Dancing in the Street

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"Dancing in the Street"
Single by Martha and the Vandellas
from the album Dance Party
Released	July 21, 1964 (U.S.)
Format	vinyl record (7" 45 RPM)
Recorded	Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1964
Genre	Soul
Length	2:40
Label	Gordy G 7033
Writer(s)	Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter
Producer(s)	William "Mickey" Stevenson
Chart positions
#2 (U.S.) #4 (UK)
Martha and the Vandellas singles chronology
"In My Lonely Room" (1964)	"Dancing in the Street" (1964)	"Wild One" (1964)

"Dancing in the Street"
Single by David Bowie and Mick Jagger
Released	August 1985
Format	7"/12" single
Recorded	Abbey Road Studios, London; June 1985
Genre	Rock
Length	3:14
Label	EMI EA204
Writer(s)	Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter
Producer(s)	Alan Winstanley, Clive Langer
Chart positions
#1 (UK) #1 (Australia) #7 (U.S.)
David Bowie and Mick Jagger singles chronology
Bowie: "Loving the Alien" (1985) Jagger: "Just Another Night" (1985)	"Dancing in the Street" (1985)	"Absolute Beginners" (1986) "Lucky in Love" (1985)

"Dancing in the Street"
Single by Nikki Webster
from the album Let's Dance
Released	September 2003
Format	CD Single
Recorded	Australia 2003
Genre	Pop
Length	3:52
Label	BMG
Writer(s)	Marvin Gaye William "Mickey" Stevenson Ivy Jo Hunter
Producer(s)	Chong Lim
Chart positions
#19 (Australia)
Nikki Webster singles chronology
"24/7 (Crazy 'Bout Your Smile) (2002)	"Dancing in the Street" (2003)	"Let's Dance" (2004)

"Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.

Contents 1 Martha and the Vandellas original 2 Jagger-Bowie version 3 Nikki Webster version 4 Other cover versions and allusions 5 Appearances on TV 6 Credits 6.1 Martha and the Vandellas 6.2 Live Aid 7 Track listings 7.1 Live Aid version 7.2 Nikki Webster version 8 References

[edit] Martha and the Vandellas original

Produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson and written by Stevenson and Marvin Gaye, the song highlighted the concept of having a good time no matter what city anyone lived. The song was conceived by Stevenson who was showing a rough draft of the lyrics to Gaye disguised as a ballad. When Gaye read the original lyrics, however, the singer said that the song sounded more danceable. With Gaye collaborating with him in lyrics, the duo composed the single with Kim Weston in mind to record the song. Weston passed on the song and when Martha Reeves came to Motown's Hitsville USA studios, the duo presented the song to Reeves. Hearing Gaye's demo of it, Reeves asked if she could arrange her own vocals to fit the song's message.

Gaye and Stevenson agreed and including new Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter adding in musical composition, the song was recorded in two takes. The interesting loud beat of the drums in its instrumentation can be attributed to Hunter, who banged on a crowbar to add to the drum beat led by Benny Benjamin and Gaye, who played second drums on the record.

While produced as an innocent dance single (it became the precursor to the disco movement of the 1970s), the song took on a different meaning when riots in inner-city America led to many young black demonstrators citing the song as a civil rights anthem to social change which also led to some radio stations taking the song off its playlist because certain black advocates such as H. Rap Brown began playing the song while organizing demonstrations.

"Dancing in the Street" peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles chart when it was originally released as the group's third album Dance Party's first single in 1964 (see 1964 in music), with "There He Is (at My Door)" included as a B-side. The song also reached the top 5 on the UK pop charts peaking at #4 in a 1969 release after initially peaking at #28 on the chart and helped to revive the Vandellas' success in England.

On April 12, 2006, it was announced that Martha and the Vandellas' version of "Dancing in the Street" would be one of 50 sound recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry. Lead singer Martha Reeves said she was thrilled about the song's preservance, saying "It's a song that just makes you want to get up and dance".

[edit] Jagger-Bowie version

A second hit version was done by Mick Jagger and David Bowie as a duo in 1985 (see 1985 in music), as part of the Live Aid charity movement. The original plan was to perform a track together live, with Bowie performing at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at the JFK Stadium, until it was realised that the satellite link-up would cause a half-second delay that would make this impossible.

Instead, the pair decided to cover "Dancing in the Street" (having rejected an earlier possibility, "One Love" by Bob Marley). In June 1985, Bowie was recording his contributions to the Absolute Beginners soundtrack at Abbey Road, and so Jagger arranged to fly in to record the track there. A rough mix of the track was completed in just four hours, at which point the pair went straight out to London's docklands to film a video with director David Mallet. Thirteen hours after the start of recording, this also was completed. Jagger arranged for some minor musical overdubs in New York.

The video (featuring both stars mugging furiously, and sending each other up) was shown twice at the Live Aid event, with Jagger also performing it live at the U.S. concert (Tina Turner taking Bowie's vocals). Soon afterwards the track was issued as a single, with all profits going to the charity. "Dancing in the Street" topped the UK charts for four weeks, and reached number seven in the United States. Bowie and Jagger would perform the song once more, at the Princes' Trust Concert on June 20, 1986. It is the last UK number-one single to date for Bowie, and the only number-one success for Jagger in his native country as a solo artist. The song has since featured on several Bowie compilations.

Although a hit at the time of its release, the record (as well as the rushed video) is not particularly popular today among either Bowie or Jagger fans.

[edit] Nikki Webster version

Chong Lim produced Nikki Webster's version of the song for her third album, Let's Dance. It was released as the album's first single in 2003 (see 2003 in music) and peaked at number nineteen on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in October 2003. Its video was filmed at Movie World. The CD single included two remixes of the song: the "Movin' Drivin' Shakin'" remix and the Karaoke mix.

[edit] Other cover versions and allusions

From the beginning the song took on a life of its own, with covers from Dusty Springfield, The Mamas & The Papas, The Who, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks, Atomic Kitten, and Van Halen among others.

It is also alluded to directly or indirectly in other songs, most notably by The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" and Bruce Springsteen's "Racing in the Street".

In literature, it is also mentioned in the graphic novel V for Vendetta

On 14th October 2006 on the ITV programme The X Factor, Louis Walshs group The Unconventionals sang a cover version of Dancing in the Street; they were eliminated that night.

[edit] Appearances on TV

This song was used on ITV's Police, Camera, Action! on the episode Nicked! in 2002. It was also performed by The Unconventionals on the third series of The X Factor in 2006.

[edit] Credits

[edit] Martha and the Vandellas

• Lead vocals by Martha Reeves
• Background vocals by Betty Kelley, Rosalind Ashford and William "Mickey" Stevenson
• Produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson
• Written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Ivy Joe Hunter
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
  • Benny Benjamin: drums
  • James Jamerson: bass guitar
  • Jack Ashford: percussion
  • Ivy Jo Hunter: percussion (crowbar)
  • Henry Cosby: saxophone
  • Robert White: guitar
  • Eddie Willis: guitar
  • Joe Messina: guitar

[edit] Live Aid

• Produced by Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer
• Lead vocals by David Bowie and Mick Jagger
• Guitar by Kevin Armstrong, G.E. Smith and Earl Slick
• Bass by Matthew Seligman and John Regan
• Drums by Neil Conti
• Percussion by Pedro Ortiz and Jimmy Maclean
• Trumpet by Mac Gollehon
• Saxophone by Stan Harrison and Lenny Pickett
• Keyboards by Steve Nieve
• Backing vocals by Helena Springs and Tessa Niles

[edit] Track listings

[edit] Live Aid version

• 7" version

1. "Dancing in the Street" (Gaye, Stevenson, Hunter) — 3:14
2. "Dancing in the Street" (instrumental) (Gaye, Stevenson, Hunter) — 3:14

• 12" version

1. "Dancing in the Street" (Steve Thompson mix) (Gaye, Stevenson, Hunter) — 4:40
2. "Dancing in the Street" (dub version) (Gaye, Stevenson, Hunter) — 4:41
3. "Dancing in the Street" (Gaye, Stevenson, Hunter) — 3:14

[edit] Nikki Webster version

1. "Dancing in the Street" (radio edit) — 3:52
2. "Dancing in the Street" (Movin' Drivin' Shakin' remix) — 3:57
3. "Dancing in the Street" (karaoke mix) — 3:51

[edit] References

• Pegg, Nicholas. The Complete David Bowie (2000). Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1-903111-14-5.

Preceded by: "I Got You Babe" by UB40 and Chrissie Hynde

UK number one single (Bowie & Jagger version) September 1, 1985

Succeeded by: "If I Was" by Midge Ure