Local History: Danny and the Juniors at the Levoy Theatre

At the Hop," by Philadelphia's Danny and the Juniors, was at the top of the charts in early 1958.

The rock 'n' roll anthem, which reached the top position a month after being lip-synced on "American Bandstand," held the spot for more than five weeks.

By October 1958, the Bartram High School quartet not only had a No. 1 hit under their belts, but were performing at what was somewhat overzealously billed, "America's No. 1 Show."

This took place, not at Brooklyn's famed Paramount Theater where announcer Alan Freed once hosted legendary rock 'n' roll revues, but at Millville's own Levoy Theatre.

Also on the bill were Dave Appell and his Applejacks. In 1958, they had a semi-hit with "Mexican Hat Rock," a jumped-up version of the Mexican Hat Dance tune.

Former Millville Mayor Simon Cherivtch (known as "Uncle Simon" for his generous, if not flamboyant, schemes) spent $1,200 a tidy some of money in those days to advertise the show.

Cherivtch had bought the ailing Levoy Theatre that year and, determined to improve its fortunes, he hosted parades, lottery drawings and distributed silver dollars to children during Saturday matinees.

The October concert was part of Cherivtch's attempt to bring live stage shows to the Holly City. But, despite all the hoopla, only half the seats were filled.

It seems that, in Small Town 1958, YMCA dinners and church family nights were bigger draws than top charting musical groups and novelty acts.

At least, that was the explanation offered in the following day's Daily Republican.

As a side note, Millville wasn't the first or last place where Danny and the Juniors, led by the vocals of Danny Rapp, would cross paths with Dave Appell.

In the early 1960s, Rapp and crew signed with Philadelphia's Swan Records, part of a string of suites on the sixth floor of a Locust Street office building.

Next door was another record company, Cameo-Parkway, where Appell served as engineer, producer and bandleader.

One of his first assignments as Cameo-Parkway's bandleader had been on Chubby Checker's smash record, "The Twist."

As their introductory song for Swan, Danny and the Juniors cut a cover version of another Checker single, "Twistin' U.S.A." Their vocals were recorded over the same Appell musical tracks used on Checker's Cameo-Parkway version.

The Danny and the Juniors cut gained more attention. Yet, after "At the Hop," the quartet's only other Top 20 hit had been its 1958 follow-up, "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay."