Various members of The Starliters, such as vocalist Freeman and drummer Don Martin, came and went over the next few years; the most famous lineup of Joey Dee and The Starliters is considered to be Joey Dee, David Brigati, Larry Vernieri (vocals), Carlton Lattimore (organ), and Willie Davis (drums). Later members of the touring group would include Eddie Brigati (David's brother), Gene Cornish, and Felix Cavaliere - three-quarters of The Young Rascals - as well as guitarist Jimmy James (later known as Jimi Hendrix) and Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers.
In 1960, The Starliters were discovered by agent Don Davis while performing at a Lodi, New Jersey nightclub called Oliveri's. The group was booked at an intimate venue on 45th Street in New York City called the Peppermint Lounge for what was supposed to be a one-time weekend gig. Joey Dee and company made such a smash that they ended up becoming the house band for the Peppermint Lounge, remaining onboard for more than a year. Joey penned "Peppermint Twist," along with producer Henry Glover, as a tribute to the lounge and the group took the song all the way to the top spot on the U.S. charts in late 1961. By this time the group had signed with Roulette Records. The Lounge became world famous during The Starliters' tenure, attracting celebrities such as Jackie Kennedy, Truman Capote, and Judy Garland.
One night in 1961, a trio of pretty teenagers were waiting on line outside the club hoping to be allowed inside. Dressed in matching brightly colored dresses, they looked like professional entertainers (which in fact they were) and in a case of mistaken identity, thinking they were the dancers he'd hired, the manager of the Peppermint Lounge ushered the girls - Ronnie and Estelle Bennett and their cousin, Nedra Talley - up to the stage and told them to dance. The Ronettes spent the rest of that night dancing and singing along with Joey Dee and The Starliters, and the reaction from the group and the crowd was so positive that the club manager, having realized his error, offered the girls a job on the spot. Every night, The Ronettes would dance and perform along with The Starliters at the Peppermint Lounge, even traveling with them to the club's Miami, Florida location in early 1962.
Also in 1961, Joey Dee and The Starliters filmed the movie Hey, Let's Twist, starring Jo Ann Campbell and Teddy Randazzo, for Paramount Pictures. Hey, Let's Twist was a fictional portrait of Joey Dee (Randazzo and Dino DiLuca played the parts of Joey's brother and father, respectively) and the Peppermint Lounge; its release capitalized on the current Twist craze and brought the once-obscure Lounge into the forefront. The movie and soundtrack album did their part in making the Peppermint Lounge a world-famous venue. Hit singles spawned from Hey, Let's Twist were the title track and "Shout - Part I," which became the group's second-biggest selling record. Other albums released during this time period were Doin' The Twist At The Peppermint Lounge, which was recorded live at the venue, and All The World's Twistin' With Joey Dee & The Starliters.
In 1962, Joey Dee and The Starliters starred in their second motion picture, Two Tickets to Paris, along with Gary Crosby, Jeri Lynne Fraser and Kay Medford. One of the songs from this film, "What Kind Of Love Is This," penned by Johnny Nash, was released in September of that year and became a Top Twenty hit. In December of 1962, the original Starliters did their final recording session as a group, turning out "Help Me Pick Up the Pieces," also composed by Nash, and "Baby, You're Driving Me Crazy," written by Joey Dee and Henry Glover. In 1963, Joey Dee recorded an album entitled Dance, Dance, Dance, with The Ronettes as his backup group. In spring of that year, Roulette released the track "Hot Pastrami with Mashed Potatoes," from the previously issued live album, as a two-part single; the record made the U.S. Top Forty. The label later released "Ya Ya" and "Fannie Mae" from the same album. In November of '63, The Starliters toured Europe with The Beatles as their opening act. During 1964, Joey Dee toured with various Starliters including Cornish, Cavaliere, and Eddie Brigati. Other group members at different times included Hendrix, Neville, drummer Jimmy Mayes and singer Tommy Davis.
Joey Dee continued to record and issue solo recordings from the mid-60s to the mid-70s, as well a song he wrote with original Starliters David Brigati and Larry Vernieri entitled "How Can I Forget" in the late 1960s which was released under the name Joey Dee and The New Starliters. During the 1980s, Joey lived for a short time in Florida before moving back to New York, to The Bronx. He continued to travel and make personal appearances with various Starliters.
These days, Joey Dee and The Starliters is comprised of Joey with Bob Valli (brother of Frankie Valli) and original Starliter David Brigati. The group tours and plays at various venues from Connecticut to New Jersey to Florida to Las Vegas, doing well over a hundred concerts per year. In 2001, the group was featured on a PBS special, Rock, Rhythm and Doo-Wop, and in 2005 they appeared on the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. Joey Dee resides in Florida, while Brigati and Valli remain Jersey boys.
Shout
Joey Dee & The Starlighters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
In violent times
You shouldn't have to sell your soul
In black and white
They really really ought to know
Those one track minds
That took you for a working boy
Kiss them goodbye
You shouldn't have to jump for joy
You shouldn't have to shout for joy
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
They gave you life
And in return you gave them hell
As cold as ice
I hope we live to tell the tale
I hope we live to tell the tale
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
And when you've taken down your guard
If I could change your mind
I'd really love to break your heart
I'd really love to break your heart
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
The lyrics of "Shout" by Joey Dee & The Starliters exude a sense of desperation and frustration. The song is essentially a call to action, urging people to speak up and be heard. The opening lines of the song - "Shout, shout, let it all out" - encourage listeners to express themselves freely and openly. The repetitive chorus suggests that there are things in life that are worth shouting about, and that it is important to identify these things and pursue them.
The second stanza shifts the focus to the oppressive nature of society, particularly in terms of class and race. The lyrics suggest that people are often forced to "sell their soul" in order to survive, and that the powers that be have "one track minds" that dismiss the concerns of working-class people. The call to action continues, with the song urging people to "kiss them goodbye" and reclaim their agency.
The final stanza is perhaps the most confrontational, with the singer urging listeners to let down their guard and engage in discourse. The line "if I could change your mind, I'd really love to break your heart" suggests that the singer is willing to challenge others in order to enact change. Overall, the song encourages people to speak out against oppression, and to seize control of their lives and their destinies.
Line by Line Meaning
Shout
Express your emotions and feelings loudly and forcefully
Shout
Express your emotions and feelings loudly and forcefully
Let it all out
Release your emotions and feelings
These are the things I can do without
These are the negative things that I do not need in my life
Come on
Encourage the listener to join in
I'm talking to you
Directly addressing the listener
In violent times
In times of turmoil and unrest
You shouldn't have to sell your soul
You should not have to compromise your integrity and values
In black and white
Clearly and unambiguously
They really really ought to know
They should be well aware
Those one track minds
People with a narrow and rigid focus
That took you for a working boy
That exploited you for your labor
Kiss them goodbye
Say farewell to those negative people
You shouldn't have to jump for joy
You should not have to be excessively happy to escape negative circumstances
They gave you life
Your family/parents brought you into this world
And in return you gave them hell
You caused them a lot of trouble and pain
As cold as ice
Completely cold and unemotional
I hope we live to tell the tale
I hope we survive to recount our experiences
And when you've taken down your guard
When you let your defenses down
If I could change your mind
If I could persuade you to see things differently
I'd really love to break your heart
I would relish in causing you emotional pain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: O'kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DebbieJeanLimon Konkol
I'll never forget watching Joey Dee singing SHOUT on the Dick Clark show - His fading out and in just blew me away! I was just in 8th grade, but I was shocked by this musical feat and how it surprised me and everyone. Can't find the video anywhere, but the sound is mostly here. When I saw it - the fade out time was . . . forever! I didn't know what he was doing at all. Just blew me away when they started fading back in. SO cool.
LMHS63
The stage was bouncing during this show, I was there in 62 and Joey was out of sight ! What a performance ! Still sounds great.
Andy Pandy
Just discovered this - easily my favourite version of this.
LMHS63
To Ed Briggs : Congrats on your long marriage...what a show J Dee put on back in the 60's. You know they would jump up and touch the ceiling, all this with jackets & ties on. It was about 90 in the Peppermint Lounge too. The original drummer was a sight with his stamina and loose wrists. I miss those days !
bill chew
Didnt Jimi Hendrix play with these guys
g bridgman
This was a hit single off a really good album. Nice to hear it again.
Colin Ballard
I've listened to so many versions of this song and they are all good in their own way. There are a lot on YouTube, so put them on a playlist to compare. Great song Mr.Isleys!!
garycooper1000
This is such a great song I'm surprised it has only had 10,000 hits.
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1962 {March 24th} two versions of "Shout - Part One" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart... Joey Dee & the Starliters' version peaked at #6 while the Isley Brothers reached #94 on the Top 100... Three years earlier in 1959 the Isley Brothers first entered the Top 100 with the song, at that time they peaked at #47...
hector amaiquema illescas
esta musica es lo mejor de lo mejor..es unica esta musica de esos tiempo