"Dance with Me Tonight" is a single by English singer-songwriter
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
, taken from his second studio album, ''
In Case You Didn't Know
''In Case You Didn't Know'' is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs, released on 25 November 2011, through Epic Records. The album's release was preceded by the number-one singles " Heart Skips a Beat" on 19 August 201 ...
''. It was released as the album's second single on 18 November 2011 and was written by Murs,
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly (born December 27, 1980)Shirley Halperin and Bob Love"THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers,"''The Hollywood Reporter'', February 6, 2013. is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, a ...
and
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter and record producer who has sold in excess of 138 million records around the world. He has written and produced 12 no 1 UK/US singles, 38 no 1 UK/US albums and a further 41 top 5 UK/US albums and singles. H ...
.
The song stayed at number two in the UK for two consecutive weeks before finally giving Murs his third UK number-one single in December 2011. The track was released as the album's third single across Europe in November 2012, and as with his previous European single "
Oh My Goodness" will receive a CD release that was absent in the UK. In August 2013 a new version of the song was released as the third single from the US version of ''
Right Place, Right Time''.
Background and composition
Murs wrote the song with Claude Kelly and Steve Robson in the spring of 2011, following their successful collaborations on the first album including his debut number one, "
Please Don't Let Me Go
"Please Don't Let Me Go" is a song by British singer Olly Murs. Written by Murs, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson, the song served as the lead single from the ''X Factor'' runner-up's eponymous debut album and it was his debut single. The song wa ...
". Lyrically, Murs has said that the song was inspired by his frustration with modern-day dating, in particular the incessant use of
social networking websites
A social networking service or SNS (sometimes called a social networking site) is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, act ...
: "I'm sick of Twitter and Facebook, you know, I want to meet a girl in a club or in a bar. Everytime I meet a girl they're like 'Just add me on Facebook, or Tweet me', and it's like why don't we go out on a proper date like we used to back in the early 2000s, go for a proper drink and get to know her? So I went into the studio and just went, 'OK, I wanna write a really old, classic song about seeing a really fit girl in a club and taking her out on a date.'"
In an interview with ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' in September 2011, he also added that it was the soulful, Motown feel of the song that was to influence the direction of the ''In Case You Didn't Know'' album as a whole, and that he was keen to reinvent his sound from
his previous album: "We had to change slightly and I looked at myself. The ska/reggae vibe put me in a place but I don’t want to be the same artist over and over and over again because people get bored. You have to keep it fresh. We decided the ‘white boy soul’ sound was really me and we wrote 'Dance With Me Tonight', which solidified where we'd go. When we wrote that song we knew that was the direction." The brass section was provided by the Blackjack Horns :-
Nik Carter
Nik is a unisex given name and a short form of most names starting with ''Nik'', derived from Ancient Greek νικη (nike) meaning "victory".
It may refer to:
People:
*Nik Bärtsch (born 1971), Swiss pianist, composer and producer
*Nik Bonitto (b ...
– Sax / Jack Birchwood – Trumpet and Steven Fuller – Trombone.
In 2013, the song was nominated for a Ivor Novello award for Most Performed Work.
Critical reception
The single received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. Hit the Floor magazine awarded it five out of five, calling it a "great do-wop 50s style number that will no doubt reach the uppermost rankings of the chart." Robert Copsey of
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
, however, gave the song three out of five stars. He was most critical of the sound of the song and its lyrics, stating that "the swinging '60s funk-pop sound of his latest effort might not be the most original, and the lyrics are cheesier than a tube of
Primula
''Primula'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose ('' P. vulgaris''), a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common species are '' P. auricula'' (auricula), '' P. veris'' (cow ...
", but praised it for being "unashamedly fun." In 2015, Twitter exploded with tweets saying
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
's "
Dear Future Husband
"Dear Future Husband" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was included on ''Title (EP), Title'', her 2014 extended play, and later on her 2015 Title (album), studio album of the same name. Trainor wrote the song with it ...
" sounds strangely similar to Olly Murs' "Dance with Me Tonight".
Music video
A music video to accompany the release of "Dance with Me Tonight" was directed by Marcus Lundin. It was first released onto
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
on 14 October 2011 at a total length of three minutes and twenty-six seconds.
The video starts with Olly going through a police station and pulling funny poses at a mug shot camera, after being arrested with his friends and another girl. Five hours before the incident, he drives around London in a Peugeot 504 Cabriolet, picking up his best friend and supplies for a street party along the way. In the process of getting the supplies, Olly also invites two young clerks to come along with him. Together they set up the street party with the aim of Olly wooing the girl who was with him in the police station called "Jamie Winter" (played by actress and model Katja Zwara). They dance as a display of fireworks goes off behind them, whilst a more senior female citizen looks out disturbed by the noise, and calls the police. As the video ends Olly and Jamie are arrested by the police revealing what they were arrested for was obviously disturbing the peace.
Filming took place over one day in late August 2011 in
Putney
Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
History
Putney is an ancient paris ...
, South West London. The iconic
Putney Wharf Tower
Putney Wharf Tower is a tall apartment building at Putney Wharf, Putney, London SW15 2JX, on the river Thames, close to Putney Bridge.
It was originally a 1960s office block for International Computers Limited (ICL), until the fifteen stories w ...
, Putney Bridge, along with parts of
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
, Fulham Palace Road, Lysia Street and Bishops Park Road are shown as "snapshots" during the course of the video.
Mortlake
Mortlake is a suburban district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes. Historically it was part of Surrey and until 1965 was in the Municipal Borough of Barnes. For many cen ...
and
New Cross
New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwic ...
were other filming locations.
For the American release Murs released a lyric video which featured clips from his time in America and fans dancing.
Live performances
On 27 November 2011, Murs performed "Dance with Me Tonight" for the first time on ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' results show. He performed with
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
, and the studio version of this performance was featured as a bonus track on the UK version of
the soundtrack for the new
''The Muppets'' that was released in UK cinemas in February 2012. Murs also performed the song for his special for
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
's ''
The Album Chart Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' on 4 December 2011, ''
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
Live Sessions'' on 11 December 2011, and on
RTÉ One
RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''TelefÃs à ...
's ''
The Late Late Toy Show
''The Late Late Toy Show'' is an annual, special edition of the Irish chat show '' The Late Late Show''. Airing annually on RTÉ One near the end of November or early December to coincide with the holiday shopping season, the ''Toy Show'' showc ...
'' on 2 December 2011, and acoustically for
T4 show ''
Sunday Brunch
''Sunday Brunch'' is a British television programme presented by Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer. It is broadcast live on Channel 4 on Sunday mornings and features cookery and interviews with celebrity guests.
Format
The programme began on 25 ...
'' on 18 December 2011. The track was also performed in April 2012 on the Channel 4 show ''Hit the Road Jack'', hosted by comedian
Jack Whitehall
Jack Peter Benedict Whitehall (born 7 July 1988) is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. He is known for starring as JP in the series ''Fresh Meat (TV series), Fresh Meat'' (2011–2016) and Alfie Wickers in the series ''Bad Educat ...
. Murs' first American TV performance of the song was on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' on 28 September 2012, where he also performed "
Heart Skips a Beat
"Heart Skips a Beat" is a song by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs, taken from his second studio album, ''In Case You Didn't Know''. The song features vocals from English hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks, and was released as the album's lead single ...
". On 18 January 2020, Murs performed the song on ''
The Voice UK
''The Voice UK'' is a British singing competition television series. Created by John de Mol, it premiered on BBC One during the spring television cycle on 24 March 2012. Based on the original ''The Voice of Holland'', and part of ''The Voice ...
'' during a surprise performance with fellow judge
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
, alongside Trainor's notably similar song "
Dear Future Husband
"Dear Future Husband" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was included on ''Title (EP), Title'', her 2014 extended play, and later on her 2015 Title (album), studio album of the same name. Trainor wrote the song with it ...
".
Chart performance
"Dance with Me Tonight" debuted on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
at number two on 27 November 2011, behind
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
and
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
' collaborative single "
We Found Love
"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...
", which spent a sixth non-consecutive week at number one. The following week saw the single remain at number two, this time behind
''The X Factor'' finalists with "
Wishing on a Star
"Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first ...
" featuring
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
and
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gr ...
. On its third charting week, 11 December, the single climbed to number-one, marking Murs' third number-one single after "Please Don't Let Me Go" (2010) and "Heart Skips a Beat" (2011).
It had by this point sold over 200,000 copies before reaching the top of the UK chart – more than any other number one single that year. It spent 8 weeks inside the UK top 10, and a total of 20 weeks inside the UK top 40, making it one of his most successful singles in the UK to date. It also topped the UK radio airplay chart for six weeks between December 2011 and January 2012, and became his highest charting solo single to date in Ireland, peaking at number two.
Popular culture
In August 2013, the song was used as the theme tune to ITV dancing show ''
Stepping Out'' and was sung by the show's house band.
As of May 2014 the song has been used in an advert for
Kinder Chocolate
Kinder Chocolate ( it, Kinder Cioccolato; "Kinder" is German for “Children") is a brand of chocolate bars produced by Italian multinational confectionery company Ferrero.
Kinder Chocolate
In Alba, Italy, in 1968, Michele Ferrero, propo ...
bars.
It is also featured on Disney's
Have a Laugh!
''Have a Laugh!'' is an American animated comedy series produced by the Walt Disney Company for the Disney Channel. The series is a set of interstitials, presenting edited versions of classic ''Mickey Mouse'' cartoons that lasted from 2009 to 201 ...
's Re-Micks episode.
During the months of November and December 2021, the song began to trend on the social media platform
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version ...
with users doing a particular dance routine to the song.
Track listing
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2011 singles
Olly Murs songs
Number-one singles in Scotland
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Songs written by Olly Murs
Songs written by Steve Robson
Songs written by Claude Kelly
Songs about dancing