"Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter for Martha and the Vandellas in 1964, whose version reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks, behind "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann. It also peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart following a rerelease in 1969. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.
A 1966 cover by the Mamas & the Papas was a minor hit on the Hot 100, reaching No. 73. In 1982, the rock group Van Halen took their cover of "Dancing in the Street" to No. 38 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 15 in Canada on the RPM chart. A 1985 duet cover by David Bowie and Mick Jagger charted at No. 1 in the UK and reached No. 7 in the US. The song has been covered by many other artists, including the Kinks, Tages, Grateful Dead, Myra and Black Oak Arkansas.
Background
Reeves recounted that she initially regarded the song as too repetitive. Gaye and Stevenson agreed and including new Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter added in musical composition. Martha Reeves remembered Marvin Gaye recorded the song first and sang it as though singing to a lover. Reeves, envisioning block parties and Mardi Gras, asked the producers to let her sing it her way. The song was recorded in two takes. The song's writers made sure to include Detroit as one of the cities mentioned with the lyric: "Can't forget the Motor City".
Civil rights anthem
"Motown records had a distinct role to play in the city's black community, and that community—as diverse as it was—articulated and promoted its own social, cultural, and political agendas. These local agendas, which reflected the unique concerns of African Americans living in the urban north, both responded to and reconfigured the national civil rights campaign" (Smith 227). The movement lent the song its secondary meaning and the song with its second meaning fanned the flames of unrest. This song (and others like it) and its associated political meanings did not exist in a vacuum. It was a partner with its social environment and they both played upon each other, creating meaning that could not have been brought on by one or the other alone. The song therefore became a call to reject peace for the chance that unified unrest could bring about the freedom that suppressed minorities all across the United States so craved.
Reception
"Dancing in the Street" peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart when it was originally released as the group's third album Dance Partys first single in 1964 (see 1964 in music), with "There He Is (At My Door)" included as a B-side. "Dancing in the Street" also reached the Top 5 on the UK Singles Chart peaking at No. 4 in a 1969 release after initially peaking at No. 28 on the chart and helped to revive the Vandellas' success in the UK. Cash Box described it as "an infectious romp that drops names of various locales as it declares that dancing is sweeping the country", stating that it is "one of those sure-fire sock-rock productions."
Martha and the Vandellas' version of "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2006, this version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. Lead singer Martha Reeves said she was thrilled about the song's perseverance, saying "It's a song that just makes you want to get up and dance".
In 2013, the original Motown recording was remixed for club and summer celebration airplay by Minneapolis' Billboard charting producer/remixer Joel Dickinson as well as Danny Shaffer.
Billboard named the song No. 29 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
"Street Fighting Man", a 1968 song from the Rolling Stones, slightly modifies a signature line from "Dancing in the Street" to be: "Summer's here and the time is right for fighting in the street."
Personnel
- Martha Reeves – lead vocals
- Betty Kelly, Rosalind Ashford, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter – backing vocals
- The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
- Robert White – guitar
- Eddie Willis – guitar
- Joe Messina – guitar
- James Jamerson – bass guitar
- Marvin Gaye – drums
- Jack Ashford – percussion, tambourine, vibes
- Ivy Jo Hunter – percussion (tire iron)
- Henry Cosby – tenor saxophone
- Thomas "Beans" Bowles – baritone saxophone
- Russ Conway – trumpet
- Herbert Williams – trumpet
- Paul Riser – trombone
- George Bohanon – trombone
Chart performance
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1964)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row" | Australia (Kent Music Report)
|align="center"| 71
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row" | New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)
|align="center"| 3
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Cash Box R&B Singles
|align="center"| 8
|-
!scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100
|align="center"|4
|-
!Chart (1969)
!Peak<br/>position
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1964)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
!scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100
| style="text-align:center;"|64
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1969)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
!scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)
| style="text-align:center;"|62
|}
Certifications
The Kinks version
British rock band the Kinks recorded "Dancing in the Street" for their second studio album Kinda Kinks in 1965. It was one of only two cover songs on the album, and was recorded on February 15–17, 1965 at Pye Studios Number 2 in London, United Kingdom. The song was rush-recorded, along with most of Kinda Kinks in order to get a quicker release date. The album was released on March 5, 1965 and reached number 3 in the UK, and number 60 in the US.
Nonetheless, "Dancing in the Street" was panned by critics for being too boring. In his book Ready For a Brand New Beat: How 'Dancing In The Street' Became the Anthem for a Changing America, Mark Kurlansky states that the song contained no particular interpretation or a distinct rhythmic groove. Thomas M. Kitts states it as weak in his biography about Ray Davies, and Johnny Rogan calls it colorless in his book, Ray Davies: A Complicated Life. Ultimate Classic Rock considered the track a "barely awake cover of the Motown standard".
| length = 2:59
| label = Dunhill
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| prev_title = Look Through My Window
| prev_year = 1966
| next_title = Dedicated to the One I Love
| next_year = 1967
Background
In 1966, the folk rock group the Mamas & the Papas recorded a cover version of "Dancing in the Street", which was taken from their second studio album The Mamas and the Papas. Cass Elliot sang the lead vocal, while the other members did their harmonies in the background. This version featured an instrumental section. The song's ending is humorous, which featured Elliot and Papa Denny Doherty having a dialogue listing the cities in both the United States, as well as Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where Doherty was from, before the song's fade. At the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, the Mamas and the Papas ended their set with "Dancing in the Street", before Elliot told the audience at the festival: "You're on your own, babies, 'cause we're sure on ours." This was the last time that the group performed live in concert.
"Dancing in the Street" was produced by Lou Adler and issued as the B-side of the single "Words of Love" on the Dunhill Records label. It reached No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Cash Box said it was "a powerful reading of the Motown sound with Cass Elliot singing a powerful lead."
In 1969, Elliot covered the song on her television special, The Mama Cass Television Program.
Personnel
The Mamas and the Papas
- Cass Elliot – lead vocals
- Denny Doherty – harmony and backing vocals
- Michelle Phillips – harmony and backing vocals
- John Phillips – guitar, harmony and backing vocals
Other personnel
- Hal Blaine – drums, tambourine
- Joe Osborn – bass guitar
- Larry Knechtel – electric piano
- "Doctor" Eric Hord – guitar
- Lou Adler – producer
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1964)
!Peak<br />position
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|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;" |73
|-
|U.S. Cash Box Top 100
| style="text-align:center;" |86
|}
Tages version
Background
Swedish rock group Tages incorporated "Dancing in the Street" into their setlist during either December 1965 or January 1966. This rendition was performed with original drummer Freddie Skantze, who did not sing lead vocals on the performances. Tages rendition of the song removes the brass parts for optimization during live performances, instead incorporating them into licks by lead guitarist Anders Töpel or organ parts played by rhythm guitarist Danne Larsson, who started learning the instrument in mid-1965. Following the success of their rendition of Marvin Gaye's "I'll Be Doggone", which reached number 10 on Kvällstoppen and number 7 on Tio i Topp in late May-early June 1966, Tages decided to record "Dancing in the Street" for their upcoming album Tages 2.
However, prior to recording the song, Skantze had left the band. He was swiftly replaced by Tommy Tausis, whose drumming talents and vocal skills fit the band perfectly. During sporadic sessions at Europafilm Studios, Bromma between May and June 1966, The group recorded "Dancing in the Street". It was one of three rhythm and blues covers on the album, along with "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Leaving Here". The album sold over 10000 copies in Sweden alone, becoming their second and final album to be certified gold. The group would go on to record another album for Platina, Extra Extra before their contract expired, enabling them to sign with Parlophone Records instead. It was also at around this time that Tausis left the band to join the Spotnicks. He was replaced by Lasse Svensson. Following several singles from Extra Extra, Platina managed to extract "Dancing in the Street" for single release, almost one and a half years after it was recorded. The B-side was "Those Rumours", a song which was written by the band and also appeared on Tages 2. "Dancing in the Street" failed to chart on Kvällstoppen, but entered Tio i Topp on December 9, 1967 for a week before being voted off. Curiously, the Norwegian single sleeve shows Freddie Skantze, who did not participate in the recording. Tages performed the song on an episode of Swedish pop show Popsan on October 7, 1966.
Personnel
Tages
- Göran Lagerberg – co-lead vocals, bass guitar
- Tommy Tausis – co-lead vocals, drums
- Tommy Blom – percussion, backing vocals
- Anders Töpel – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Danne Larsson – organ, piano, backing vocals
Other personnel
- Anders "Henkan" Henriksson – studio engineer
- Björn Almstedt – studio engineer
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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! align="left" |Chart (1967)
! style="text-align:center;" |Peak<br />position
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| align="left" |Sweden (Tio i Topp) with Bob Weir singing lead before the song was shelved for several years. The song returned to their rotation in 1976, and was played about 80 more times before being retired in 1987. Live recordings from both periods have been released. In that second period, the group recorded a cover version of the song in the studio, and released it as a single taken from their 1977 album Terrapin Station. This version is credited to Stevenson, Gaye, and Hunter, but is titled "Dancin' in the Streets" rather than "Dancing in the Street".
Bassist Phil Lesh has described "Dancing in the Street" as the first song the band stretched out in the live setting from a short pop song into drawn out improvisational jam piece, a practice that would become a Grateful Dead signature.
Personnel
Grateful Dead
- Bob Weir – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Jerry Garcia – lead guitar
- Donna Godchaux – co-lead vocals
- Keith Godchaux – keyboards, backing vocals
- Phil Lesh – bass guitar
- Mickey Hart – drums
- Bill Kreutzmann-drums
Additional personnel
- The Martyn Ford Orchestra – brass instruments
- Rick Collins – mastering
- Greg Fulginiti – mastering
- Keith Olsen – production, engineering
Van Halen version
Van Halen released "Dancing in the Street" as the second single from their 1982 studio album Diver Down. Their version attracted decent commercial success, reaching the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming a top 15 hit on the Canadian Singles Chart. This version is described by the author Chris O'Leary as "pop-metal disco".
- Power Station, New York City
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| chronology = David Bowie
| prev_title = Loving the Alien
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = Absolute Beginners
| next_year = 1986
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A cover version of "Dancing in the Street" was recorded by the English rock musicians Mick Jagger and David Bowie as a duo in 1985, to raise money for the Live Aid famine relief cause. Jagger arrived an hour later, after which "the whole band picked up". with all profits going to the Live Aid charity.
The single topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, and reached No. 7 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Bowie's seventh and penultimate top ten hit The song was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 1985. The single is set to be reissued on white vinyl on August 29, 2025, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The release includes all of the song's commercially released mixes. Thirty percent of the proceeds were donated to the Band Aid Charitable Trust.
In 1988, U.S. television network ABC used a sample of this song, to promote their 1988–1989 campaign, but under the name "Something's Happening", which is the second year they used the same name, the first time being for the 1987–1988 campaign.
In 2011, it was voted the eighth-best collaboration of all time in a Rolling Stone readers poll. In a survey conducted by PRS for Music, the song was voted as the top song the British public would play at street parties in celebration of the 2011 Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William.