Your Mama Don't Dance Explained

Your Mama Don't Dance
Type:single
Artist:Loggins and Messina
Album:Loggins and Messina
B-Side:Golden Ribbons
Released:November 1972
Recorded:1972
Studio:Columbia (Los Angeles)
Genre:Rock and roll, blues rock
Length:2:48
Label:Columbia
Producer:Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina
Prev Title:Peace of Mind
Prev Year:1972
Next Title:Thinking of You
Next Year:1973

"Your Mama Don't Dance" is a hit 1972 song by the rock duo Loggins and Messina. Released on their self-titled album Loggins and Messina, it reached number four on the Billboard pop chart[1] and number 19 on the Billboard Easy Listening Chart[2] as a single in early 1973.

Overview

This song, whose refrain and first verse is done in a blues format, deals with the 1950s and 1960s lifestyle concerning the generation gap, where the parents oppose the Rock and Roll Revolution of the younger generation, which includes the rebelliousness against the old society that monitors curfews on dating; as well as being arrested for making love with a girl in the back seat of a car during a drive-in movie, which happens during the bridge section of the song.

When released as a single, it was the duo's biggest hit as well as their only Gold single.

"Your Mama Don't Dance" was covered in 1973 by Australian band the Bootleg Family Band, which made the top 5 in Australia. It was also covered in 1985 by the rock band Y&T.

Elvis Presley included the song in a medley of rock n' roll songs on his 1974 album Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis.

Poison cover

Your Mama Don't Dance
Cover:Yourmamadontdancepoison.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Poison
Album:Open Up and Say...Ahh!
B-Side:Tearin' Down the Walls
Released:February 1, 1989
Recorded:1988
Length:3:00
Label:Enigma/Capitol
Producer:Tom Werman
Prev Title:Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Prev Year:1988
Next Title:Unskinny Bop
Next Year:1990

In 1988, the glam metal band Poison recorded a cover of "Your Mama Don't Dance." It appeared as the ninth track on their second album Open Up and Say...Ahh! by Capitol Records and was released as the album's fourth single. The Poison version reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 39 on the Mainstream rock charts and has since gone Gold in the US. The song also charted at number 21 on the Australian charts and number 13 on the UK Singles chart.[4] The single's B-side is "Tearin' Down the Walls".

Critical reception

Cash Box said "Take a classic Loggins & Messina rock/blues song, and play. It’s an instant hit."[5] Reviewer of Record Mirror was disappointed by this single. He found it ″completely naff″ when contrasted with "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", the band's previous ″quite listenable hit″.[6] Jerry Smith from British music newspaper Music Week also expressed an opinion that this "ordinary slice of good-time rock'n'roll" is "highly unlikely to enhance their reputation as wild, heavy rockers".[7] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described the song as "energetic version" of traditional 12 -bar with a vague doo-wop edge.[8] In 2017, Billboard and OC Weekly ranked the song number six and number five, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Poison songs.[9] [10]

Personnel

Loggins & Messina version

Poison version

Charts

Weekly charts

Loggins and Messina version

Chart (1972–1973)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 30
Canada RPM Top Singles[12] 5
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[13] 31
New Zealand (Listener)[14] 11
US Billboard Hot 1004
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks19

Poison version

Chart (1989)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] 17
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 43

Year-end charts

Loggins and Messina version

Chart (1973)Rank
Canada RPM Top Singles[17] 58
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] 53

Poison version

External links

Notes and References

  1. [Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]
  2. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  3. Web site: Interview – Jim Messina (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Loggins & Messina). August 16, 2018 .
  4. Web site: Poison The Official Charts Company. .
  5. Top of the Pops. Cash Box. February 11, 1989. 2022-12-21. 21.
  6. Smith. Robin. Review: Poison — Your Mama Don't Dance. Record Mirror. April 22, 1989. October 29, 2021. 29. London. Spotlight Publications Ltd.. World Radio History. 0144-5804. https://web.archive.org/web/20210309030631/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/89/Record-Mirror-1989-04-22.pdf. March 9, 2021.
  7. Smith. Jerry. Review:Poison – Your Mama Don't Dance. Music Week. April 22, 1989. January 24, 2022. 29. London. Spotlight Publications Ltd.. World Radio History. 0265-1548. https://web.archive.org/web/20211102082546/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-04-22.pdf. November 2, 2021.
  8. Review:Poison – Your Mama Don't Dance. Music & Media. May 6, 1989. January 27, 2022. 29. Amsterdam. European Music Report BV. World Radio History. https://web.archive.org/web/20211212184613/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1989/M&M-1989-05-06.pdf. December 12, 2021.
  9. Poison's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks. Christa. Titus. Billboard. July 5, 2017. September 18, 2022.
  10. Web site: The 10 Best Poison Songs. Michael. Silver. OC Weekly. June 13, 2017. September 18, 2022.
  11. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 180.
  12. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - February 3, 1973.
  13. Web site: Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . February 17, 1973 . December 6, 2020.
  14. Web site: flavour of new zealand – search listener . Flavourofnz.co.nz . October 8, 2016.
  15. http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+50-No.+2-May+8-13%2C+1989.pdf RPM Top Singles – May 8, 1989
  16. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 6. 20. 20. May 20, 1989.
  17. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles of '73 - December 29, 1973.
  18. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973 . Musicoutfitters.com . October 8, 2016.
  19. Web site: The Official New Zealand Music Chart.