Come Dancing (song)
Encyclopedia
"Come Dancing" is a 1982 recording by British rock
group The Kinks
; a 1983 hit single in both the US and the UK, the track was included on the album State of Confusion
.
look back at childhood memories of its writer: the Kinks' frontman Ray Davies
, remembering his older sister going on dates to the local Palais dance hall
where big band
s would play. The lyrics tell how the Palais has been demolished and his sister now has her own daughters who are going on dates.
"Come Dancing" is a tribute to Davies' sister Rene who bought him his first guitar, with the song's lyrics affording Davies' sister a happy life denied her in reality. Living in Canada with her (reportedly abusive) husband, the 31-year-old Rene was visiting her parental home in Fortis Green
at the time of Ray Davies' thirteenth birthday — 21 June 1957 — on which she surprised him with a gift of the Spanish guitar he'd tried to persuade his parents to buy him. On the evening of the same day, Rene — who had a weak heart as a result of a childhood bout of rheumatic fever
— suffered a fatal heart attack while dancing at the Lyceum ballroom.
which Ray Davies owned, with the track being recorded within the next few days. Showcasing Kinks' keyboardist Ian Gibbons
in a virtuoso performance (emulating a fairground calliope
), "Come Dancing" was recorded in October 1982 and a promotional music video
directed by Julien Temple
was shot within the month.
Overlooked in the UK in its November 1982 single release, "Come Dancing" was released as a single in the US in January 1983 over the objections of Arista Records
president Clive Davis
who Davies recalls "didn't want to put it out because it was too much of an English subject matter".In fact, the track's promotional video became a staple of the fledgling MTV
network, which gave the single sufficient momentum to enter the Billboard Hot 100
that May, ascending to the Top 40 in June 1983 and peaking at #6 in July, making "Come Dancing" the Kinks' highest charting US single (tying "Tired of Waiting for You
" from 1965).
"Come Dancing" was re-released in the UK due to the interest occasioned by a Top of the Pops
broadcast which featured videos of several current US hits including "Come Dancing". The track peaked at #12 on the UK singles chart dated 27 August 1983.
"Come Dancing" also charted in Australia (#36), Belgium (Top 20), Canada (#6), the Netherlands (#25), Switzerland (#13) and Sweden (#18).
with the UK and US 7" single
s using different, shorter edits. A demo version (running to 4:40) was also released in 2008 on the Picture Book CD box set.
by Ray Davies. Its plot is derived from the lyrics of the song. Come Dancing premiered at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
on 13 September 2008. Davies had written the original version of the play in 2001; the final version featured a book co-written by Davies and Paul Sirett and a score written by Davies, the latter comprising three Kinks hits (including the title song) and a number of original songs. Davies also appeared as Narrator in the production which ran until 25 October 2008. Come Dancing was scheduled to begin a tour of Great Britain in January 2010, but this was canceled after Davies dropped out of the production.
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
group The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
; a 1983 hit single in both the US and the UK, the track was included on the album State of Confusion
State of Confusion
State of Confusion is a 1983 album by the English rock group, The Kinks. The record featured the single "Come Dancing", which hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was one of the band's biggest hit singles in the United States, equaling the 1965 peak of "Tired of Waiting for You". The album itself...
.
Song themes and meaning
The song is a nostalgicNostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
look back at childhood memories of its writer: the Kinks' frontman Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
, remembering his older sister going on dates to the local Palais dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
where big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s would play. The lyrics tell how the Palais has been demolished and his sister now has her own daughters who are going on dates.
"Come Dancing" is a tribute to Davies' sister Rene who bought him his first guitar, with the song's lyrics affording Davies' sister a happy life denied her in reality. Living in Canada with her (reportedly abusive) husband, the 31-year-old Rene was visiting her parental home in Fortis Green
Fortis Green
Fortis Green is a ward in the extreme north-western corner of the Borough of Haringey, North London. It is also the name of the road that runs between Muswell Hill and East Finchley which forms part of the A504....
at the time of Ray Davies' thirteenth birthday — 21 June 1957 — on which she surprised him with a gift of the Spanish guitar he'd tried to persuade his parents to buy him. On the evening of the same day, Rene — who had a weak heart as a result of a childhood bout of rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
— suffered a fatal heart attack while dancing at the Lyceum ballroom.
Recording and release history
Ray Davies had been working on a film script about the British dance halls of the 1950s: it occurred to him to use that milieu as the basis of a song during a Kinks' rehearsal at Konk Studios, the recording facility in HornseyHornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
which Ray Davies owned, with the track being recorded within the next few days. Showcasing Kinks' keyboardist Ian Gibbons
Ian Gibbons
Ian Gibbons is an English keyboardist, most notable for playing with The Kinks.Gibbons began playing the accordion at the age 9, playing in the school band, and solo at music festivals, competitions and charity events. At the age of 14, he started a school rock band, playing guitar and singing...
in a virtuoso performance (emulating a fairground calliope
Calliope (music)
A calliope is a musical instrument that produces sound by sending a gas, originally steam or more recently compressed air, through large whistles, originally locomotive whistles....
), "Come Dancing" was recorded in October 1982 and a promotional music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
directed by Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
was shot within the month.
Overlooked in the UK in its November 1982 single release, "Come Dancing" was released as a single in the US in January 1983 over the objections of Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
president Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
who Davies recalls "didn't want to put it out because it was too much of an English subject matter".In fact, the track's promotional video became a staple of the fledgling MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
network, which gave the single sufficient momentum to enter the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
that May, ascending to the Top 40 in June 1983 and peaking at #6 in July, making "Come Dancing" the Kinks' highest charting US single (tying "Tired of Waiting for You
Tired of Waiting for You
"Tired of Waiting for You" was a hit 1965 rock song by the English band The Kinks. It reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart and #6 in the USA. It was recorded late August 1964 at Pye Studios , London, with additional guitar overdub at IBC Studios, London on 29 December 1964. "Come On Now" was recorded...
" from 1965).
"Come Dancing" was re-released in the UK due to the interest occasioned by a Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
broadcast which featured videos of several current US hits including "Come Dancing". The track peaked at #12 on the UK singles chart dated 27 August 1983.
"Come Dancing" also charted in Australia (#36), Belgium (Top 20), Canada (#6), the Netherlands (#25), Switzerland (#13) and Sweden (#18).
Different edits
The song is available in many edits of the same version. The version included on the State of Confusion album (and used on all compilations since) is an edit running to 3:54. The full length version running to 4:27 was released on a UK 12" single12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
with the UK and US 7" single
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s using different, shorter edits. A demo version (running to 4:40) was also released in 2008 on the Picture Book CD box set.
Basis for a musical
Come Dancing is a stage musicalMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
by Ray Davies. Its plot is derived from the lyrics of the song. Come Dancing premiered at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
on 13 September 2008. Davies had written the original version of the play in 2001; the final version featured a book co-written by Davies and Paul Sirett and a score written by Davies, the latter comprising three Kinks hits (including the title song) and a number of original songs. Davies also appeared as Narrator in the production which ran until 25 October 2008. Come Dancing was scheduled to begin a tour of Great Britain in January 2010, but this was canceled after Davies dropped out of the production.