Everybody Dance (Chic song)
| "Everybody Dance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) Side A of US 7-inch vinyl single | ||||
| Single by Chic | ||||
| from the album Chic | ||||
| B-side | "You Can Get By" | |||
| Released | March 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Disco | |||
| Length | 6:41 (LP version) 3:30 (7" edit) 8:25 (12" mix) | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Chic singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Everybody Dance" is a song by American band Chic. The disco song, which features Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals, and Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Robin Clark and David Lasley on background vocals,[1] was released as the second single from the band's debut studio album, Chic (1977). According to the band's guitarist Nile Rodgers, "Everybody Dance" was the first song specifically written for Chic, and, due to its historical status and popularity, is usually played as the opening song of the band's live set.
The song has featured in films such as The Last Days of Disco (1998) and Summer of Sam (1999) during the orgy scene, and is also featured in the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion pack The Ballad of Gay Tony on the in-game radio station, K109. The song was later heavily sampled by British pop group Steps on their 2000 single "Stomp" and echoed by the Manic Street Preachers on their 2010 single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love".
Recording
According to Nile Rodgers, speaking for the BBC4 documentary How to Make It in the Music Business, the session the song was recorded during cost the band $10, which went on bribing the elevator engineer not to tell the manager they were recording in there.[2]
Release
Unlike most Chic singles, the extended 12" mix of "Everybody Dance" was not included on a regular album, nor was it widely available upon original release, with the 12-inch format being issued only as a promo. The extended mix has, however, subsequently been issued on numerous compilations. Also, unlike most Chic singles, the B-side "You Can Get By" was edited down from the original album version; almost all future Chic B-sides would be presented in their full-length versions.
Critical reception
Cash Box magazine praised the "fine, flashy bass work, double-timing on the high-hat and handclapping."[3] Record World magazine said that the "good melody and arrangement" should allow the song's appeal to expand beyond Chic's previous dance audience.[4]
Chart performance
In the United States, "Everybody Dance" became another hit single for Chic, peaking at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 1978. It peaked at number 12 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. Along with the album cut "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", "Everybody Dance" topped the National Disco Action Top 40 chart for eight consecutive weeks, from October 22 to December 10, 1977. In the United Kingdom, it reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart in May 1978, spent 9 weeks in the Top 40 there and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Track listing and formats
- US 1977 12-inch vinyl single – Promo Only (Atlantic DSKO 109)
- A1. "Everybody Dance" – 8:25
- B1. "You Can Get By" – 5:20
- US 1978 7-inch vinyl single (Atlantic 3469)
- A1. "Everybody Dance" – 3:30
- B1. "You Can Get By" – 3:59
- 1978 12-inch vinyl single (Atlantic DK 4621) / 1979 12-inch vinyl single – Promo Only (Atlantic DSKO 179) (4621)
- A1. "Everybody Dance" – 8:25
- B1. "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" – 8:21
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] | 45 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[6] | 6 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 38 |
| US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard) | 12 |
| US National Disco Action Top 40 (Billboard) (with "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)") |
1 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover versions
- 1990s
- In 1993, RuPaul recorded a cover version of the song for his debut studio album, Supermodel of the World.
- In 1993, British dance group Evolution scored a UK Top 20 hit single with a house cover of "Everybody Dance", released through Deconstruction Records. The extended version was appropriately titled "Chic Inspirational Mix".
- 2000s
- In 2007, Deborah Cox reinterpreted the song as "Everybody Dance (Clap Your Hands)", incorporating a sample of the original Chic vocals in the mix. Her cover briefly hit the US Dance Club Songs chart, peaking at number 17.
- 2010s
- In 2011, Kimberley Walsh covered it for the film Horrid Henry: The Movie.
References
- ^ Wikane, Christian John (2020-12-11). "He's the Leader: An Interview with Aretha's "Main Man" Fonzi Thornton, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ "Episode 1". Nile Rodgers: How to Make It in the Music Business. 25 August 2018. BBC4.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 1, 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 25, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4595a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Everybody Dance". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Chic Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "British single certifications – Chic – Everybody Dance". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
