Do The Cha Cha Cha with Bobby Rydell, The Orlons and Dalida

The Cha Cha Cha is a song that came out in November 1962 when the cha cha songs had a slower tempo than most of the numbers they currently show on “Dancing with the Stars”. The Cha Cha Cha was a No. 10 hit for teen idol Bobby Rydell. Like many ’60s songs, The Cha Cha Cha mentions a number of other dances: the Twist, the Watusi, the Hully Gully, the Locomotion and the Mashed Potatoes. The singer claims the Cha Cha is superior because you can kiss and drive your partner crazy.

Earlier that same year, the Orlons had a No. 2 hit with The Wah-Watusi, the dance made for romance. It also claimed to be superior to the Twist, the Fly and the Mashed Potatoes and for the same reason: you could kiss and hold your partner. Both The Cha Cha Cha and The Wah-Watusi were written by the songwriting team of Dave Appell and Kal Mann so it’s no wonder they had similar themes and it’s no wonder that the Orlons did a cover of The Cha Cha Cha.

Both Rydell and the Orlons were part of the Philadelphia scene and among the many groups and artists that churned out dance hits written by Appell and/or Mann, like Let’s Twist Again, Hully Gully Baby, Mashed Potato Time and many others.

These are the lyrics to The Cha Cha Cha:

(refrain variations omitted)
Baby, baby
Come on sway me
Drive me crazy
Do the Cha Cha Cha

Somethin’s missin’
When we’re twistin’
Let’s start kissin’
Do the Cha Cha Cha

And when you see the wah, watusi
You go a-ha, ha, ha
The Hully Gully is a nothin’
When you compare it to the Cha Cha Cha

The Locomotion in the ocean
And I go ha, ha, ha
The Mashed Potatoes ain’t the greatest
When you compare it to the Cha Cha Cha

A French version of The Cha Cha Cha was recorded by superstar Dalida

Here are the lyrics to Le Cha Cha Cha:

(refrain)
La la la la la x 3
C’est le cha cha cha
Le temps passe
Tout s’efface
Il est toujours la?
Le cha cha cha

Toutes les danses
Ont leur chance
Mais pour l’amour
C’est le cha cha cha
On voit de semaines en semaines
Et depuis bien des mois
Defiler rythmes et rengaines
Mais rien ne vaut le twist et le cha cha

(refrain)

Mais pour l’amour
C’est le cha cha cha
Car je sais bien ce que tu penses
Quand tu es pres de moi
Tu oublies toutes les autres danses
Car rien ne vaut le twist et le cha cha