You Should Be Dancing
"You Should Be Dancing" | ||||
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File:You Should Be Dancing 1.JPG | ||||
Single by Bee Gees | ||||
from the album Children of the World | ||||
B-side | "Subway" | |||
Released | 21 June 1976 | |||
Format | Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM) | |||
Recorded | 18 January–8 February 1976, Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida 6 May 1976, Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec |
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Genre | Disco,[1] pop,[1] rock[1] | |||
Length | 4:16 | |||
Label | RSO | |||
Writer(s) | Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb | |||
Producer(s) | Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson | |||
Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
Bee Gees singles chronology | ||||
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"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the Bee Gees, from the album Children of the World, released in 1976. It hit #1 for one week on the American Billboard Hot 100, #1 for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in July the same year, reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] The song also peaked at #4 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was this song that first launched the Bee Gees into disco. It was also the only track from the group to top the dance chart.
Contents
Origin
"You Should Be Dancing" was recorded January 19, February 1 and 8, and May 6, 1976 with Barry Gibb providing lead vocals in falsetto. Barry had developed his falsetto to an incredible degree in the ten months since the release of "Baby As You Turn Away" from the Main Course album on which he sang a full song in falsetto for the first time (except for its chorus).[3] Keyboardist Blue Weaver recalls that Maurice Gibb wrote the bass line and sang the horn parts to the brass players, while Barry sang parts for Weaver to play, while guitarist Alan Kendall got in a short guitar solo for its instrumental break.[4]
Stephen Stills was also at Criteria Studios recording the album Long May You Run with his band and Neil Young. Stills added percussion on the song's February sessions. Members of Stills's backing band, George Perry (bass) and Joe Lala (percussion), also worked with the Bee Gees on some songs.[3]
Charts
The song was their third Billboard Hot 100 #1 and their sixth #1 in Canada. It ended as the #31 song of the year.[5] In the '70s some of the Bee Gees' songs were deemed too uptempo for AC/Easy Listening Radio which led to "You Should Be Dancing" only reaching #25 on that chart.[6] It also hit #4 in Ireland. In Australia, where the brothers spent a number of years in their youth, it managed only to nick the top 20.
"You Should Be Dancing" is known today as the first chart-topper in which Barry Gibb uses his now-trademark falsetto in a lead vocal (he had previously used it on the top-10 "Nights on Broadway" and on "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)"). Earlier songs, such as "Jive Talkin'", had Gibb use a melodic blue-eyed soul vocal style.
Personnel
- Barry Gibb – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Robin Gibb – backing vocals
- Maurice Gibb – backing vocals, bass
- Alan Kendall – electric guitar, guitar solo
- Blue Weaver – keyboards, synthesizer
- Dennis Bryon – drums
- Stephen Stills – percussion
- Peter Graves – horn
- Whit Sidener – horn
- Kenny Faulk – horn
- Neil Bonsanti – horn
- Bill Purse – horn
Chart performance
Chart (1976) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 19 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] | 20 |
Brazil | 2 |
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary[9] | 9 |
Canadian RPM Top Singles[10] | 1 |
Denmark (Tracklisten) | 13 |
France (SNEP)[11] | 24 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[12] | 16 |
Irish Singles Chart[13] | 4 |
Italy (FIMI)[14] | 5 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] | 17 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 15 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] | 10 |
Norway (VG-lista)[18] | 11 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 15 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] | 8 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20] | 5 |
US Billboard Hot 100[21] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary[6] | 25 |
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[21] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot Disco Singles[21] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles[21] | 4 |
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
France (SNEP)[22] | 143 |
Blockster version
"You Should Be..." | ||||
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File:You shouldbe.jpg | ||||
Single by Blockster | ||||
Released | 1999 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
Producer(s) | Blockster | |||
Blockster singles chronology | ||||
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Blockster released a cover, titled "You Should Be...", which reached number three in the UK chart in January 1999.[23]
Other cover versions
Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol, performed the song on the show on 8 May 2007. His studio version was later released on the American Idol official website and on American Idol Season 6: The Collector's Edition, a compilation of studio versions of songs performed by Idol finalists.
In 2012, the song was featured in the Glee episode "Saturday Night Glee-ver". The song was sung by Blaine Anderson (portrayed by Darren Criss), Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.) and Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris).
In popular culture
The song was prominently featured in the movie Saturday Night Fever and appears on its soundtrack album. Live performances of "You Should Be Dancing" during the 1979 Spirits Having Flown tour featured the Bee Gees' younger sibling, Andy Gibb, on backing vocals.
The Boston Celtics also play this song when they are about to win a basketball game in a convincing manner accompanied by the ever popular "Gino Time" video from the television show American Bandstand. Recently, the Tampa Bay Rays have started playing the song at home games between innings.
The song was also featured at the end of the film Despicable Me, in which the minions replace ballet music with the song so everyone (including both a reluctant-at-first Gru and a stranded Vector, who is still on the moon) can dance.
In November 2010, the song featured in the Christmas advert for British retail store Marks & Spencer.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. "This song represents the poppier side of disco at its most infectiously catchy." "also boasts a stellar, surprisingly hard-rocking guitar solo midway through, an element one might not expect in a dance tune" "The resulting recording blended all the thrills of good up-tempo disco with strong pop hooks"
- ↑ Roberts, David. Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums. Guinness World Records Ltd, 17th edition (2004), p. 52, ISBN 0-85112-199-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ [1][dead link]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Top 100 Adult Contemporary Songs Ever - Chart Beat - Billboard.com
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Bee Gees"
- ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". GfK Entertainment.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Only one result when searching "You should be dancing"
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
34. You should be dancing - The Bee Gees [#5, 1976/77] - ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bee Gees search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". VG-lista.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". Singles Top 60.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ Roberts, David. Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums. Guinness World Records Ltd, 17th edition (2004), p. 66, ISBN 0-85112-199-3.
External links
Preceded by | Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single 14 August – 25 September 1976 |
Succeeded by "Cherchez La Femme"/"Sour and Sweet"/"I'll Play the Fool" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band |
Preceded by | Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 4 September 1976 |
Succeeded by "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band |
Preceded by
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee
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Canadian RPM number-one single 11 September 1976 |
Succeeded by "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band |
- Articles with dead external links from January 2012
- Use British English from August 2011
- Use dmy dates from October 2011
- Pages with broken file links
- Singlechart usages for Germany2
- 1976 singles
- 1999 singles
- Bee Gees songs
- Blake Lewis songs
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Billboard Dance Club Songs number-one singles
- Disco songs
- Songs from Saturday Night Fever
- Songs written by Barry Gibb
- Songs written by Maurice Gibb
- Songs written by Robin Gibb
- RSO Records singles
- 1976 songs
- Song recordings produced by Albhy Galuten
- Songs about dancing