13 replies to this topic

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

The Bird, the Swim, the Jerk, the Watusi, the Froog, the Boogaloo...

Ray Charles's song is of that peculiar sub-genre that lists dance crazes. Many songs did this - Wilson Pickett's (definitive cover of) 'Land of a Thousand Dances' is one great example (The Pony, the Jerk, the Mash Potatoes, the Alligator, the Watusi, the Twist) - James Brown did several - "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" cites the Jerk, the Fly, the Monkey, the Mash Potatoes, the Boomerang. Jnr Walker and the All Stars' "Shake and Finger Pop" has the Fly, the Jerk, the Barracuda (?) and the Twine (??)

Otis Redding do any? James Brown did several, did he not?

To qualify, the song must list at least three R&B/soul dance crazes of the early/mid 1960s...

Who can name most?

J_o_J

[bbcentral]

You earn a point for coming up with such an interesting idea for a thread topic :D

I honestly can't think of any apart from what you've listed there.

Can anyone else name a song that lists several R&B/soul dance crazes from the 60s?

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

This morning as I was driving to the supermarket I was listening to the Blues Brothers double CD and...

Chris - I'm surprised at you!

"Do You Love Me" - originally by the Contours, covered by the Blues Brothers (and including snippets of James Brown's very excellent 'Popcorn' ) - to the orginal song's references to the Mashed Potato and the Jerk, Jake and Elwood appended the (Funky) Funky Chicken

J_o_J

[Flashcomix]

Here you can see some of those dances including the "James Brwon".

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

Futten' AYE! STONE to the funk! Indeed. We have the Mashed Potatoes, the Jerk, the Boogaloo, the Camel Walk - and (you haven't seen nuthin' yet until you see me do - the JAMES BROWN!)

Any more? Didn't Otis do any?

(Wait till Otis sees us! He LOVES us!)

J_o_J

[jake_lee_blues]

Twisten the Night Away
Lean Up
Lean Back
Lean Up
Lean Back
Watossie
And Now Fly
Now Twist
Twisten The Night Away

[itsallblack]

can anybody remember the gap band( oops inside your head) everybody sat on the floor like they was rowing a boat uk craze:lol:

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

Uhh... A little bit of research from the classical music section of my local public library (well it is 2006)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashed_Potato

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frug

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Watusi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funky_Chicken

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogaloo

How d'ya do the Fly, guy?

J_o_J

[ChAnOoD_bLuEs]

Well, you can learn to a kind of dance type if you heard "Do the Funky Chicken" or "Do the Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas... Aren´t "list songs" but you can learn to do that funky moves...

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

Bob and Earl's "Harlem Shuffle" lists a whole load of dance crazes, the Slide, the Monkey, the Limbo (how low can you go?), the Hitch-Hike; furthermore we are asked to Ride our Pony and Shake our Tail Feather.

Any more out there?

J_o_J

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

James Brown's "Shout and Shimmy" links the Isley's "Shout" with the Shimmy.

The song was covered by British '60s mod band, the Who.

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

"At The Hop" by Danny and the Juniors, which slightly pre-dates the Soul era, is a veritable list of dance crazes...

"Well, you can rock it you can roll it
You can stomp and you can stroll it at the hop
When the record starts spinnin'
You calypso when you chicken at the hop
Do the dance sensation that is sweepin' the nation at the hop"

[Jehovah_of_Jive]

Aretha Franklin's Soulville mentions the Limbo, the Twist, the Monkey.

Jr Walker and the Allstars' Shotgun mentions the Jerk, the Twine and 'digging potatoes and picking tomatoes'

J_o_J

[CubbyBlues]

Ooh, the Freddy! (One version of the song was one with guest vocals by Robert Englund also known as Freddy Krueger).