Dance On! Explained

Dance On!
Cover:Dance On.jpg
Type:single
Artist:The Shadows
B-Side:All Day
Released:[1]
Recorded:21 November 1962[2]
Studio:EMI Studios, London
Genre:Instrumental rock
Length:2:22
Label:Columbia[3]
Producer:Norrie Paramor
Prev Title:The Boys
Prev Year:1962
Next Title:Foot Tapper
Next Year:1963

"Dance On!" is an instrumental by British group the Shadows, released as a single in December 1962. It went to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart.[4] A vocal version, with lyrics by Marcel Stellman, was recorded by British female vocalist Kathy Kirby, whose version reached number 11 on the UK chart in September 1963.[3]

Release and reception

"Dance On!" was written by Valerie Murtagh, Elaine Murtagh and Ray Adams, better known for being the members of pop vocal group the Avons. It was released with the B-side "All Day", written by Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin.[5] In the US and Canada, "Dance On!" was released with the B-side "The Rumble", written by guitarist Ike Isaacs.[6]

Reviewed in New Record Mirror, "Dance On!" was described as sounding "rather reminiscent of Duane Eddy ... which soon falls into the jug-along formula that we're used to. Tuneful and exciting in parts, there's a lot of versatility involved in this one. Not as original as we expected though – but perhaps originality for this sort of group has been exhausted".[7] Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl wrote that the song "beats a very infectious path and the side has a lot more to offer than their "Guitar Tango" dramaties".[8]

Track listings

7": Columbia / DB 4948

  1. "Dance On!" – 2:22
  2. "All Day" – 2:34

7": Atlantic / 45-2177 (US and Canada)

  1. "Dance On!" – 2:20
  2. "The Rumble" – 1:52

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1963)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 9
Canada (Vancouver CFUN)[10] 26
Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[11] 4
Hong Kong[12] 3
Israel (Kol Israel)[13] 2
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[14] 2
South Africa (SARMDA)[15] 2
Spain (Promusicae)[16] 16
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[17] 3

Kathy Kirby version

Dance On
Type:single
Artist:Kathy Kirby
B-Side:Playboy
Genre:Pop
Length:2:28
Label:Decca
Producer:Peter Sullivan
Prev Title:Big Man
Prev Year:1962
Next Title:Secret Love
Next Year:1963

Release and reception

Kirby's version of "Dance On", with lyrics by Marcel Stellman, was released in June 1963 and became her first charting single, though it did not enter the UK Singles Chart until the third week of August, reaching its peak four weeks later. However, it became more successful in Australia, where it topped the charts. The song features guitar by Jimmy Page as well as an orchestral arrangement by Charles Blackwell.[18] It was released with the B-side "Playboy", written by Clive Westlake and Richard Gregory.[19]

Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl described the orchestra as an "excellent compelling noise" and that "Kirby's vocal of this melody is well up to the standard of that start. The girl sings the song strongly and in a manner which should make it a very commercial proposition".[20] In New Record Mirror, it was described as having "a nicely-handled vocal", with "some good drumming behind her and a general sense of drive and urgency without anything being overdone".[21]

Track listing

7": Columbia / F 11682

  1. "Dance On" – 2:28
  2. "Playboy" – 2:34

Charts

Other versions

Notes and References

  1. 30 November 1962. Cliff, Shadows set for.... New Musical Express. 6. 27 November 2021.
  2. Web site: Koers. Ivo. Instrumentation On Shadows Recordings II: The Primary Singles. live. 27 November 2021. malcolmcampbell.me.uk. 12. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830221022/http://www.malcolmcampbell.me.uk/instrumentation-update2/instrumentation-update2-file02.pdf . 30 August 2021 .
  3. Book: Rice , Jo . 1982. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits. 1st. Guinness Superlatives Ltd . Enfield, Middlesex. 68. 0-85112-250-7.
  4. Book: Roberts, David. British Hit Singles & Albums. Guinness World Records Limited. 2006. 1-904994-10-5. 19th. London. 146.
  5. Web site: The Shadows - Dance On!. 45cat. 2021-11-27.
  6. Web site: The Shadows - Dance On. 45cat. 2021-11-27.
  7. 8 December 1962. New Shadows.... New Record Mirror. 9. 27 November 2021.
  8. 8 December 1962. Disc Date. Disc. 9. 27 November 2021.
  9. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. . 2005. 0-646-44439-5. Kent Music Report.
  10. Web site: C-Funtastic Fifty Week of March 23, 1963. 28 November 2021. 23 March 1963.
  11. Web site: 2016-03-12. danskehitlister.dk. 2021-11-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20160312183157/http://danskehitlister.dk/?hitlist_id=12&y=1963&hitlist_item_id=986. 12 March 2016.
  12. 23 March 1963. Hits of the World. Billboard. 22. 27 November 2021.
  13. 9 March 1963. Hits of the World. Billboard. 23. 27 November 2021.
  14. Web site: Lever Hit Parade. flavourofnz.co.nz. 2021-11-27. 26 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126172105/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=12#n_view_location. dead.
  15. 16 March 1963. Hits of the World. Billboard. 36. 27 November 2021.
  16. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. September 1971. Fundación Autor-SGAE. 84-8048-639-2. 1st. Spain.
  17. Web site: Shadows. 2021-11-27. NostalgiListan. sv.
  18. Web site: Sessions. 2021-11-27. JimmyPage.com. en.
  19. Web site: Kathy Kirby - Dance On. 45cat. 2021-11-27.
  20. 22 June 1963. Disc Date. Disc. 8. 27 November 2021.
  21. 22 June 1963. Some New Big Pop Hits. New Record Mirror. 8. 27 November 2021.
  22. Web site: Petula Clark - Je me sens bien (auprès de toi) - ultratop.be. live. 2021-11-27. www.ultratop.be. https://web.archive.org/web/20171030200114/http://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/2aa1c/Petula-Clark-Je-me-sens-bien-(aupres-de-toi) . 30 October 2017 .
  23. Web site: Wyn Hoop - Warum gehst du an mir vorbei. live. 2021-11-27. dutchcharts.nl. https://web.archive.org/web/20161021095137/http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Wyn+Hoop&titel=Warum+gehst+du+an+mir+vorbei&cat=s . 21 October 2016 .
  24. Otto Fuchs, Bill Haley: Father of Rock 'n' Roll. Gelhausen, Germany: Wagner Verlag, p. 564