You Should Be Dancing

Last updated

"You Should Be Dancing"
You Should Be Dancing 1.JPG
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Children of the World
B-side "Subway"
ReleasedJune 1976 (1976-06) [1]
Recorded19 January–1, 8 February 1976
6 May 1976
Studio
Genre Disco [1] [2]
Length4:16 (single)
4:47 (12" version)
Label RSO
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)"
(1976)
"You Should Be Dancing"
(1976)
"Love So Right"
(1976)
Music video
"You Should Be Dancing (Audio)" on YouTube

"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the Bee Gees, from the album Children of the World , 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 chart, and in September the same year, reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. [3] The song also peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Soul chart. It was this song that first launched the Bee Gees into disco. It was also the only track from the group to top the dance chart.

Contents

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 providing lead vocals in falsetto. [1] 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 album on which he sang a full song in falsetto for the first time (except for its chorus). [4] Keyboardist Blue Weaver recalls that Maurice Gibb 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 got in a short guitar solo for its instrumental break. [1]

Stephen Stills was also at Criteria Studios recording the album, Long May You Run , with his band and Neil Young. Stills added percussion on the song's February sessions. Members of Stills's backing band, George Perry (bass) and Joe Lala (percussion), also worked with the Bee Gees on some songs. [4]

Reception

Billboard described "You Should Be Dancing" as a "strong, uptempo disco cut" with the Bee Gees' "strongest singing since "Jive Talkin'." [5] Cash Box said that "the playing is more polished [than 'Jive Talking'], and the band does some things to the vocals, with trading off, which are highly ear-catching." [6] Record World called it an "across the board smash" saying "'Get off your back, you should be dancing' they sing and there's no resisting the stomping beat." [7]

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. [8] 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. [9] 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 uses his now-trademark falsetto in a lead vocal (he had previously used it on the top 10 "Nights on Broadway" and on "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)"). Earlier songs, such as "Jive Talkin'", had Gibb use a melodic blue-eyed soul vocal style.

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [33] Gold75,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [34] Silver200,000
United States (RIAA) [35] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track . [36]

E. Sensual version

"B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing"
You Should Be Dancing.jpg
Single by E. Sensual
B-side "Remix"
Released1995
Length3:30
Label Dance Pool
Songwriter(s)
E. Sensual singles chronology
"B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing"
(1995)
"Check Me Out"
(1996)
Music video
"B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing" on YouTube

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)

  1. B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Radio Edit) (3:30)
  2. B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Vocal Club Mix) (6:09)
  3. B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Original Mix) (8:08)

France: CD maxi (Remixes, 1995)

  1. B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (DJ Albert Radio Edit) (3:49)
  2. B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Radio Edit) (3:26)
  3. B.G.Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Euro Mix) (6:06)
  4. B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing (DJ Albert Progressive House Mix) (7:19)
  5. B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Original Mix 1) (8:06)
  6. B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing (Original Mix 2) (7:12)

Charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [37] 38
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [38] 73
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [39] 4
France (SNEP) [40] 26
Hungary (Mahasz) [41] 3
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [42] 36
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [43] 39

Blockster version

"You Should Be..."
You shouldbe.jpg
Single by Blockster
Released4 January 1999 (1999-01-04) [44]
Label Ministry of Sound
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Blockster
Blockster singles chronology
"You Should Be..."
(1999)
"Grooveline"
(1999)

British DJ Blockster released a cover of the song, titled "You Should Be...", on 4 January 1999. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart the same month. [45] By doing so, it marked the first time that two songs written by the Gibb brothers had charted within the UK top three simultaneously, as Steps' cover of "Tragedy" was at number two during that week. [46]

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." [47]

Charts

Chart (1999)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [48] 7
Canada Dance/Urban ( RPM ) [49] 11
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [50] 17
Ireland (IRMA) [51] 19
Scotland (OCC) [52] 6
UK Singles (OCC) [45] 3

Other cover versions

The Bee Gees remixed the song in 1993 for their album Size Isn't Everything , under the title "Decadance". [53]

Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz performing "You Should Be Dancing" in 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

American rock band Foo Fighters, under the alter ego "Dee Gees", covered the song on BBC Radio 2's Sofa Session. The song can be found on their album Hail Satin . [54] [55]

For its third season American TV series Glee covered this song as part of its tribute episode to Saturday Night Fever , titled "Saturday Night Glee-ver". Darren Criss, Heather Morris, and Harry Shum Jr. provided lead vocals as their characters Blaine Anderson, Brittany Pierce, and Mike Chang. [56]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Fever</span> 1978 single by the Bee Gees

"Night Fever" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever on RSO Records. Producer Robert Stigwood wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was wary of marketing a movie with that name. The song bounded up the Billboard charts while the Bee Gees’ two previous hits from Saturday Night Fever soundtrack were still in the top ten. The record debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at #76, then leaped up 44 positions to #32. It then moved: 32–17–8–5–2–1. It remained at #1 for eight weeks, and ultimately spent 13 weeks in the top 10. For the first five weeks that "Night Fever" was at #1, "Stayin' Alive" was at #2. Also, for one week in March, Bee Gees related songs held five of the top positions on the Hot 100 chart, and four of the top five positions, with "Night Fever" at the top of the list. The B-side of "Night Fever" was a live version of "Down the Road" taken from the Bee Gees 1977 album, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stayin' Alive</span> 1977 single by the Bee Gees

"Stayin' Alive" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in December 1977 by RSO Records as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The band co-produced the song with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It is one of the Bee Gees' signature songs. In 2004, "Stayin' Alive" was placed at No. 189 by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The 2021 updated Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Songs placed "Stayin' Alive" at No. 99. In 2004, it ranked No. 9 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In a UK television poll on ITV in December 2011 it was voted fifth in The Nation's Favourite Bee Gees Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nights on Broadway</span> Song by the Bee Gees

"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 Maurice Gibb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jive Talkin'</span> 1975 single by the Bee Gees

"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 and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100; it also reached the top-five on the UK Singles Chart in the middle of 1975. Largely recognised as the group's comeback song, it was their first US top-10 hit since "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (1971).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Much Heaven</span> 1978 single by Bee Gees

"Too Much Heaven" is a song by the Bee Gees, which was the band's contribution to the "Music for UNICEF" fund. They performed it at the Music for UNICEF Concert on 9 January 1979. The song later found its way to the group's thirteenth original album, Spirits Having Flown. It hit No. 1 in both the US and Canada. In the United States, the song was the first single out of three from the album to interrupt a song's stay at #1. "Too Much Heaven" knocked "Le Freak" off the top spot for two weeks before "Le Freak" returned to #1 again. "Too Much Heaven" also rose to the top three in the UK. In the US, it would become the fourth of six consecutive No. 1s, equalling the record set by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles for the most consecutive No. 1 songs. The six Bee Gee songs are "How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever", "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy" and "Love You Inside Out". The songs spanned the years of 1977, 1978 and 1979.

<i>Main Course</i> 1975 studio album by the Bee Gees

Main Course is the thirteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1975 by RSO Records. It was the group's last album to be released by Atlantic Records in the US under its distribution deal with Robert Stigwood. This album marked a great change for the Bee Gees as it was their first album to include mostly R&B, soul and funk-influenced songs, and created the model for their output through the rest of the 1970s. It rejuvenated the group's career and public image, particularly in the US, after the commercial disappointment of their preceding albums. Main Course was the first album to feature keyboardist Blue Weaver who had just left the Strawbs and toured with Mott the Hoople. The album cover with the band's new logo designed by US artist Drew Struzan made its first appearance here.

<i>Children of the World</i> 1976 studio album by the Bee Gees

Children of the World is the fourteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1976 by RSO Records. 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. The album was re-issued on CD by Reprise Records and Rhino Records in 2006. This was the first record featuring the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team which would have many successful collaborations in the following years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees song)</span> 1977 single by Bee Gees

"How Deep Is Your Love" is a pop ballad written and recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September of that year. It was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number-three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 on 25 December 1977 and stayed in the Top 10 for 17 weeks. It spent six weeks atop the US adult contemporary chart. It is listed at No. 27 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. Alongside "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever", it is one of the group's three tracks on the list. The song was covered by Take That for their 1996 Greatest Hits album, reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.

"If I Can't Have You" is a disco song written by the Bee Gees in 1977. The song initially appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in a version by Yvonne Elliman, released in November 1977. The Bee Gees' own version appeared a month later as the B-side of "Stayin' Alive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick song)</span> 1982 single by Dionne Warwick

"Heartbreaker" is a song performed by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees for her 1982 studio album of the same name, while production was helmed by Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson under their production moniker Gibb-Galuten-Richardson. Barry Gibb's backing vocal is heard on the chorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn Around, Look at Me</span> Song written by Jerry Capehart and Glen Campbell

"Turn Around, Look at Me" is a song written by Jerry Capehart and Glen Campbell, though Campbell is not officially credited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Love Is) Thicker Than Water</span> 1977 single by Andy Gibb

"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" is a song performed by Andy Gibb, released in September 1977 as the second and final single from his debut album, Flowing Rivers. The song was his second single that topped the US Billboard Hot 100. It was mainly written by Barry Gibb, with help from Andy Gibb. The B-side of this song was "Words and Music" in the US, but "Flowing Rivers" in the UK. It became a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paying the Price of Love</span> 1993 single by Bee Gees

"Paying the Price of Love" is the first single from the Bee Gees' 20th studio album, Size Isn't Everything (1993). The song was released in August 1993 by Polydor, reaching the top-10 in Belgium and Portugal, and the top-40 in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it charted on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 74, and peaked within the top-30 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The promotional video for the song, directed by Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom, shows the brothers performing the song as holograms on a futuristic version of MTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Love Somebody (song)</span> 1967 single by Bee Gees

"To Love Somebody" is a song written by Barry and Robin Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood, it was the second single released by the Bee Gees from their international debut album, Bee Gees 1st, in 1967. The single reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. The song's B-side was "Close Another Door". The single was reissued in 1980 on RSO Records with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" as its flipside. The song ranked at number 94 on NME magazine's "100 Best Tracks of the Sixties". It was a minor hit in the UK and France. It reached the top 20 in the US. It reached the top 10 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run to Me (Bee Gees song)</span> 1972 single by Bee Gees

"Run to Me" is a song by the Bee Gees, the lead single from the group's album To Whom It May Concern (1972). The song reached the UK Top 10 and the US Top 20.

"Love Me" is a song recorded by the Bee Gees, released on the 1976 album Children of the World. It was also included on the compilation albums Bee Gees Greatest and Love from the Bee Gees, which was released only in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love So Right</span> 1976 single by the Bee Gees

"Love So Right" is an R&B ballad recorded by the Bee Gees. It was the second single released on the album Children of the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boogie Child</span> 1977 single by the Bee Gees

"Boogie Child" is the third hit single from the Bee Gees' 1976 platinum album Children of the World, released in the US in early 1977. The song peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 as an A-side and was then used as the B-side of the single "Children of the World" in the UK. It was the last song recorded by the Bee Gees for their album Children of the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)</span> 1976 single by Bee Gees

"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 and number two in Canada. According to Maurice Gibb, producer Quincy Jones called "Fanny" one of his favorite R&B songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away</span> Song by Andy Gibb

"(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" is a song penned by Barry Gibb and Blue Weaver and recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 on the Saturday Night Fever sessions but was not released until Bee Gees Greatest (1979). A different version was released in September 1978 as the third single by Andy Gibb from his second studio album Shadow Dancing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1976". Columbia University . Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  2. Guarisco, Donald A. "You Should be Dancing – Song Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1975". Columbia University . Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  5. "Billboard's Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard . 26 June 1976. p. 76. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 6. 26 June 1976. p. 14. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  7. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 26 June 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Top 100 Hits for 1976". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 Trust, Gary (15 July 2015). "The Top 100 Adult Contemporary Songs Ever". Billboard . Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  12. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4352." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4345a." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  14. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 97. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  15. https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2017/11/14-novembre-1976.html
  16. "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Bee Gees" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  17. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  18. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You Should Be Dancing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  19. "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Bee Gees".
  20. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 35, 1976" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  21. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  22. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  23. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  24. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  25. 1 2 3 "Bee Gees – Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  26. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending SEPTEMBER 4, 1976". Cash Box . Archived from the original on 2 September 2012.
  27. "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World . 11 September 1976. p. 29. ISSN   0034-1622 . Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  28. "50 Back Catalogue Singles – 02/06/2012". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  29. "Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  30. "Bee Gees Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  31. "Top 200 Singles of '76". RPM . Vol. 26, no. 14–15. 8 January 1977. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  32. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1976". Cash Box . Archived from the original on 25 August 2012.
  33. "Canadian single certifications – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". Music Canada . Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  34. "British single certifications – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  35. "American single certifications – Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  36. Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track (liner notes). RSO. 1977. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  37. "E. Sensual – B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  38. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 10. 30 March 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  39. "E. Sensual: B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  40. "E. Sensual – B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing" (in French). Les classement single.
  41. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 13. 30 March 1996. p. 23. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  42. "Íslenski Listinn Nr. 171: vikuna 25.5. – 30.5 '96" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 25 May 1996. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  43. "E. Sensual – B.G. Tips - You Should Be Dancing". Singles Top 100.
  44. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Music Week . 26 December 1998. p. 5. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  45. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  46. Jones, Alan (16 January 1999). "Chart Commentary". Music Week . p. 12.
  47. "Chart Slot". Daily Record . 22 January 1999.
  48. "Blockster – You Should Be" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  49. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8393." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  50. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 16, no. 4. 23 January 1999. p. 9. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  51. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Blockster". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  52. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  53. Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1993". Columbia University . Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  54. Chan, Anna (18 February 2021). "Foo Fighters Fly High with Their Cover of Bee Gees' Hit 'You Should Be Dancing': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  55. "Foo Fighters to release disco album as the Dee Gees". BBC. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  56. Votta, Rae (18 April 2012). "'Glee' Recap: Disco Nightmare? Try Fun Diversion". Billboard . Retrieved 12 February 2022.