Dancing Girls (song): Difference between revisions

"Dancing Girls"
"Dancing Girls"
Single by Nik Kershaw
from the album Human Racing
B-side	"Drum Talk, She Cries"
Released	2 April 1984
Recorded	Summer 1983
Genre	Synth-pop; new wave;
Length	3:46 (album version); 3:36 (single remix); 8:00 (extended version);
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Nik Kershaw
Producer(s)	Peter Collins
Nik Kershaw singles chronology

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 00:35, 12 December 2024

"Dancing Girls" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was the third single from his debut studio album, Human Racing, and released on 2 April 1984.^[1] It charted on 14 April 1984, and reaching a peak position of No. 13 in the UK Singles Chart. It stayed on the charts for nine weeks.^[2]

Music and lyrics

Kershaw explained the song to Number One magazine in September 1984:^[3]

"Dancing Girls" is about a bloke a bit down on his luck. He's got a job and everything but he's bored sick with the routine of getting up, going to work, coming home, watching the telly, going to bed ... in the end he's saying, "For God's sake, bring on the dancing girls! Let something exciting happen to me for a change." But again the idea was exaggerated.

In a 2012 podcast interview with Sodajerker, Kershaw remembers writing the bassline spontaneously on a Roland Juno-6 synthesizer, using the arpeggiator function, and programming a rhythm on a Roland TR-808 drum machine – it was to this musical basis that the lyrics would be written.^[4]

Music video

The external street scenes for the music video for "Dancing Girls" were filmed in the dead-end section of Woodberry Grove, Finchley, North London.^[3] It depicted Kershaw as the subject of the song's lyrics, an advertising executive,^[5] imagining himself dancing with a group of middle aged dancers, including a six foot tall traffic warden, deliberately juxtaposed against Kershaw's 5'3" (160 cm) frame. The video was intended to be light-hearted, following on from the much darker video for Kershaw's previous single, "Wouldn't It Be Good".^[3]

Track listing

7" Single (MCA NIK 3)^[6]

A "Dancing Girls" (Remixed Version) – 3:36

B "She Cries" – 3:45

12" Single (MCA NIKT 3)^[6]
There were four different UK 12" releases for "Dancing Girls", all sharing the same catalogue number

Charts

Chart	Position	Weeks in Chart
UK Singles Chart^[2]	13	10
Irish Singles Chart^[7]	2	4
German Media Control Charts^[7]	2	1

Critical reception

Reviewer Paul Sinclair of website "Super Deluxe Edition" said of the song:^[8]

...third single "Dancing Girls" is an outstanding piece of pure electro/synth pop that walks in the shadow of little in that era.

Lisa Kalloo of Somojo2 said:^[9]

Dancing Girls captures the essence of teenybopping yesteryears. Is it any wonder that the likes of Eric Clapton held Nik in high esteem? Nope, because this is a classic example of British synthy-pop at its best.

References

^ "Record News". NME. London, England: IPC Media: 31. 31 March 1984.
^ ^a ^b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 299. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Nik Kershaw Picture Show". It.kershaw.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
^ EPISODE 23 – NIK KERSHAW (2012) on Sodajerker
^ *"Nik Kershaw - Human Racing". It.kershaw.net. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Nik Kershaw Singles Discography 1984-2005". It.kershaw.net. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Nik Kershaw Official Charts". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 12 July 2013.
^ "Super Deluxe Edition: Nik Kershaw - Human Racing 2CD". Superdeluxeedition.com. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
^ "Nik Kershaw - Human Racing". Somojo2.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.

External links

"Dancing Girls" at Discogs (list of releases)

[1] "Record News". NME. London, England: IPC Media: 31. 31 March 1984.

[British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-2] Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 299. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

[Picture-3] "The Nik Kershaw Picture Show". It.kershaw.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2013.

[4] EPISODE 23 – NIK KERSHAW (2012) on Sodajerker

[5] *"Nik Kershaw - Human Racing". It.kershaw.net. Retrieved 13 July 2013.

[It-6] "Nik Kershaw Singles Discography 1984-2005". It.kershaw.net. Retrieved 12 July 2013.

[Nik_Kershaw_Official_Charts-7] "Nik Kershaw Official Charts". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 12 July 2013.

[8] "Super Deluxe Edition: Nik Kershaw - Human Racing 2CD". Superdeluxeedition.com. Retrieved 12 July 2013.

[9] "Nik Kershaw - Human Racing". Somojo2.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
+{{Use British English|date=September 2019}}
 {{italic title}}
-{{Infobox single
+{{Infobox song
-| Name        = Dancing Girls
+| name       = Dancing Girls
-| Cover       = Nik Kershaw Dancing Girls.jpg
+| cover      = Nik Kershaw Dancing Girls.jpg
-| Artist      = [[Nik Kershaw]]
+| alt        =
-| from Album  = [[Human Racing]]
+| type       = single
-| B-side      = Drum Talk, She Cries
+| artist     = [[Nik Kershaw]]
+| album      = [[Human Racing]]
-| Released    = {{Start date|1984|4|2|df=yes}}
-| Format      = 7" Single, 12" single
+| B-side     = Drum Talk, She Cries
+| released   = {{Start date|1984|4|2|df=yes}}
-| Recorded    = Summer 1983
+| recorded   = Summer 1983
-| Genre       = {{flatlist|
+| studio     =
-* [[Pop rock]]
+| venue      =
+| genre      = * [[Synth-pop]]
 * [[New wave music|new wave]]
+| length     = {{ubl|3:46 (album version)|3:36 (single remix)|8:00 (extended version)}}
+| label      = [[MCA Records|MCA]]
+| writer     = [[Nik Kershaw]]
+| producer   = [[Peter Collins (record producer)|Peter Collins]]
+| prev_title = [[Wouldn't It Be Good]]
+| prev_year  = 1984
+| next_title = [[I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me|I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (re-issue)]]
+| next_year  = 1984
 }}
+"'''Dancing Girls'''" is a song by the English singer-songwriter [[Nik Kershaw]]. It was the third [[hit single|single]] from his debut studio album, ''[[Human Racing]]'', and released on 2 April 1984.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Record News |periodical=[[NME]] |publisher=[[IPC Media]] |location=[[London]], England |page=31 |date=31 March 1984}}</ref> It charted on 14 April 1984, and reaching a peak position of No. 13 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. It stayed on the charts for nine weeks.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
-| Length      = 3:36
-| Label       = [[MCA Records|MCA]]
-| Writer      = [[Nik Kershaw]]
-| Producer    = [[Peter Collins (record producer)|Peter Collins]]
-| Last single = "[[Wouldn't It Be Good]]"<br>(1984)
-| This single = "'''Dancing Girls'''"<br>(1984)
-| Next single = "[[I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me|I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (re-issue)]]"<br>(1984)
-}}
-"'''Dancing Girls'''" is a song by the English singer-songwriter [[Nik Kershaw]]. It was the third [[hit single|single]] from his debut album, ''[[Human Racing]]'', and released on 2 April 1984.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Record News |periodical=[[NME]] |publisher=[[IPC Media]] |location=London, England |page=31 |date=31 March 1984}}</ref> It charted on 14 April 1984, and reaching a peak position of No. 13 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. It stayed on the charts for nine weeks.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
 | first= David
 | last= Roberts
@@ Line 32: / Line 36: @@
 | page= 299}}</ref>
+== Music and lyrics ==
-==Lyrics==
 Kershaw explained the song to ''[[Number One (magazine)|Number One]]'' magazine in September 1984:<ref name="Picture">{{cite web
 | title       = The Nik Kershaw Picture Show
-| url         = http://it.kershaw.net/press/interviews/80interview.php?id=14
+| url       = http://it.kershaw.net/press/interviews/80interview.php?id=14
-| publisher   = It.kershaw.net
+| publisher       = It.kershaw.net
-| accessdate  = 2013-07-13
+| accessdate       = 2013-07-13
+| archive-url       = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112535/http://it.kershaw.net/press/interviews/80interview.php?id=14
+| archive-date       = 4 March 2016
+| url-status       = dead
 }}</ref>
 {{quote|"Dancing Girls" is about a bloke a bit down on his luck. He's got a job and everything but he's bored sick with the routine of getting up, going to work, coming home, watching the telly, going to bed ... in the end he's saying, "For God's sake, bring on the dancing girls! Let something exciting happen to me for a change." But again the idea was exaggerated.}}
+In a 2012 podcast interview with ''Sodajerker'', Kershaw remembers writing the bassline spontaneously on a [[Roland Juno-6]] synthesizer, using the arpeggiator function, and programming a rhythm on a [[Roland TR-808]] drum machine – it was to this musical basis that the lyrics would be written.<ref>[https://www.sodajerker.com/episode-23-nik-kershaw/ EPISODE 23 – NIK KERSHAW (2012) on Sodajerker]</ref>
-==Video==
-The external street scenes for the music [[video]] for "Dancing Girls" were filmed in the dead-end section of Woodberry Grove, [[Finchley]], [[North London]].<ref name="Picture"/> It depicted Kershaw as the subject of the song's lyrics, an advertising executive,<ref>*{{cite web
+== Music video ==
+The external street scenes for the [[music video]] for "Dancing Girls" were filmed in the dead-end section of Woodberry Grove, [[Finchley]], [[North London]].<ref name="Picture"/> It depicted Kershaw as the subject of the song's lyrics, an advertising executive,<ref>*{{cite web
 | title       = Nik Kershaw - Human Racing
 | url         = http://it.kershaw.net/press/interviews/80interview.php?id=23
 | publisher   = It.kershaw.net
 | accessdate  = 2013-07-13
-}}</ref> imagining himself dancing with a group of middle aged dancers, including a six foot tall traffic warden, deliberately juxtaposed against Kershaw's 5'3" (160cm) frame. The video was intended to be light-hearted, following on from the much darker video for Kershaw's previous single, "[[Wouldn't It Be Good]]".<ref name="Picture"/>
+}}</ref> imagining himself dancing with a group of middle aged dancers, including a six foot tall traffic warden, deliberately juxtaposed against Kershaw's 5'3" (160&nbsp;cm) frame. The video was intended to be light-hearted, following on from the much darker video for Kershaw's previous single, "[[Wouldn't It Be Good]]".<ref name="Picture"/>
-==Track listing==
+== Track listing ==
 '''7" Single (MCA NIK 3)'''<ref name="It">{{cite web
 | url         = http://it.kershaw.net/records.php?link=complete&&var=2&&pag=2
@@ Line 56: / Line 65: @@
 | accessdate  = 2013-07-12
 }}</ref>
-:A "Dancing Girls" (Remixed Version) - 3:36
+: A "Dancing Girls" (Remixed Version) – 3:36
-:B "She Cries" - 3:45
+: B "She Cries" – 3:45
 '''12" Single (MCA NIKT 3)'''<ref name="It"/><br/>
 There were four different UK 12" releases for "Dancing Girls", all sharing the same catalogue number
-==Charts==
+== Charts ==
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
@@ Line 70: / Line 79: @@
 |-
 | [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
-| style="text-align:center;"|13
+| style="text-align:center;"| 13
-| style="text-align:center;"|9
+| style="text-align:center;"| 10
 |-
 |Irish Singles Chart<ref name="Nik Kershaw Official Charts">{{cite web
 | title       = Nik Kershaw Official Charts
 | url         = http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/nik%20kershaw/
-| publisher   = Official Charts Company
+| publisher   = [[Official Charts Company ]]
 | accessdate  = 2013-07-12
 }}</ref>
-| style="text-align:center;"|14
+| style="text-align:center;"| 2
-| style="text-align:center;"|4
+| style="text-align:center;"| 4
 |-
 | German [[Media Control Charts]]<ref name="Nik Kershaw Official Charts"/>
-| style="text-align:center;"|21
+| style="text-align:center;"| 2
-| style="text-align:center;"|1
+| style="text-align:center;"| 1
 |}
+== Critical reception ==
-==Reviews==
 Reviewer Paul Sinclair of website "Super Deluxe Edition" said of the song:<ref>{{cite web
 | url         = http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/reviews/nik-kershaw-human-racing-2cd/
@@ Line 95: / Line 104: @@
 }}</ref>
 {{quote|...third single "Dancing Girls" is an outstanding piece of pure electro/synth pop that walks in the shadow of little in that era.}}
-Meanwhile, Lisa Kalloo of Somojo2 said:<ref>{{cite web
+Lisa Kalloo of ''Somojo2'' said:<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.somojo2.com/index.php/reviews/item/261-nik-kershaw-human-racing.html
- |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130714223638/http://www.somojo2.com/index.php/reviews/item/261-nik-kershaw-human-racing.html
+ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130714223638/http://www.somojo2.com/index.php/reviews/item/261-nik-kershaw-human-racing.html
- |dead-url=yes
+ |url-status=dead
  |archive-date=2013-07-14
  |title=Nik Kershaw - Human Racing
@@ Line 104: / Line 113: @@
  |accessdate=2013-07-12
 }}</ref>
-{{quote|Dancing Girls captures the essence of teenybopping yesteryears. Is it any wonder that the likes of Eric Clapton held Nik in high esteem? Nope, because this is a classic example of British synthy-pop at its best.}}
+{{quote|Dancing Girls captures the essence of teenybopping yesteryears. Is it any wonder that the likes of [[Eric Clapton]] held Nik in high esteem? Nope, because this is a classic example of British synthy-pop at its best.}}
-However, she was critical of the extended mix:
-{{quote|Dancing Girls doesn’t seem to add anything that makes it stand out from the original save the obvious extensions and popping, blippy synths, extended synth drum beats and added vocal samples but if you were a fan way back in the day, I guess this would be another one to add to the collection.}}
-==References==
+== References ==
 {{Reflist}}
-==External links==
+== External links ==
+* {{discogs master|type=single|86805}}
 {{Nik Kershaw}}
+{{Authority control}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Dancing Girls (Song)}}
 [[Category:1984 singles]]
 [[Category:Nik Kershaw songs]]

v t e Nik Kershaw
Studio albums	Human Racing The Riddle Radio Musicola The Works 15 Minutes To Be Frank You've Got to Laugh Ei8ht Oxymoron
Other albums	The Best of Nik Kershaw The Essential Then And Now No Frills
Singles	"I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" "Wouldn't It Be Good" "Dancing Girls" "Human Racing" "The Riddle" "Wide Boy" "Don Quixote" "When a Heart Beats" "Nobody Knows" "Radio Musicola" "One Step Ahead" "Elisabeth's Eyes" "I Wanna Change the Score" "Somebody Loves You"
Related articles	Discography Sheri Kershaw