss album. Research reveals the song was co-written by John Bettis, a prolific songwriter behind hits like Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature' and The Carpenters' 'Top of the World.' The hosts praise the song's sax solo, lyrics, and overall energy, voting it a 'rock and roll boner classic.' They reflect on how Chubby Checker's legacy may have overshadowed this track. The episode shifts to a recurring segment where the hosts read negative hotel reviews for the Indianapolis Kiss Fanatic Expo venue, including complaints about animal chew marks, coffee makers in bathrooms, and a guest who got the police called on them. They side with hotel management in the latter case, criticizing entitled review culture. The show closes with birthday wishes and promotional reminders.

As heard by us

A loose Pot of Thunder hangout that turns a Chubby Checker track into a study of persona and dance-floor salesmanship.

The Pot of Thunder chat opens with sponsor chatter and Patreon business before settling into the track, where the hosts linger on the rasp in Chubby Checker's voice, a Gene Simmons comparison, and the notion that he sold music meant to make people move.

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Why you'd press play

You want Chubby Checker, limbo lore, and a very committed candle plug.

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