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| "Do You Want to Dance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBobby Freeman | ||||
| B-side | "Big Fat Woman" | |||
| Released | 1958 (1958) | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 2:30 | |||
| Label | Josie | |||
| Songwriter | Bobby Freeman | |||
| Bobby Freeman singles chronology | ||||
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"Do You Want to Dance" is a song written by American singerBobby Freeman and recorded by him in 1958. It reached number No. 5 on the United StatesBillboard Top 100 Sidespop chart, No. 2 on theBillboard R&B chart, and No. 1 in Canada.[1][2][3][4]Cliff Richard and the Shadows' version of the song reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom in 1962, despite being a B-side.The Beach Boys notably covered the song in 1965 for their albumThe Beach Boys Today!; retitled "Do You Wanna Dance?", their version reached No. 12 in the United States. A 1972 cover byBette Midler with the original title restored reached No. 17.
San Francisco-born teenager Bobby Freeman had been a member ofdoo-wop groups the Romancers and the Vocaleers. When asked by a local DJ if he had written any songs, he wrote several and recorded them as solodemos. These included "Do You Want to Dance", which was heard by a visiting record label executive, Mortimer Palitz ofJubilee Records. He signed Freeman to the label, and had the original recording overdubbed in New York by session musicians including guitaristBilly Mure. Released on the Jubilee subsidiary labelJosie, "Do You Want to Dance" quickly rose to number 5 on thepop chart and number 2 on theR&B chart in early 1958, when Freeman was still only 17.[5][6] Contrary to some reports,Jerry Garcia did not play on the record.[6]
The song was included inRobert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published inChristgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).[7]
| "Do You Want to Dance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the Danish edition | ||||
| Single byCliff Richard andthe Shadows | ||||
| A-side | "I'm Lookin' Out the Window" | |||
| Released | 4 May 1962 (1962-05-04)[8] | |||
| Recorded | 19 December 1961 | |||
| Studio | EMI, London | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 2:16 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Bobby Freeman | |||
| Producer | Norrie Paramor | |||
| Cliff Richard andthe Shadows singles chronology | ||||
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TheCliff Richard andthe Shadows version[9] also known as "Do You Wanna Dance" was released in the United Kingdom as theB-side of "I'm Lookin' Out the Window" in May 1962. However, like seven other Cliff Richard singles released between 1959 and 1963, the B-side received a good amount of airplay and made theNew Musical Express UK singles chart in its own right. On this occasion, it became Richard's second highest charting B-side (after "Bachelor Boy"), making it to number 10 (while "I'm Lookin' Out the Window" reached number 2). The single reached number 2 on the other UK chart, the officialUK Singles Chart, listing both tracks.[10]
"Do You Want to Dance" went on to become the more successful charting track from the single in some countries, reaching number 1 in the Netherlands, Australia (based on the Sydney chart of the time, because an Australian nationwide chart had not yet started) and Flemish Belgium.[11][12][13] The single went on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide.[14]
"Do You Want to Dance" was included on the EPCliff’s Hits, released November 1962, and first appeared on LP with Richard's first compilation albumCliff's Hit Album, released July 1963. A live version appeared on Richard's double albumJapan Tour 74 issued in 1975.
"Do You Want to Dance" was recorded on December 19, 1961 atEMI'sAbbey Road Studios. The session, engineered by Malcolm Addy and produced byEMI's A&R manNorrie Paramor, featured new drummerBrian Bennett andJet Harris on bass, soon to leave the Shadows in 1962.[15]
Chart entries as "Do You Want to Dance" or "Do You Want to Dance"/"I'm Looking Out the Window":
| Chart (1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK (New Musical Express Chart)[10] | 10 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] (retrospectively calculated chart position) | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] | 4 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[18] | 9 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] | 1 |
| Spain (Promusicae)[20] | 15 |
| Sweden (Tio i Topp)[21] | 1 |
Chart entries as "I'm Looking Out the Window"/"Do You Want to Dance":
| Chart (1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 2 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] | 9 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] | 18 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[25] | 2 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[26] | 2 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[27] | 3 |
| "Do You Wanna Dance?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swedish picture sleeve | ||||
| Single bythe Beach Boys | ||||
| from the albumThe Beach Boys Today! | ||||
| B-side | "Please Let Me Wonder" | |||
| Released | February 15, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | January 11, 1965 | |||
| Studio | Gold Star, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll[28] | |||
| Length | 2:21 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter | Bobby Freeman | |||
| Producer | Brian Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Do You Wanna Dance?" | ||||
The Beach Boys' version of "Do You Wanna Dance?" was released as a single in February 1965, and served as the opening track to their albumThe Beach Boys Today! the following month. It is distinguished from the original through its lush orchestration, three-part vocal arrangement, and instrumental bridge key change.[29] Dillon speculated that the rendition may have been inspired by the version byDel Shannon, who had recently recorded the song, although the Beach Boys' version bears a "closer resemblance" to an earlier version byCliff Richard and the Shadows.[30] It was the first song the group recorded at Gold Star, Spector's favorite studio, and their second song that employed atimpani.[31][nb 1]
"Do You Wanna Dance?" was recorded on January 11, 1965 atGold Star Studios and was produced, arranged and conducted by Brian Wilson. Take 3 of the song was used as the master. It was the Beach Boys' first single to feature session musicians playing most of the backing track while the group overdubbed vocals, an arrangement Wilson would maintain for the next two years. Additionally, "Do You Wanna Dance?" marked the first single released by the group following Wilson's nervous breakdown the previous year.
The band's drummerDennis Wilson sang lead on the song. This came at a time in the band's history when Brian began giving more leads to Dennis. OnThe Beach Boys Today!, Dennis sang the first and last songs of the album ("Do You Wanna Dance?" and "In the Back of My Mind").[32] This was because Brian had felt that Dennis "never really had a chance to sing very much", and so he gave him more leads on the album.[33]
"Do You Wanna Dance?" was released as a single throughCapitol Records on February 15, 1965. It peaked at number 12 on theBillboard Hot 100 and was the highest charting Beach Boys song to featureDennis Wilson on lead vocals. According to the contemporary United Press International (UPI) chart published by newspapers across the United States it was number eight in April 1965. It did best in regional playlists in the Twin Cities, Baltimore and San Jose, where it was number two; Dallas, Seattle and San Diego to number three; Portland to number four; and Chicago, Washington DC, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Hartford, Tulsa and Lincoln, number five. The B-side of the single was "Please Let Me Wonder". The song was later released as the opening track of the group's 1965 albumThe Beach Boys Today!.
On February 28, the band (with Brian) appeared on the television showShindig! performing "Do You Wanna Dance?" and a truncated version of "Please Let Me Wonder".[34]
In 2008, the Beach Boys compilationU.S. Singles Collection: The Capitol Years 1962-1965 featured an instrumental mix of "Do You Wanna Dance?"[35] A stereo remix of the song was released in 2012 on the stereo remaster ofThe Beach Boys Today!.[36] A live version recorded in March 1965 was released in 2015 for the archival live albumLive in Chicago 1965.[37]
Cash Box described it as having "an infectious neo-surfln’ style complete with rapidly-changing, danceableriffs."[38]
Retrospectively, commentators have noted "Do You Wanna Dance?" as emblematic of the growing complexity in Wilson's work onThe Beach Boys Today?. MusicologistPhilip Lambert described "Do You Wanna Dance?" as an example of a song that "highlights the difference between ‘a song covered by the Beach Boys’ and an existing song transformed into ‘a Beach Boys song".[39] Journalist Scott Iterrante praised "Do You Wanna Dance?" as a "sophisticated reinterpretation" by Wilson of the original song, additionally saying "Wilson proves that he can be just as harmonically and structurally inventive with catchy dance songs as he can with emotional ballads."[40]
Sourced from Musician's Union AFM contract sheets and surviving session audio, documented by Craig Slowinski.[41]
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart[42] | 17 |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100[43] | 12 |
| USCashbox Top 100[44] | 13 |
| "Do You Want to Dance?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portuguese picture sleeve | ||||
| Single byBette Midler | ||||
| from the albumThe Divine Miss M | ||||
| B-side | "Superstar" | |||
| Released | 1972 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Studio | Atlantic Recording Studios (New York, NY)[45] | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:44 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter | Bobby Freeman | |||
| Producer | Joel Dorn | |||
| Bette Midler singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bette Midler included the song—with the original title restored, "Do You Want to Dance"—on her 1972 debut albumThe Divine Miss M as its opening track. In contrast to the Bobby Freeman, Cliff Richard, and Beach Boys versions, which are uptempo rock and roll songs, Midler slowed the tempo of the song down to a soulful sultry-sounding ballad. Midler's version was her first single release, reaching #17 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in early 1973 and the top 10 of the Go-Set National Charts in Australia during April 1973. The song was #76 onBillboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973.
In 1985, Ula Hedwig, a Bette Midler-soundalike and former backup singer, sang the song emulating Bette Midler's version for aMercury Sable television commercial after Midler refused to sing in the commercial herself. Midler suedFord Motor Company in response in the now-memorable caseMidler v. Ford Motor Co. in which she argued that utilizing a voice impersonator without her permission constituted appropriation of her personality rights. TheNinth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Midler and made Ford pull the advertisement.[46][47]
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[48] | 10 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[49] | 18 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[50] | 1 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[51] | 17 |
| USAdult Contemporary (Billboard)[52] | 8 |
| "Do You Wanna Dance?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US single, autographed by several Ramones | ||||
| Single byRamones | ||||
| from the albumRocket to Russia | ||||
| B-side | "Babysitter" | |||
| Released | September 22, 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:55 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Producers | Tony Bongiovi,T. Erdelyi | |||
| Ramones singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Do You Wanna Dance?" onYouTube | ||||
TheRamones' released a version of "Do You Wanna Dance?" on their albumRocket to Russia released in 1977.Record World said that the Ramones' treatment "is brief, rough and to the point."[56] It reached 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song was used in the 1979 filmRock 'n' Roll High School for a dance number featuring the drill team and football team wearing their actual uniforms fromMCHS.[57] A live version of the song was used as the B-side to the song "Rock 'n' Roll High School," a musical focal point of the movie.
The Ramones' version was featured in a television advertisement for the release ofWall-E onDVD.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard Hot 100[58] | 86 |
Bobby Fuller & the Fanatics recorded a version, probably in 1964, in the Fuller home recording studio in El Paso.
Del Shannon had a version in 1963 that reached #43 on the US charts, and #23 inCanada.[59]
The Mamas and the Papas included a version of the song on their debut albumIf You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears in 1966.
John Lennon included a version of the song on his albumRock 'n' Roll released in 1975.
Neil Young performed the song live on tour in 1983 with his rockabilly backing bandThe Shocking Pinks. One performance inDayton, Ohio was captured for the 1984Hal Ashby concert filmSolo Trans from the tour of the same same.
Notes
The Ramones was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).A bubblegum torpedo ride, this 1977 punk rock classic is about hitching your way out of the gritty city...
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