‘Twist and Shout’ was written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns, the latter credited on some pressings under the pseudonym Bert Russell. Berns (1929–1967) was one of the great soul songwriters and producers, also behind ‘Piece of My Heart’ and ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. They are the figures the song’s fame obscures most completely: not the famous band, not the hit-making group, but the two writers whose names ride under every version.