I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)
Encyclopedia
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is the first single from Whitney Houston
's second studio album Whitney
. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden
, and written by George Merrill
and Shannon Rubicam
of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I Know
". The original arrangement was more of a country tune but was transformed to make it a dance song by Walden. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at 30th Grammy Awards.
and Shannon Rubicam
, who wrote Houston's 1985 song "How Will I Know
". "How Will I Know" became successful, and as a result, they were asked to come up with another song for Houston's then-new album. Originally the song that gave Merrill and Rubican their British top ten success as Boy Meets Girl, "Waiting For a Star to Fall
" was intended by the duo to be a song for Houston. The duo sent it to Arista Records
, but they passed on it citing it was not suitable for Houston. Undeterred by this minor setback, the pair continued working on finding a song that would be ideal for Houston, and were inspired to come up with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Later on, Rubicam explained the idea behind the song:
But, the song did not impress the producer, who again was Narada Michael Walden
, who had produced "How Will I Know". He took a little more persuading with regard to the song's potential, and at first was not to keen on having Houston record it, as he felt it was too "country and western sounding." He said of it,
of Rolling Stone
magazine, in a review of the album Whitney
, criticized the song, commenting that "not taking any chances, the songwriters [George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam] have simply come up with a clever anagram of their original hit [How Will I Know], and [Narada Michael] Walden has glossed it over in an identically perky style. The strategy is not so different from that behind Hollywood's blockbuster sequels: this is 'How Will I Know II'." Los Angeles Times
s pop music critic, Robert Hilburn
wrote about the song, "a deliciously raucous tune with a bit of the synthesizer underpinning and giddy zest of Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun.'" In its review of Whitney, Jon Pareles
of The New York Times
gave a negative comment, writing that listening to "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "You're Still My Man," another track on the album was like "watching television while someone fiddles with color controls." In 2006, Slant Magazine
ranked the song at #88 in their 100 Greatest Dance Songs, commenting that "with its parenthetical title, gummy bassline, schmaltzy horns, tinkling keyboards, and half-step key changes, [the song] is definitive '80s dance-pop." Blender Magazine ranked the song #275 in their Top 500 Greatest Songs list.
, the issue dated May 16, 1987, at number thirty-eight, her highest debut in 1980s. Six weeks later, it reached the top spot of the chart, making it Houston's fourth number-one single in the United States, the issue date of June 27, 1987 ― the same day that Houston's album Whitney debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
(formerly "Top Pop Albums") the first time ever by a female artist. It remained there for two weeks, and spent eighteen weeks on the chart. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 Single Sales chart for two weeks, and on the Hot 100 Airplay
chart for three weeks, her longest run at that time. The single also peaked at number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary and became Houston's first chart-topper on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Songs, staying on the top position of the charts for three weeks and two weeks, respectively. In addition, it reached a peak of two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart (formerly "Hot Black Singles"), the issue date of July 4, 1987. On July 28, 1987, the single was certified Gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), for shipment of 1,000,000 copies of the single, becoming one of only three singles to reach that level in that year, and re-certified Platinum, making it Houston's first single to achieve that feat, for the same shipment on February 13, 1989, with the change of the RIAA certification criteria for singles. (The number of sales required to qualify for gold and platinum discs was higher prior to January 1, 1989. The thresholds were 1,000,000 units (gold) and 2,000,000 units (platinum), reflecting a decrease in sales of singles.) It placed at number four on the Billboard Year-End
Top Pop Singles chart for 1987. In Canada, the song debuted at seventy-four on the RPM Top 100 Singles
chart, the issue dated May 9, 1987, and reached the top of the chart on July 4, 1987. It was ranked second on the RPM Year-End Top 100 Singles chart for 1987. The single was later certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA) on February 29, 1988.
Internationally, the song was a massive hit, becoming her most successful single at the time. It reached number one in about twelve countries. The song debuted at number ten on the UK Singles Chart
, the week ending date of May 23, 1987. Two weeks later, it reached the number one on the chart, the week ending June 6, 1987, becoming her second UK number-one single. The single was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) on August 1, 1987, for shipments of 400,000 copies. According to The Official Charts Company, it has sold 760,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The single also topped the singles chart in Belgium for three weeks, the Netherlands for four weeks, Germany for five weeks, Italy for a week, Norway for seven weeks, Sweden for six weeks and Switzerland for six weeks, and peaked inside top five in Austria and Ireland. This popularity of the song across Europe led to topping the European Hot 100 Singles chart for eight weeks. It became Houston's second number-one single on the Australian Kent Music Report chart, staying at the top for five weeks. The song also peaked at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and remained there for four weeks, making it Houston's first number-one single in the country. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was a strong seller, having sold 4.2 million copies worldwide; Houston's second best-selling single after "I Will Always Love You" with 12 million copies sold.
for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" (directed by Brian Grant
) is one of Houston's best recognized music videos. In the intro of this video, Houston just finishes a performance onstage. She walks backstage, and the scene is intercut with more vivid, colorful images of her. The song then explodes into its beginning, with myriad locations and various outfits by Houston, as dancers trying to impress her as she dances around, just having a good time. The music video was in heavy rotation on music channels MTV
, VH1
, and BET
during the song's run.
on January 25, 1988. Additionally, Houston won the Grammy award for "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female" with the song at its 30th ceremony on March 2, 1988, where she received a total of three nominations. The music video for the song was nominated for "Best Music Video" at the 2nd Soul Train Music Awards on March 30, 1988. Houston won the award for "Best Music Video" for the video at the 1st Garden State Music Awards.
She premiered the song, during the later shows of Greatest Love World Tour
in 1986, before its official release of the next year, introducing the song along with "Didn't We Almost Have It All
" as new tunes from her upcoming album. During her European promotion for a new album in April–May 1987, Houston performed the song on various TV shows such as Domenica In (Italian TV entertainment programme), Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival: IM&MC Gala (May 15, 1987), and Top of the Pops
(May 21, 1987), where she did sing live unlike almost all performers lip-synced on the programme.
Moment of Truth World Tour
in 1987-1988 had Houston performing it as the finale song of the tour. She performed the song without back-up dancers on the North American leg (1987), and with four dancers on the European leg of the tour (1988). Two different performances of the song were taped in Saratoga Springs, New York
on September 2, 1987 and at Wembley Arena
in London
, United Kingdom
in May 1988. The first was broadcast on MTV
, during the 4th MTV Video Music Awards
on September 11, 1987. The second was taken from one night of nine sold-out Wembley Arena shows, aired on Italian TV Channel, Rai Uno's special program for her in 1988. On March 2, 1988, she opened the night of the 30th Annual Grammy Awards singing the song. During the European leg of the tour, she participated in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert
and performed the song in front of about 72,000 audiences at Wembley Stadium
on June 11, 1988.
Houston also performed the song as one of setlist on fourteen-date-tour in Japan, Feels So Right Tour
. One performance of the song on the tour was taped at Yokohama Arena
on January 7, 1990 and later broadcast on Japanese TV channel. On March 17, she sang the song live on That's What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th Anniversary AIDS Benefit Concert, televised on CBS
, April 17, 1990. In 1991, she opened I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour
with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." Three different performances of the song were taped and broadcast. The first is in Yokohama
, Japan on March 15 and the second is in Norfolk, Virginia
, the concert titled Welcome Home Heroes
, televised live on HBO, March 31 and later released as the video of the same name. The third is in A Coruña
, Spain
on September 29, broadcast on Spanish TV channel and later featured on the select setlist on This Is My Life, her first hourlong TV special, aired on ABC
, May 6, 1992.
The song was also performed The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994). On the tour, five different performances of the song were taped and televised; four was on the South American leg of the tour in 1994―Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela―and one was in Johannesburg
, South Africa
, broadcast live via satellite on HBO, November 12, 1994; the concert titled "The Concert for a New South Africa
." Houston performed the song at a 25-minute pregame show of the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final
at Rose Bowl
in Los Angeles
, broadcast in more than 180 countries on July 17, 1994. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" was included in the setlist on two regional tour, The Pacific Rim Tour
(1997) and The European Tour
(1998). During the 1999 My Love Is Your Love World Tour
, the remix version of the song was performed as a part of "1980s Dance Medley" along with "How Will I Know
." One performance of the song on the tour was taped in Sopot
, Poland
and broadcast live on Polish TV channel TVP1 on August 22, 1999. In 2000, she performed the song as a similar version of '99 tour's on Arista Records 25th Anniversary Celebration, taped at Shrine Auditorium
in Los Angeles
on April 10, and broadcast on May 15 on NBC
. The ceremony was released as a VHS
and DVD
titled 25 Years of #1 Hits ― Arista Records 25th Anniversary Celebration in June 2000.
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's second studio album Whitney
Whitney (album)
Whitney is the second studio album by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston, released in the United States on June 2, 1987 by Arista Records as the follow-up to her best selling debut album, Whitney Houston. The album met the expectations of many people and was sensationally popular after its...
. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
, and written by George Merrill
George Merrill (songwriter)
George Merrill is an American songwriter whose work mostly dates from the mid to late 1980s.He wrote "How Will I Know," which was a hit for Whitney Houston in 1986, as well as Houston's 1987 hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."...
and Shannon Rubicam
Shannon Rubicam
Shannon Rubicam is an American female singer/songwriter who is best remembered for being half of the mid to late 1980s pop duo Boy Meets Girl....
of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I Know
How Will I Know
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American recording artist Whitney Houston for her debut album, entitled Whitney Houston, which was released in February 1985. It was released by Arista Records in November that year, as the album's third single. Composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam,...
". The original arrangement was more of a country tune but was transformed to make it a dance song by Walden. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at 30th Grammy Awards.
Background
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody" was written by George MerrillGeorge Merrill (songwriter)
George Merrill is an American songwriter whose work mostly dates from the mid to late 1980s.He wrote "How Will I Know," which was a hit for Whitney Houston in 1986, as well as Houston's 1987 hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."...
and Shannon Rubicam
Shannon Rubicam
Shannon Rubicam is an American female singer/songwriter who is best remembered for being half of the mid to late 1980s pop duo Boy Meets Girl....
, who wrote Houston's 1985 song "How Will I Know
How Will I Know
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American recording artist Whitney Houston for her debut album, entitled Whitney Houston, which was released in February 1985. It was released by Arista Records in November that year, as the album's third single. Composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam,...
". "How Will I Know" became successful, and as a result, they were asked to come up with another song for Houston's then-new album. Originally the song that gave Merrill and Rubican their British top ten success as Boy Meets Girl, "Waiting For a Star to Fall
Waiting for a Star to Fall
Waiting For a Star to Fall is a song released by the pop duo Boy Meets Girl in 1988. A worldwide hit, it became the duo's signature song.-Background:...
" was intended by the duo to be a song for Houston. The duo sent it to 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...
, but they passed on it citing it was not suitable for Houston. Undeterred by this minor setback, the pair continued working on finding a song that would be ideal for Houston, and were inspired to come up with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Later on, Rubicam explained the idea behind the song:
But, the song did not impress the producer, who again was Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
, who had produced "How Will I Know". He took a little more persuading with regard to the song's potential, and at first was not to keen on having Houston record it, as he felt it was too "country and western sounding." He said of it,
Critical reception
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" received mixed reviews from critics. Vince AlettiVince Aletti
Vince Aletti is an American music journalist and photography critic.Vince Aletti was the first person to write about disco , writing a weekly column about disco for the music trade magazine Record World and reporting about early clubs like David Mancuso's Loft for The Village Voice in the late...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, in a review of the album Whitney
Whitney (album)
Whitney is the second studio album by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston, released in the United States on June 2, 1987 by Arista Records as the follow-up to her best selling debut album, Whitney Houston. The album met the expectations of many people and was sensationally popular after its...
, criticized the song, commenting that "not taking any chances, the songwriters [George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam] have simply come up with a clever anagram of their original hit [How Will I Know], and [Narada Michael] Walden has glossed it over in an identically perky style. The strategy is not so different from that behind Hollywood's blockbuster sequels: this is 'How Will I Know II'." Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
s pop music critic, Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn is a pop music critic and author. As critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world...
wrote about the song, "a deliciously raucous tune with a bit of the synthesizer underpinning and giddy zest of Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun.'" In its review of Whitney, Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave a negative comment, writing that listening to "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "You're Still My Man," another track on the album was like "watching television while someone fiddles with color controls." In 2006, Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
ranked the song at #88 in their 100 Greatest Dance Songs, commenting that "with its parenthetical title, gummy bassline, schmaltzy horns, tinkling keyboards, and half-step key changes, [the song] is definitive '80s dance-pop." Blender Magazine ranked the song #275 in their Top 500 Greatest Songs list.
Commercial reception
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was released as the first single from Houston's second studio album, in May 1987. It entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
, the issue dated May 16, 1987, at number thirty-eight, her highest debut in 1980s. Six weeks later, it reached the top spot of the chart, making it Houston's fourth number-one single in the United States, the issue date of June 27, 1987 ― the same day that Houston's album Whitney debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
(formerly "Top Pop Albums") the first time ever by a female artist. It remained there for two weeks, and spent eighteen weeks on the chart. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 Single Sales chart for two weeks, and on the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart for three weeks, her longest run at that time. The single also peaked at number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary and became Houston's first chart-topper on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Songs, staying on the top position of the charts for three weeks and two weeks, respectively. In addition, it reached a peak of two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart (formerly "Hot Black Singles"), the issue date of July 4, 1987. On July 28, 1987, the single was certified Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), for shipment of 1,000,000 copies of the single, becoming one of only three singles to reach that level in that year, and re-certified Platinum, making it Houston's first single to achieve that feat, for the same shipment on February 13, 1989, with the change of the RIAA certification criteria for singles. (The number of sales required to qualify for gold and platinum discs was higher prior to January 1, 1989. The thresholds were 1,000,000 units (gold) and 2,000,000 units (platinum), reflecting a decrease in sales of singles.) It placed at number four on the Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November...
Top Pop Singles chart for 1987. In Canada, the song debuted at seventy-four on the RPM Top 100 Singles
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
chart, the issue dated May 9, 1987, and reached the top of the chart on July 4, 1987. It was ranked second on the RPM Year-End Top 100 Singles chart for 1987. The single was later certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA) on February 29, 1988.
Internationally, the song was a massive hit, becoming her most successful single at the time. It reached number one in about twelve countries. The song debuted at number ten on the 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 ...
, the week ending date of May 23, 1987. Two weeks later, it reached the number one on the chart, the week ending June 6, 1987, becoming her second UK number-one single. The single was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) on August 1, 1987, for shipments of 400,000 copies. According to The Official Charts Company, it has sold 760,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The single also topped the singles chart in Belgium for three weeks, the Netherlands for four weeks, Germany for five weeks, Italy for a week, Norway for seven weeks, Sweden for six weeks and Switzerland for six weeks, and peaked inside top five in Austria and Ireland. This popularity of the song across Europe led to topping the European Hot 100 Singles chart for eight weeks. It became Houston's second number-one single on the Australian Kent Music Report chart, staying at the top for five weeks. The song also peaked at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and remained there for four weeks, making it Houston's first number-one single in the country. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was a strong seller, having sold 4.2 million copies worldwide; Houston's second best-selling single after "I Will Always Love You" with 12 million copies sold.
Track listing and formats
- US 12" Vinyl Single (Version 1)
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (12" Remix) ― 8:33
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Single Version) ― 4:52
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (12" Remix - Radio Edit) ― 4:51
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Dub Mix) ― 6:48
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (A Capella) ― 5:18
- US 12" Vinyl Single (Version 2)
- "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (12" Remix) ― 8:33
- "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Single Version) ― 4:52
- "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Dub Mix) ― 6:48
- "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Acappella Mix) ― 5:18
- "Moment Of Truth" ― 4:38
- UK 7" Vinyl Single
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" ― 4:52
- "Moment of Truth" ― 4:39
- UK 5" Maxi-CD Single
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (12" Remix) ― 8:32
- "Moment of Truth" ― 4:36
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Dub Mix) ― 6:48
- US 5" Promo Maxi-CD Single
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Single version) ― 4:52
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (12″ Remix - Radio Edit) ― 4:51
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"― 8:36 eastern
Music video
The videoMusic 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...
for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" (directed by Brian Grant
Brian Grant (director)
Brian Grant is a British television director and producer, famed for directing episodes of British television series including As If, Hex, Doctor Who, Party Animals, Sinchronicity, Britannia High, Highlander, Queen of Swords, Clocking Off...
) is one of Houston's best recognized music videos. In the intro of this video, Houston just finishes a performance onstage. She walks backstage, and the scene is intercut with more vivid, colorful images of her. The song then explodes into its beginning, with myriad locations and various outfits by Houston, as dancers trying to impress her as she dances around, just having a good time. The music video was in heavy rotation on music channels 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....
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, and BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
during the song's run.
Awards and accolades
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" won the award for "Favorite Pop/Rock Single" at the 15th American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards of 1988
The 15th Annual American Music Awards were held on January 25, 1988.-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-References:* http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1988/amas.htm...
on January 25, 1988. Additionally, Houston won the Grammy award for "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female" with the song at its 30th ceremony on March 2, 1988, where she received a total of three nominations. The music video for the song was nominated for "Best Music Video" at the 2nd Soul Train Music Awards on March 30, 1988. Houston won the award for "Best Music Video" for the video at the 1st Garden State Music Awards.
Live performances
Houston has performed the song on almost all of her world and regional tours.She premiered the song, during the later shows of Greatest Love World Tour
Greatest Love Tour
The Greatest Love World Tour was Whitney Houston's first headlining worldwide tour in support of her multi-platinum debut album, Whitney Houston. The tour started at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 26, 1986 and was a 4-month venture...
in 1986, before its official release of the next year, introducing the song along with "Didn't We Almost Have It All
Didn't We Almost Have It All
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" is the second single from Whitney Houston's second album Whitney, and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 1988 Grammy Awards. The song was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings and was released in August 1987...
" as new tunes from her upcoming album. During her European promotion for a new album in April–May 1987, Houston performed the song on various TV shows such as Domenica In (Italian TV entertainment programme), Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival: IM&MC Gala (May 15, 1987), and 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...
(May 21, 1987), where she did sing live unlike almost all performers lip-synced on the programme.
Moment of Truth World Tour
Moment of Truth World Tour
The Moment of Truth World Tour was the second worldwide tour by American R&B/Pop singer, Whitney Houston. The tour started in North America during the summer of 1987, following the release of her second album Whitney...
in 1987-1988 had Houston performing it as the finale song of the tour. She performed the song without back-up dancers on the North American leg (1987), and with four dancers on the European leg of the tour (1988). Two different performances of the song were taped in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
on September 2, 1987 and at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in May 1988. The first was broadcast on 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....
, during the 4th MTV Video Music Awards
1987 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1987 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 11, 1987, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1986, to May 1, 1987. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Carolyne Heldman, Kevin Seal, Michael Tomioka, and Dweezil Zappa, and it took place at the Universal Amphitheatre...
on September 11, 1987. The second was taken from one night of nine sold-out Wembley Arena shows, aired on Italian TV Channel, Rai Uno's special program for her in 1988. On March 2, 1988, she opened the night of the 30th Annual Grammy Awards singing the song. During the European leg of the tour, she participated in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was a popular-music concert staged on June 11, 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London and broadcast to 67 countries and an audience of 600 million. It was also referred to as Freedomfest, Free Nelson Mandela Concert and Mandela Day...
and performed the song in front of about 72,000 audiences at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on June 11, 1988.
Houston also performed the song as one of setlist on fourteen-date-tour in Japan, Feels So Right Tour
Feels So Right Tour
The Feels So Right Tour was the tour in Japan only by singer Whitney Houston. The tour started on January 1, 1990 and ended on January 24, 1990 before the release of her third album I'm Your Baby Tonight.-History:...
. One performance of the song on the tour was taped at Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
on January 7, 1990 and later broadcast on Japanese TV channel. On March 17, she sang the song live on That's What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th Anniversary AIDS Benefit Concert, televised on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, April 17, 1990. In 1991, she opened I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour
I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour
The I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour was a concert tour of arenas by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston that included 101 concert dates in North America and Europe in 1991.-History:...
with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." Three different performances of the song were taped and broadcast. The first is in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan on March 15 and the second is in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, the concert titled Welcome Home Heroes
Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston
Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston, was Whitney Houston's first ever solo televised concert and DVD/video release. The DVD/video presents Houston performing live at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia on March 31, 1991. The video was originally released on May 14, 1991, and the DVD was...
, televised live on HBO, March 31 and later released as the video of the same name. The third is in A Coruña
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on September 29, broadcast on Spanish TV channel and later featured on the select setlist on This Is My Life, her first hourlong TV special, aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, May 6, 1992.
The song was also performed The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994). On the tour, five different performances of the song were taped and televised; four was on the South American leg of the tour in 1994―Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela―and one was in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, broadcast live via satellite on HBO, November 12, 1994; the concert titled "The Concert for a New South Africa
Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa
The Whitney - The Concert for a New South Africa was the title of three concerts which American singer Whitney Houston performed in South Africa to honor President Nelson Mandela and to celebrate a newly unified South Africa in November 1994. Her first performance in Durban, Nov. 8 and final one in...
." Houston performed the song at a 25-minute pregame show of the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final
1994 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1994 FIFA World Cup Final took place in Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, United States. Brazil won the World Cup against Italy on a penalty shootout after the score was 0–0. This was Brazil's fourth World Cup title. It was also the first ever World Cup final to be decided by a penalty...
at Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, broadcast in more than 180 countries on July 17, 1994. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" was included in the setlist on two regional tour, The Pacific Rim Tour
Pacific Rim Tour
The Pacific Rim Tour was a concert tour of arenas or stadiums by American Pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston that included 10 concert dates in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and Hawaii in 1997.-Setlist:# "I'm Every Woman"# "So Emotional"...
(1997) and The European Tour
The European Tour (Whitney Houston)
The European Tour was a 10-dates concert tour in Europe only by American singer Whitney Houston. The tour started in Halle, Germany on June 20, 1998 and ended in Aschaffenburg, Germany on July 11, 1998 before the release of her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love.-Setlist:#"I'm Every...
(1998). During the 1999 My Love Is Your Love World Tour
My Love Is Your Love World Tour
-Additional notes:*During opening night, June 22nd in Chicago, IL; after Houston performed "I Will Always Love You" she closed the show with two encore's, "My Love Is Your Love" and "Step by Step"...
, the remix version of the song was performed as a part of "1980s Dance Medley" along with "How Will I Know
How Will I Know
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American recording artist Whitney Houston for her debut album, entitled Whitney Houston, which was released in February 1985. It was released by Arista Records in November that year, as the album's third single. Composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam,...
." One performance of the song on the tour was taped in Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and broadcast live on Polish TV channel TVP1 on August 22, 1999. In 2000, she performed the song as a similar version of '99 tour's on Arista Records 25th Anniversary Celebration, taped at Shrine Auditorium
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue, in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners.-History:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on April 10, and broadcast on May 15 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The ceremony was released as a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
titled 25 Years of #1 Hits ― Arista Records 25th Anniversary Celebration in June 2000.
Personnel
- Writer ― George Merrill, Shannon Rubicam
- Producer, arranger ― Narada Michael Walden
- Vocal arrangement ― Whitney Houston
- Drums ― Narada
- Synths ― Walter "Baby Love" AfanasieffWalter AfanasieffWalter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
- Bass synth ― Randy JacksonRandy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
- Guitar synth ― Corrado Rustici
- Percussion programming ― Preston Glass
- Alto Sax ― Marc Russo
- Simmons ― Greg "Gigi" Gonaway
- Synth horns ― Sterling
- Background vocals ― Jim Gilstrap, Kitty Beethoven, Kevin Dorsey, Myrna Matthews, Jennifer Hall, Whitney Houston
- Recording, mixing ― David Fraser
- Assistant engineer ― Dana Jon Chappelle
- Additional engineers ― Lincoln Clapp, Gordon Lyon, Jay Rifkin, Ken Kessie, Maureen Droney
- Additional assistant engineers ― Gordon Lyon, Stuart Hirotsu, Paul “Goatee” Hamingson, Noah Baron, Bill “Sweet William” Miranda, Ross Williams, Rob Beaton
Chart positions
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... ) |
1 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... ) |
3 |
| Belgium (VRT Top 30 VRT Top 30 The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992.... ) |
1 |
| Canada (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
1 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... ) |
1 |
| European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media) | 1 |
| France (SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... ) |
15 |
| Germany (Media Control Top 100 Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
1 |
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... ) |
2 |
| Italy (Musica e Dischi Musica e Dischi Musica e Dischi is the oldest and most important music industry publication in Italy. It was founded in October 1945 in Milan, Italy on the initiative of the journalist and musicologist Aldo Mario De Luigi, a former senior record of VCM... ) |
1 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... ) |
1 |
| Norway (VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... ) |
1 |
| South African Singles Chart | 1 |
| Spain (AFYVE) | 4 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... ) |
1 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... ) |
1 |
| U.K. 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 ... (The Official Charts Company) |
1 |
| U.S. 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... |
1 |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
2 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Top 100 Singles | 11 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles | 2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 4 |
| Italian Musica e dischi the Best-selling Singles | 10 |
| South African Top 20 Hit Singles | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.K Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.S. Pop Singles | 4 |
| U.S. Black Singles | 24 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles | 9 |
| U.S. Dance/Club-Play Singles | 14 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada (CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... ) |
Platinum |
| Netherlands (NVPI NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... ) |
Gold |
| Sweden (IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... ) |
Gold |
| United Kingdom (BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... ) |
Gold |
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 1987
- List of Top 25 singles for 1987 in Australia
- Nummer 1-hits in de BRT Top 30 in 1987
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1987
- Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 1987Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 1987These hits topped the Dutch Top 40 in 1987....
- List of European number-one hits of 1987
- List of number-one hits of 1987 (Finland) (in Finnish)
- Number-one hits of 1987 (Germany)Number-one hits of 1987 (Germany)This is a list of the German Media Control Top100 Singles Chart number-ones of 1987.-References:* * ----...
- List of number-one hits of 1987 (Italy)
- List of number-one singles in 1987 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits 1987 (Norway)
- List of Swedish number-one hits
- List of number-one hits of 1987 (Switzerland)
- List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1987 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1987 (U.S.)
- Number-one dance hits of 1987 (USA)Number-one dance hits of 1987 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine Hot Dance Club Play number one hits of 1987.-See also:*1987 in music*List of number-one dance hits *List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart...
Cover versions
- In 1988, The ChipettesThe ChipettesThe Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes...
covered the song on the Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
' album Born to RockThe Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to RockThe Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock is a music album by The Chipmunks and The Chipettes, released in 1988 on LP and in 1990 on CD and cassette by Quality Special Products...
. - In 1989, a cover of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," was recorded by songwriters George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam and released on the multi-artist album Number One with a Bullet on Cypress RecordsCypress RecordsCypress Records is a record label which was distributed by A&M Records between 1988 and 1990.-External links:* Label history, artist roster, Billboard performance.*...
. - In 1989, The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
did an instrumental version on Steppin' to the Shadows. - In 1999, a eurodanceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
cover, Dance with Somebody, was recorded by DJ DNA for Dancemania SPEED 3Dancemania SpeedDancemania Speed is a sub-series of Toshiba EMI's Dancemania compilation series. This series features faster, further remixed versions of recordings from previously released Dancemania albums or faster remixed covers of various famous songs...
. - In 2004, Australian pop artist Nikki WebsterNikki WebsterNikki Webster is an Australian pop performer. She is best known for her starring role in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony and her single "Strawberry Kisses".-Recording career:...
covered the song for her album Let's Dance. - In 2007, Australian girl groupGirl groupA girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Young DivasYoung DivasYoung Divas was an Australian girl group that had consisted of previous Australian Idol contestants. The original line up consisted of season one finalist Paulini Curuenavuli, season two finalist Ricki-Lee Coulter, season three winner Kate DeAraugo and runner-up Emily Williams...
included a cover of the song on their second album New AttitudeNew Attitude (album)New Attitude is the second album by the Young Divas and the first to feature Jessica Mauboy who replaced Ricki-Lee Coulter after she left to concentrate on her solo career....
as a bonus track for iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. - In 2008, Ashley TisdaleAshley TisdaleAshley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
covered this single for her EP Degree Girl: OMG! Jams. - In 2008, soul musicSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer FiL StraughanFiL StraughanFiL Straughan is a US/UK soul singer. He is known for his energetic performances and a rich smooth voice reminiscent of the legendary Luther Vandross...
covered the song on his album My Music Pt. 1. - In 2011, Canadian power popPower popPower pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band These Kids Wear CrownsThese Kids Wear CrownsThese Kids Wear Crowns is a six-member Canadian pop rock band, formed in 2009 in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. They were "discovered" on MuchMusic's "disBand" and signed to a contract with Capitol Records/EMI. They have performed with acts such as Hedley, Faber Drive, Forever The Sickest...
recorded an electronic pop version on their debut album Jumpstart.
Live cover performances
- In 2002, Popstars The RivalsPopstars The RivalsPopstars The Rivals was a British television talent show series that was broadcast on ITV1 in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars franchise...
contestant Nadine CoyleNadine CoyleNadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
performed the song as she competed in the girls final round on 30 November. Her performance received a positive reaction from viewers, whose votes in her favour enabled her to join up with four other females to form the girlband Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
who are still in existence eight years later and have enjoyed enormous global success.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs4vFCksk0c - Alexandra BurkeAlexandra BurkeAlexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
(X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
UK 2008 winner) covered the song on the first live show. - In 2008, Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams (singer)Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
made an appearance on Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
performing the song halfway through a performance of "We Break the DawnWe Break the Dawn"We Break the Dawn" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Michelle Williams. It was written by Solange Knowles, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins and produced by Wilkins and Frampton for Williams' third studio album Unexpected...
". The performance is available on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. - Nadine CoyleNadine CoyleNadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
, from Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, performed this song in the final of Popstars: The Rivals, in 2002, winning and being a member of the group. - In a live concert from Union ChapelUnion Chapel, IslingtonThe Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
former Talking HeadsTalking HeadsTalking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
front man David ByrneDavid Byrne (musician)David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
performed his own "sincere" version. He also performed it for his Live from Austin, Texas album. - The NoisettesNoisettesNoisettes are an English indie rock band from London, comprising singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa, guitarist Dan Smith, and drummer Jamie Morrison...
performed the song live at Fopp London - The song has been performed live several times on American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, by Jennifer Fuentes, Elizabeth LeTendre, Tiara Purifoy, and Asia'h Epperson. - The song has also been performed live three times on Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
by Cosima De VitoCosima De VitoCosima De Vito , also known simply as Cosima, is an Australian singer-songwriter. She rose to fame as a contestant of the original Australian Idol series in 2003...
, Emily WilliamsEmily WilliamsEmily Williams , is a New Zealand-born Australian singer-songwriter, who rose to fame on the third season of Australian Idol in 2005, and became runner-up of the season...
and Jessica MauboyJessica MauboyJessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career...
. - Jessie JJessie JJessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
performed the song live in 2011. - Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
performed the song live in 2011 on her California Dreams TourCalifornia Dreams TourCalifornia Dreams Tour is the second concert tour by American pop singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album Teenage Dream. Beginning February 2011, the tour will visit Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas...
.
Sampling
- Shortly after the songs release in 1987, The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (later to become The KLFThe KLFThe KLF were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
) sampled extensively from the song for their composition "Whitney Joins The JAMsWhitney Joins The JAMs-Release:"Whitney Joins The JAMs" was given a low-key release in the UK, initially as a run of 500 one-sided 12-inch singles in generic monochrome KLF Communications sleeves. The vinyl labels contained only the title and "120 bpm"...
". Houston never officially joined The JAMs. - Dance act Flip & FillFlip & FillFlip & Fill are a Manchester, England based electronic dance music duo, consisting of the producers/remixers, DJs Graham Turner and Mark Hall. They are signed to the All Around The World record label.-Career:...
had a UK Top 20 hit with a pseudo cover of the song in 2003. Their version only uses the chorus but omits the lyrics. - In summer 2006, R&B artist LumideeLumideeLumidee Cedeño is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. Cedeño was born in Spanish Harlem where she was raised by her grandparents...
and Fatman ScoopFatman ScoopIsaac Freeman III, better known by his stage name Fatman Scoop is a hip hop promoter and radio personality famed for his on-stage rough, raw, loud voice....
collaborated and released a song for the FIFA 2006 World Cup soundtrack. The song entitled 'Dance' featured a sample of 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'. - GermanGermansThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
group Royal GigolosRoyal GigolosRoyal Gigolos were a German tech house duo, founded in 2003 by the DJ producer DJ Tyson and DJ Kosmonova. Before disbanding in 2008, the group released successful dance cover versions of songs including "California Dreamin'" and "No Milk Today".-Singles:...
used samples of this and Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" to create their 2008 single "Girls Just Wanna Dance".
Appearance in other media
- The song is played in a scene of the 2004 film 13 Going on 3013 Going on 3013 Going on 30 is a 2004 American romantic comedy fantasy film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. It has a similar premise to the classic short story Rip Van Winkle, in which a young person falls asleep and wakes up many years later as an older person...
. - The a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of the song was used in a commercial for the TV series So You Think You Can Dance?So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
External links
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...