"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
, from the album ''
Children of the World
''Children of the World'' is a 1976 album by the Bee Gees. The first single, " You Should Be Dancing", went to No. 1 in the US and Canada, and was a top ten hit in numerous other territories. It was the group's fourteenth album (twelfth interna ...
'', released in 1976. It hit No. 1 for one week on the American
''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 1 for seven weeks on the US
Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart, and in September the same year, reached No. 5 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 ...
.
The song also peaked at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Soul chart. It was this song that first launched the Bee Gees into
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
. It was also the only track from the group to top the dance chart.
It is also one of six songs performed by the Bee Gees included in the
''Saturday Night Fever'' movie soundtrack which came out a year later.
Origin
"You Should Be Dancing" was recorded 19 January, 1 and 8 February, and 6 May 1976 with
Barry Gibb
Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popul ...
providing lead vocals in
falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave.
It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
.
Barry had developed his falsetto to a remarkable degree in the ten months since the release of "Baby As You Turn Away" from the ''
Main Course
A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. It usually follows the entrée ("entry") course.
Typically, the main course is the meal that is the heaviest, heartiest, and most intricate or substantial o ...
'' album on which he sang a full song in falsetto for the first time (except for its chorus).
Keyboardist
Blue Weaver
Derek John "Blue" Weaver (born 11 March 1947) is a Welsh rock keyboardist, session musician, songwriter and record producer.
Career
Weaver's career as a musician began as a co-founding member of 1960s Welsh rock band Amen Corner and its succ ...
recalls that
Maurice Gibb
Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician. He achieved fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main le ...
wrote the bass line and sang the horn parts to the brass players, while Barry sang parts for Weaver to play, while guitarist
Alan Kendall
Alan Kendall (born 9 September 1944) is an English musician and was the lead guitarist for the Bee Gees, in an unofficial capacity from 1971 until 1980, and again from 1987 until 2001.
Career
His first recording was "Don't Play That Song (You ...
got in a short
guitar solo
A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...
for its instrumental break.
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...
was also at
Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...
recording the album, ''
Long May You Run
''Long May You Run'' is a studio album credited to the Stills–Young Band, a collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young, released in 1976 on Reprise Records. It peaked at #26 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified gold in the Unite ...
'', with his band and
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...
. Stills added
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
on the song's February sessions. Members of Stills's backing band, George Perry (bass) and
Joe Lala
Joseph Anthony Lala (November 3, 1947 – March 18, 2014) was an American musician and actor. In 1966, he co-founded the rock band Blues Image.
Life and career
Lala was born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, to parents from Contessa Entellina (an ...
(percussion), also worked with the Bee Gees on some songs.
Reception
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' described "You Should Be Dancing" as a "strong, uptempo disco cut" with the Bee Gees' "strongest singing since "
Jive Talkin'
"Jive Talkin" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as a single in May 1975 by RSO Records. This was the lead single from the album '' Main Course'' (as well as a song on the 1977 '' Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack) and hit number one on the ' ...
." ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said that "the playing is more polished
han 'Jive Talking' and the band does some things to the vocals, with trading off, which are highly ear-catching."
Charts
The song was their third ''Billboard'' Hot 100 No. 1 and their sixth No. 1 in Canada. It ended as the No. 31 song of the year.
In the '70s some of the Bee Gees' songs were deemed too uptempo for
AC/Easy Listening Radio which led to "You Should Be Dancing" only reaching No. 25 on that chart.
It also hit No. 4 in Ireland. In Australia, where the brothers spent a number of years in their youth, it managed only to nick the top 20.
"You Should Be Dancing" is known today as the first chart-topper in which
Barry Gibb
Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popul ...
uses his now-trademark
falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave.
It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
in a lead vocal (he had previously used it on the top 10 "
Nights on Broadway
"Nights on Broadway" is a song by the Bee Gees from the ''Main Course'' album released in 1975. The second single released from the album, it immediately followed their number-one hit "Jive Talkin'". This track was credited to Barry, Robin and ...
" and on "
Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)
"Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees for their '' Main Course'' album in 1975. It was the third single release from the album, peaking at number 12 on the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and ...
"). Earlier songs, such as "
Jive Talkin'
"Jive Talkin" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as a single in May 1975 by RSO Records. This was the lead single from the album '' Main Course'' (as well as a song on the 1977 '' Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack) and hit number one on the ' ...
", had Gibb use a melodic
blue-eyed soul vocal style.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album ''
Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track''.
*
Barry Gibb
Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popul ...
–
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his o ...
– vocals
*
Maurice Gibb
Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician. He achieved fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main le ...
– vocals,
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
*
Alan Kendall
Alan Kendall (born 9 September 1944) is an English musician and was the lead guitarist for the Bee Gees, in an unofficial capacity from 1971 until 1980, and again from 1987 until 2001.
Career
His first recording was "Don't Play That Song (You ...
– guitar
*
Dennis Bryon
Dennis Bryon (born 14 April 1949 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh rock drummer from Cardiff, best known for his work with the Bee Gees from 1974 to 1979. He also worked with Amen Corner and co-produced Robin Gibb's 1983 album, '' How Old Are You?' ...
–
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
*
Blue Weaver
Derek John "Blue" Weaver (born 11 March 1947) is a Welsh rock keyboardist, session musician, songwriter and record producer.
Career
Weaver's career as a musician began as a co-founding member of 1960s Welsh rock band Amen Corner and its succ ...
–
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
*
Joe Lala
Joseph Anthony Lala (November 3, 1947 – March 18, 2014) was an American musician and actor. In 1966, he co-founded the rock band Blues Image.
Life and career
Lala was born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, to parents from Contessa Entellina (an ...
−
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
*George Perry − percussion
*
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...
– additional percussion
E. Sensual version
In 1995, E. Sensual released a cover, titled "B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing", which reached number three in Hungary and number four in Finland.
Track listing
Europe: CD maxi (1995)
#B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Radio Edit) (3:30)
#B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Vocal Club Mix) (6:09)
#B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Original Mix) (8:08)
France: CD maxi (Remixes, 1995)
#B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (DJ Albert Radio Edit) (3:49)
#B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Radio Edit) (3:26)
#B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Euro Mix) (6:06)
#B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing (DJ Albert Progressive House Mix) (7:19)
#B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Original Mix 1) (8:06)
#B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Original Mix 2) (7:12)
Charts
Blockster version
British DJ
Blockster
Brandon Block (born 26 November 1967) is a British club DJ. He has appeared on reality shows like '' Celebrity Come Dine with Me'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. He is well known for appearing on stage heavily intoxicated at the 2000 BRIT Award ...
released a cover, titled "You Should Be...", on 4 January 1999. The cover reached number three in 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 ...
the same month.
Critical reception
''
Daily Record'' wrote, "This was one of the big club floor-fillers last year. Another hit proving that a few words, a catchy melody and big bass sound seems to equal a hit."
Charts
Other cover versions
The Bee Gees remixed the song in 1993 for their album
Size Isn't Everything
''Size Isn't Everything'' is the twentieth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in the UK on 13 September 1993, and the US on 2 November of the same year. The brothers abandoned the contemporary dance feel of the previous album '' High Civili ...
, under the title "Decadance".
American rock band
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...
, under the alter ego "Dee Gees", covered the song on
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's Sofa Session. The song can be found on their album ''
Hail Satin''.
For its
third season American TV series ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' covered this song as part of its tribute episode to ''
Saturday Night Fever
''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...
'', aptly titled "
Saturday Night Glee-ver
"Saturday Night Glee-ver" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the sixtieth overall. Written by Matthew Hodgson and directed by Bradley Buecker, the episode aired on Fox in the Uni ...
."
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series ''Glee'' (2010–2015) and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as spree ...
,
Heather Morris
Heather Elizabeth Morris (born February 1, 1987) is an American actress, dancer, singer, and model. She played the role of Brittany Pierce, Brittany S. Pierce in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee (TV series), G ...
, and
Harry Shum Jr.
Harry Shum Jr. (born April 28, 1982) is an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and singer. He is best known for his roles as Mike Chang on the Fox television series ''Glee'' (2009–15), Benson Kwan on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anato ...
provided lead vocals as their characters
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Devon Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series '' Glee''. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dal ...
,
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and first appeared in the show's second episode, "Showmance". Brittany was developed by ''Gle ...
, and
Mike Chang
Michael Robert Chang Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr., and has appeared on ''Glee'' since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preg ...
.
See also
*
List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 1976
*
List of number-one dance singles of 1976 (U.S.)
These are the ''Billboard magazine'' Hot Dance Club Play number one hits of 1976.
Note: ''Billboard'' magazine's dance/disco chart, which began in 1974 and ranked the popularity of tracks in New York City discothèques, expanded to feature multip ...
*
List of number-one singles of 1976 (Canada)
This is a list of the weekly Canadian '' RPM'' magazine number one Top Singles chart of 1976.
See also
* 1976 in music
* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones of 1976
* List of ''Cashbox'' Top 100 number-one singles of 1976
References
;N ...
References
{{Authority control
1976 songs
1976 singles
1995 singles
1999 singles
Bee Gees songs
Blake Lewis songs
British disco songs
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Cashbox number-one singles
Dance Pool singles
Ministry of Sound singles
Songs from Saturday Night Fever
Songs written by Barry Gibb
Songs written by Maurice Gibb
Songs written by Robin Gibb
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
RSO Records singles
Song recordings produced by Albhy Galuten
Songs about dancing