Draft:Tittyshaker

Tittyshakers are sleazy grindin’ and shakin’ 45rpm records from the 1950s through to the mid-1960s that don’t fit comfortably within the boogaloo, funk and soul genres. Confusingly, the term can be appropriated to numerous genres, from Rockabilly to Go-Go music. Often Tittyshakers would be instrumentals.

The sound is fundamentally, 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.”

Contrary to common misconception, the term tittyshaker is not representative of the contemporary culture of strippers and pole dancers. Obvious reference points to the ‘shaker culture and style would be the early films of Russ Meyer, low-budget hot rod and rock’n’roll movies, sexploitation flicks, the Las Vegas Grind record compilations and certain WFMU radio shows.

Among the pantheon of tittyshaker tracks is the ferocious shaker is Buzz Saw by The Cee Gees. Other notable tracks include El Monkey by Saxie Russell and Camel Walk by The Original Starfires. A modern band associated with the genre is The Delusionaires.

Etymology

The term "tittyshakers" was first used by writer and DJ Daddy Bones (Mark Allbones of Big Daddy Magazine) sometime during the late 1990s. In 2003, Tom Lawrie published an article in Soul Generation titled “Mommy What’s a Tittyshaker?”

Origins

The roots of tittyshaker can be traced back to 1950s America where in major cities through to backwater shacks and pit-stop bars the jukebox would wail out sleazy, lo-down and dirty rock’n’roll or equally gritty jazz music.