Dancing with Myself
Encyclopedia
"Dancing with Myself" is a song by the band Generation X
. The song was first released as a single and a 12" in 1980 and, a few weeks after the single release, was included on the band's last album - 1981's Kiss Me Deadly
. It would become the group's most well-known song, but did not enjoy much success upon its initial release.
In 1981, Billy Idol
remixed and re-released "Dancing with Myself" as a solo single, toning down its crunchy guitar sound and giving the song an overall brighter, poppier
finish. Two versions were issued - the 3:20 single version (which was later included on Idol's 11 of the Best
compilation), and the 4:50 extended version that appeared on Idol's Don't Stop EP
.
Idol plays "Dancing with Myself" at most of his concerts, always introducing the song as having been originally written and recorded by Generation X.
Since its release, the song has become something of a sports anthem.
(The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
, Poltergeist).
Sex Pistols
guitarist Steve Jones
recorded the song with Idol. After recording the song, Jones had a seizure due to drug usage. Jones was rolled out of the studio on a stretcher.
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
. The song was first released as a single and a 12" in 1980 and, a few weeks after the single release, was included on the band's last album - 1981's Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly (album)
Kiss Me Deadly was the third and final full-length album from Generation X. The band shortened its name to "Gen X" for this release. Following the departure of all original members with the exception of Tony James and Billy Idol and the addition of ex-Clash drummer Terry Chimes, the album featured...
. It would become the group's most well-known song, but did not enjoy much success upon its initial release.
In 1981, Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
remixed and re-released "Dancing with Myself" as a solo single, toning down its crunchy guitar sound and giving the song an overall brighter, poppier
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
finish. Two versions were issued - the 3:20 single version (which was later included on Idol's 11 of the Best
Idol Songs: 11 of the Best
Idol Songs: 11 of the Best is a compilation album by Billy Idol, released in 1988. It comprises all the singles released from his first three albums, Billy Idol, Rebel Yell and Whiplash Smile in non-chronological order. A limited edition version also contained a further four remixes...
compilation), and the 4:50 extended version that appeared on Idol's Don't Stop EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Idol plays "Dancing with Myself" at most of his concerts, always introducing the song as having been originally written and recorded by Generation X.
Since its release, the song has become something of a sports anthem.
Background
The music video was directed by Tobe HooperTobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
(The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
, Poltergeist).
Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
guitarist Steve Jones
Steve Jones
- Music :* Steve Jones , English rock and roll guitarist and singer, member of the Sex Pistols* Steve Jones, musician and television producer- Sports :* Steve Jones , Welsh athlete...
recorded the song with Idol. After recording the song, Jones had a seizure due to drug usage. Jones was rolled out of the studio on a stretcher.
In other media
- It is featured in 1987 film Can't Buy Me LoveCan't Buy Me Love (film)Can't Buy Me Love is a 1987 teen comedy feature film starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson in a story about a nerd at a high school in Tucson, Arizona who gives a cheerleader $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. The film was directed by Steve Rash.-Plot:Ronald Miller is a...
. - It is featured in 2006 film Flushed AwayFlushed AwayFlushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
. - It is featured in 2008 advertisement for the French health insurance company La Mutuelle Générale.
- Cover version by The DonnasThe DonnasThe Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
is featured in 2004 film Mean GirlsMean GirlsMean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
. - It is featured in 1998 film GiaGiaGia is a 1998 biographical television film about the life of model Gia Marie Carangi starring Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, and Elizabeth Mitchell. It was directed by Michael Cristofer and written by Cristofer and Jay McInerney...
, starring Angelina JolieAngelina JolieAngelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
. - It is sung by GonzoGonzo the GreatGonzo the Great is a puppet character, one of Jim Henson's Muppets. He was developed and performed by Dave Goelz. The character made his first appearance in a 1970 Christmas special entitled "The Great Santa Claus Switch". Known as a "Whatever" , he is considered one of The Frackles...
in an episode of Muppets TonightMuppets TonightMuppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
. - It is featured in TV show Gossip GirlGossip GirlGossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
. - It is featured in 2009 music video game Guitar Hero 5Guitar Hero 5Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
. - It is featured in TV show "CastleCastle (TV series)Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
", in episode "Famous Last Words". - Artie from TV show GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
sings the Nouvelle VagueNouvelle Vague (band)Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
version of the song in the ninth episode, "Wheels". - It is featured in 69th episode of Season 3 of Everybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
. - It is closing song of an Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
episode ("Plus NonePlus None"Plus None" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on November 6, 2009. It is the fifth episode from Season 4, and the 70th episode overall.-Plot:...
", Episode 5 of Season 4). - It is featured in 2009 movie, The Men Who Stare at GoatsThe Men Who Stare at Goats (film)The Men Who Stare at Goats is a 2009 comedy war film directed by Grant Heslov and written by Peter Straughan and released in theaters on November 6, 2009...
. - Nouvelle VagueNouvelle Vague (band)Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
version was used as the theme song for the first season of LA InkLA InkLA Ink is an American reality show on TLC that follows the events of the High Voltage Tattoo tattoo studios in Los Angeles, California...
. - It is heard in the background of the King of the HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
episode "Just Another Manic Kahn-Day" (aired 5/6/10). - It is featured in TV show ChuckChuck (TV series)Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
, in episode Chuck Versus the BeardChuck Versus the Beard"Chuck Versus the Beard" is a third season episode of the television series Chuck. It originally aired March 8, 2010, and was the television directorial debut of series star Zachary Levi...
. - Episode of Beavis & Butt-Head shows the duo critiquing the music video for Dancing with Myself, comparing it to masturbationMasturbationMasturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
("Playing with myself"). - Punk RockPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
covered Dancing With MyselfDancing with Myself"Dancing with Myself" is a song by the band Generation X. The song was first released as a single and a 12" in 1980 and, a few weeks after the single release, was included on the band's last album - 1981's Kiss Me Deadly...
on their 2009-2010 world tour, usually followed after the song Scattered.
Cover versions
- De KreunersDe KreunersDe Kreuners are a Flemish rock band established in 1978. They first received interest when they won the first Humo's Rock Rally in 1978, but didn't get a record contract. They self released their first three singles. They recorded their first single Nummer een in London. It became their first...
(1984) as "Ik dans wel met mezelf" - Kids IncorporatedKids IncorporatedKids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
(1989) - Blink-182Blink-182Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
(10 March 1997) - 30 Foot Fall30 Foot Fall-Band History:30 Foot Fall is an American Punk Rock band that began in Houston, Texas. The Band played their first show on Mother's Day in 1993 and were composed of Rubio Cisneros , Tony Avitia , Butch Klotz...
(2000) - The DonnasThe DonnasThe Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
(21 September 2004) - Nouvelle VagueNouvelle Vague (band)Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
(10 July 2006) - The Boomtang BoysThe Boomtang BoysThe Boomtang Boys are a Canadian dance-remix trio. They are known for both their remix work and pop-dance music. Their debut album, Greatest Hits Volume One, was released in 1999, and produced the hit "Squeeze Toy" as well as "Pictures", both performed by Kim Esty. Greatest Hits did well in...
- Dag VagDag VagDag Vag, Swedish pop, reggae, punk band formed in 1978. Main singer Stig Vig. The bands early punk sound became more and more reggae-style, and the band itself calls it transcontinental rock-reggae...
as "Dansar med mig själv" - EläkeläisetEläkeläisetEläkeläiset are a Finnish humppa band founded in 1993. They specialise in humppa and jenkka music and have been successful in Germany, Finland and elsewhere....
as "Humppaan itsekseni" - Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
(Played live on 2000, 2005 & 2009 tours) - Lisa MitchellLisa MitchellLisa Helen Mitchell is an Australian singer-songwriter who grew up in Albury, New South Wales. Her debut EP, Said One To The Other topped iTunes in Australia and this success brought her to the attention of boutique London-based publisher, Little Victories , a subsidiary of Sony/ATV, with whom she...
(Australian Idol 2006) - Al Gonzales, New York based bagpiper, (www.theroyalpiper.com) with The Shots (2008)
- The Flukes (2007)
- Laura Bell BundyLaura Bell BundyLaura Ashley Bell Bundy is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, both starring and supporting, as well as in television and film. Her best known Broadway roles are the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and the original Elle Woods in the musical...
(Recorded a country version for her CD "Longing For A Place Already Gone" released in 2007) - Kevin Michael McHaleKevin Michael McHaleKevin Michael McHale is an American actor, dancer, and singer. Formerly of the boy band NLT, McHale is best known for his current role as Artie Abrams in the Fox hit television series Glee.-Life and career:...
as Artie Abrams on Fox's GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
(2009)
Generation X version
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
62 |
Billy Idol version
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
2 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
| RIANZ New Zealand Singles Chart | 9 |