"Let's Dance": Songs about Dance, Dances, Dancing

[christopher3393]

"Children, go where I send you / (Where will you send me?) / I'm gon' send you to that land / the land of a thousand dances." 

 

Chris Kenner, "Land of a Thousand Dances", 1963

 

 

"na na na na na"

 

Cannibal and the Headhunters "Land of a Thousand Dances", 1965

 

 

up tempo no.1 hit version

 

Wilson Pickett, "Land of a Thousand Dances", 1965

 

 

LIVE!

 

Wilson Pickett

 

 

LIVE!

 

Tina Turner, 1987

 

 

[Iving]

On 7/10/2022 at 5:08 PM, Iving said:

OP @christopher3393 - How vital are lyrics - must they be present / about dancing?

 

On 7/10/2022 at 5:28 PM, christopher3393 said:

Howdy. Yes, please.

 

If the topic were dance music, it would be too big. Just massively broad.

If it were music you like to dance to, might be interesting and revelatory 😎, or maybe embarrassing, very subjective.

So it could have been dance music about dance, which would mostly be indicated by lyrics I think.

 

"Dance With Me, Morag" - Isabel Sutherland (1965)

 

[Allan F]

 

[christopher3393]

 

[christopher3393]

"Save the Last Dance for Me" (Remastered) · The Drifters, 1960

 

 

Save the Last Dance for Me · Emmylou Harris, 1979

 

 

[orresearch]

 

[orresearch]

 

[orresearch]

 

[christopher3393]

3 hours ago, orresearch said:

 

 

Must be acknowledged.

 

I personally find that this makes a nice pairing:  🙃

 

 

[sphinxsix]

 

[clipper]

 

 

 

 

[orresearch]

Quote

 

 

 

DANCE WITH ME

[clipper]

 

[clipper]

 

[clipper]

 

[christopher3393]

14 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

 

 

"Video Unavailable"  😲

[Iving]

"La Bamba"

 

From Wiki:

La Bamba has its origin in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The oldest recorded version known is that of Alvaro Hernández Ortiz, who recorded the song with the name of "El Jarocho". His recording was released by Victor Records in Mexico in 1938 or 1939

 

Ritchie Valens [a plane crash victim at age only 17 in 1959 along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper] (1958)

 

Lyrics in Mexican:

Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa' mí pa' ti, ay arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba, por ti seré
Por ti seré, por ti seré
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitán
Soy capitán, soy capitán
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa' mí pa' ti ah y arriba y arriba
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa' mí pa' ti, ay arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba, por ti seré
Por ti seré, por ti seré
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba

 

Lyrics in English:

To dance the Bamba,
to dance the Bamba,
one needs a bit of grace.
A bit of grace for me, for you,
now come on, come on,
now come on, come on,
for you I'll be, for you I'll be, for you I'll be.
I'm not a sailor,
I'm not a sailor, I'm a captain.
I'm a captain, I'm a captain.
Bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba, bam...
To dance the Bamba,
to dance the Bamba,
one needs a bit of grace.
A bit of grace for me, for you,
now come on, come on.
Rrrraa-ha-haa...
To dance the Bamba,
to dance the Bamba,
one needs a bit of grace.
A bit of grace for me, for you,
now come on, come on,
now come on, come on,
for you I'll be, for you I'll be, for you I'll be.
Bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba...

 

from the film 'La Bamba' starring Lou Diamond Phillips (1987)

 

Los Lobos (1987)

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, christopher3393 said:

 

"Video Unavailable"  😲

And this one?

 

 

[James lee]

Shameless self plug.

I wrote a short album on dance themes.

 

[christopher3393]

3 hours ago, Iving said:

"La Bamba"

 

From Wiki:

La Bamba has its origin in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The oldest recorded version known is that of Alvaro Hernández Ortiz, who recorded the song with the name of "El Jarocho". His recording was released by Victor Records in Mexico in 1938 or 1939

 

Ritchie Valens [a plane crash victim at age only 17 in 1959 along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper] (1958)

 

Lyrics in Mexican:

Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa' mí pa' ti, ay arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba, por ti seré
Por ti seré, por ti seré
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitán
Soy capitán, soy capitán
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa' mí pa' ti ah y arriba y arriba
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa' mí pa' ti, ay arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba, por ti seré
Por ti seré, por ti seré
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba

 

Lyrics in English:

To dance the Bamba,
to dance the Bamba,
one needs a bit of grace.
A bit of grace for me, for you,
now come on, come on,
now come on, come on,
for you I'll be, for you I'll be, for you I'll be.
I'm not a sailor,
I'm not a sailor, I'm a captain.
I'm a captain, I'm a captain.
Bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba, bam...
To dance the Bamba,
to dance the Bamba,
one needs a bit of grace.
A bit of grace for me, for you,
now come on, come on.
Rrrraa-ha-haa...
To dance the Bamba,
to dance the Bamba,
one needs a bit of grace.
A bit of grace for me, for you,
now come on, come on,
now come on, come on,
for you I'll be, for you I'll be, for you I'll be.
Bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba,
bamba, bamba...

 

from the film 'La Bamba' starring Lou Diamond Phillips (1987)

 

Los Lobos (1987)

 

🤸‍♂️🤸‍♂️🤸‍♂️🤸‍♂️🤸‍♂️!

 

[sphinxsix]

2 hours ago, James lee said:

Shameless self plug.

I wrote a short album on dance themes.

 

Finally some good music on AS, let us continue with more or less this vibe (with just a tiny bit of world music influence)..

Om shanti!

 

 

The full uncut version!

 

 

[Iving]

The Hokey Cokey aka The Hokey Pokey

 

Wiki:  It originates in a British folk dance, with variants attested as early as 1826. The song and accompanying dance peaked in popularity as a music hall song and novelty dance in the mid-1940s in the UK. The song became a chart hit twice in the 1980s.

 

You put your [left arm] in,
Your [left arm] out:
You put your [left arm] in
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey cokey,
And you turn around.
That's what it's all about!

Whoa, hokey cokey cokey
Whoa, hokey cokey cokey
Whoa, hokey cokey cokey
Knees bend, arms stretch,
Rah, rah, rah!

You put your [right leg] in,
You put your [right leg] out;
You put your [right leg] in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about! Yeah!

You do the hokey pokey,
The hokey pokey,
The hokey pokey.
That's what it's all about! Yeah!

 

Slade (1979)

 

Snowmen [Ian Dury] (1981)

 

Black Lace (1985)

[christopher3393]

Martha and the Vandellas, "Dancing in the Street", 1964

 

 

The Mamas and the Papas, "Dancing in the Street", final song at Monterey Pop Festival, 1967

 

 

 

The Dead loved to cover this song. First up, a rather ponderous 15 minute psychedelicized jam:

 

Grateful Dead, "Dancing in the Streets" (Live at Harpur College, Binghamton, NY, May 2, 1970)

 

 

Then, there was this highly reworked studio version:

 

"Dancin' in the Streets" (2014 Remaster) · Grateful Dead, Terrapin Station ℗ 1977  [warning: disco dead]

 

 

 

David Bowie & Mick Jagger - "Dancing In The Street", 1985 (this was intended for Live Aid, so at least it was for a good cause, making it somewhat forgivable)

 

 

I personally prefer this version:

 

 

[christopher3393]

1 hour ago, sphinxsix said:

Finally some good music on AS, let us continue with more or less this vibe (with just a tiny bit of world music influence)..

Om shanti!

 

 

The full uncut version!

 

 

 

off topic (...but on point 😎)

 

Frank Zappa, "Dancin' Fool", 1979

 

 

Frank Zappa, "Disco Boy", 1976

 

 

[christopher3393]

1st RECORDING OF: "Keep On Dancing" - The Avantis (1963)

 

 

Gentrys - "Keep On Dancing" (1965)