Six dancing songs to groove to during Ocean City’s dance competition
Posted On: 7/18/14
Written By: Nate Brunet
*Click images below to view larger versions.
While there sure are many visitors in Ocean City getting their groove on every night in one of the many bars around town, I don’t think many can hold a candle to the dance talent coming to town next week. Boys and girls of various ages will be competing in the Ocean City leg of the Starpower National Talent Competition and they’ll be bringing some sick skills you can’t even see on So You Think You Can Dance. As I wish I had even half the talent of the kids competing here this upcoming week, I’d like to share with you my six favorite songs about dancing. Good luck to all the competitors next week!
“Dancing in the Street”
By: Martha and the Vandellas
Off the album: Dance Party (1965)
Written by a trio of influential Motown songwriters, including Marvin Gaye, the concept of the song came when producer (and one of the other co-writers of the song) William “Mickey” Stevenson was in Detroit in the summer and watched people cooling off by water spraying out of a fire hydrant. According to Stevenson, the song is about people who can have a good time in whatever city they lived in. Stevenson presented the lyrics to Gaye as a ballad, but Gaye thought the song was more danceable. Thanks to the tempo change, it became one of Motown’s most signature songs and we’re better people after witnessing David Bowie and Mick Jagger dancing around in the most 80s-inspired outfits of all time in the music video of their cover of this song.
By: Martha and the Vandellas
Off the album: Dance Party (1965)
Written by a trio of influential Motown songwriters, including Marvin Gaye, the concept of the song came when producer (and one of the other co-writers of the song) William “Mickey” Stevenson was in Detroit in the summer and watched people cooling off by water spraying out of a fire hydrant. According to Stevenson, the song is about people who can have a good time in whatever city they lived in. Stevenson presented the lyrics to Gaye as a ballad, but Gaye thought the song was more danceable. Thanks to the tempo change, it became one of Motown’s most signature songs and we’re better people after witnessing David Bowie and Mick Jagger dancing around in the most 80s-inspired outfits of all time in the music video of their cover of this song.
“Boogie Shoes”
By: KC and the Sunshine Band
Off the album: KC and the Sunshine Band (1975)
Yeah, yeah, this song isn’t nearly as popular as the two big hits from the album, “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “Get Down Tonight,” but the subject of those songs is a little too risqué; even though I could probably convince you that they’re about dancing too. Still, this song became a huge hit a few years after the album’s release, when it was included in the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. Though it never reached the popularity of the other two songs mentioned (both of which hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100), as it only reached #35 on the chart.
By: KC and the Sunshine Band
Off the album: KC and the Sunshine Band (1975)
Yeah, yeah, this song isn’t nearly as popular as the two big hits from the album, “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “Get Down Tonight,” but the subject of those songs is a little too risqué; even though I could probably convince you that they’re about dancing too. Still, this song became a huge hit a few years after the album’s release, when it was included in the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. Though it never reached the popularity of the other two songs mentioned (both of which hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100), as it only reached #35 on the chart.
“Dancing Queen”
By: Abba
Off the album: Arrival (1976)
Written by two members of the band, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and their producer Stig Anderson, a rough recording of the song was presented to singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad. While listening to the song, Lyngstad began crying and said of the moment that, “I found the song so beautiful. It’s one of those songs that goes straight to your heart.” Many others had the same thought, as the song quickly became a hit after its debut on Swedish television, peaking at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, while reaching #1 on many singles charts of other countries. This was really the first time a band from a non-English-speaking country became a huge hit in English speaking countries, so the album was a historic release.
By: Abba
Off the album: Arrival (1976)
Written by two members of the band, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and their producer Stig Anderson, a rough recording of the song was presented to singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad. While listening to the song, Lyngstad began crying and said of the moment that, “I found the song so beautiful. It’s one of those songs that goes straight to your heart.” Many others had the same thought, as the song quickly became a hit after its debut on Swedish television, peaking at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, while reaching #1 on many singles charts of other countries. This was really the first time a band from a non-English-speaking country became a huge hit in English speaking countries, so the album was a historic release.
“Twist and Shout”
By: The Top Notes
Nope, The Beatles did not originally write this song, nor was their version the first notable cover of the song. Originally written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell as a single under the title “Shake it Up Baby,” the project of recording the song was given to, at the time, new staff producer Phil Spector of Atlantic Records. However, this was before Spector’s notable “Wall of Sound” technique was finalized, and Russell felt the song lacked the energy he wanted. The next year, the Isley Brothers wanted to cover the song, and Russell offered to produce so he could show Spector what the song was supposed to sound like. A year after that, it was one of 14 songs on The Beatles’ U.K. debut album Please Please Me.
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
By: Whitney Houston
Off the album: Whitney (1987)
Originally written as a country song, the tune was changed by producer Narada Michael Walden to make it a dance song that would be right for the pipes of Whitney Houston. It initially received lukewarm reviews from critics, some saying it sounded too much like Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” but over the years has become known as one of the eighties’ signature songs. And despite what critics said, the song was a hit on the radio, being Houston’s biggest number one single until “I Will Always Love You.”
By: The Top Notes
Nope, The Beatles did not originally write this song, nor was their version the first notable cover of the song. Originally written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell as a single under the title “Shake it Up Baby,” the project of recording the song was given to, at the time, new staff producer Phil Spector of Atlantic Records. However, this was before Spector’s notable “Wall of Sound” technique was finalized, and Russell felt the song lacked the energy he wanted. The next year, the Isley Brothers wanted to cover the song, and Russell offered to produce so he could show Spector what the song was supposed to sound like. A year after that, it was one of 14 songs on The Beatles’ U.K. debut album Please Please Me.
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
By: Whitney Houston
Off the album: Whitney (1987)
Originally written as a country song, the tune was changed by producer Narada Michael Walden to make it a dance song that would be right for the pipes of Whitney Houston. It initially received lukewarm reviews from critics, some saying it sounded too much like Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” but over the years has become known as one of the eighties’ signature songs. And despite what critics said, the song was a hit on the radio, being Houston’s biggest number one single until “I Will Always Love You.”
“Dance to the Music”
By: Sly and the Family Stone
Off the album: Dance to the Music (1968)
I just have to get this off my chest: this is one of the funkiest songs of all time. Interestingly, none of the band members liked the song when it was first released, and with good reason. An executive at CBS Records wanted a sound different than their previous debut record that could capture a wider audience. Frontman Sly Stone fused the band’s psychedelic rock sound with some pop influences and “Dance to the Music” is what came of it. Stone himself even said it was an “unhip” thing for the band to do such a thing at the time. But I guess the executive knew what he was talking about, because while their debut album failed, this release was what put the band on the map.
By: Sly and the Family Stone
Off the album: Dance to the Music (1968)
I just have to get this off my chest: this is one of the funkiest songs of all time. Interestingly, none of the band members liked the song when it was first released, and with good reason. An executive at CBS Records wanted a sound different than their previous debut record that could capture a wider audience. Frontman Sly Stone fused the band’s psychedelic rock sound with some pop influences and “Dance to the Music” is what came of it. Stone himself even said it was an “unhip” thing for the band to do such a thing at the time. But I guess the executive knew what he was talking about, because while their debut album failed, this release was what put the band on the map.