Everybody was dancing in the moonlight lyrics

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight lyrics

Promotional 7-inch single

Single by Boffalongo
B-side"Endless Questions"
ReleasedAugust 1970
Recorded1970
StudioJ.T. Sound Studios
GenrePop rock
Length3:10
LabelUnited Artists
Songwriter(s)Sherman Kelly
Producer(s)Eric & Steve Nathanson
Boffalongo singles chronology
"Please Stay"
(1969)
"Dancing in the Moonlight"
(1970)

"Dancing in the Moonlight" is a song written by Sherman Kelly, originally recorded in 1970 by Kelly's band Boffalongo, and then a hit single by King Harvest in 1972, reaching number 5 in Canada and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2000, a cover by English band Toploader became a worldwide hit and achieved multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom. A version by Swedish EDM duo Jubël, released in 2018, was a hit in Europe.

History[edit]

Sherman Kelly wrote the song in 1969.[1] While recovering from a vicious assault by a gang, he "envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life."[2] Kelly wrote:

On a trip to St. Croix in 1969, I was the first victim of a vicious St. Croix gang who eventually murdered 8 American tourists. At that time, I suffered multiple facial fractures and wounds and was left for dead. While I was recovering, I wrote "Dancin in the Moonlight" in which I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life. The song became a huge hit and was recorded by many musicians worldwide. "Dancin In The Moonlight" continues to be popular to this day.[3]

He recorded it singing lead with his band Boffalongo, who were active from 1968 to 1971; it was their final single. The song was also recorded by High Broom and released in 1970 on Island Records.[4][5] It failed to reach the UK Singles Chart.

King Harvest version[edit]

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight lyrics
Single by King Harvest
from the album Dancing in the Moonlight
B-side"Lady, Come On Home"
ReleasedJuly 9, 1972
Recorded1972
GenrePop rock
Length2:57
LabelPerception (P-515)
A&M (1973 re-issue)
Songwriter(s)Sherman Kelly
Producer(s)Jack Robinson
King Harvest singles chronology
"You and I"
(1971)
"Dancing in the Moonlight"
(1972)
"A Little Bit Like Magic"
(1972)

Sherman Kelly's brother Wells Kelly introduced the song to the Paris-based band King Harvest in which he was drummer, and former Boffalongo member Dave "Doc" Robinson was lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist. King Harvest recorded and released "Dancing in the Moonlight" as a single with "Lady, Come On Home" on the B-side in 1972. Steve Cutler, a jazz drummer from New York City (standing on the base of the pole in the cover picture), played drums on the tracks and toured France and the UK with the band. The group disbanded after six months and the single languished for a year until it was bought and released worldwide by Perception Records. In Canada, the song reached number 5 on the weekly charts and number 71 on the year-end chart for 1973.

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Year-end charts[edit]

Toploader version[edit]

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight lyrics
Single by Toploader
from the album Onka's Big Moka
ReleasedFebruary 21, 2000
Length
  • 3:52
  • 3:30 (Stargate Official Mix)
LabelS2
Songwriter(s)Sherman Kelly
Producer(s)George Drakoulias
Toploader singles chronology
"Let the People Know"
(1999)
"Dancing in the Moonlight"
(2000)
"Achilles Heel"
(2000)
Music video
"Dancing in the Moonlight" on YouTube

In 2000, English band Toploader released a cover of "Dancing in the Moonlight". It was originally released on February 21, 2000, as the third single from their debut studio album, Onka's Big Moka (1999), and peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. It was then re-released in November of the same year with new production from Stargate and reached number seven on the same chart. The song has been certified 3× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of over 1,800,000 copies. Worldwide, the song reached the top 20 in Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

Track listing[edit]

UK CD single reissue

  1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" – 3:52
  2. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Stargate Radio Mix) – 3:30
  3. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Alliance DC Vocal Remix) – 6:30
  4. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Live) – 4:31

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Year-end charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Release history[edit]

Jubël version[edit]

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight lyrics
Single by Jubël featuring Neimy
from the album Strawtown
ReleasedJune 22, 2018
Recorded2018
Length2:44
LabelGood Soldier
Songwriter(s)Sherman Kelly
Jubël singles chronology
"Illusion"
(2017)
"Dancing in the Moonlight"
(2018)
"On the Beach"
(2019)
Neimy singles chronology
"Dancing in the Moonlight"
(2018)
"Unforgettable"
(2018)
Music video
"Dancing in the Moonlight" on YouTube

Swedish record producer duo Jubël released a dance cover in 2018 featuring Neimy.[42] It peaked at number 9 on Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart. It also charted in Belgium's Ultratip Bubbling Under chart in both Flanders and Wallon francophone markets.

The song garnered the attention of British radio DJs in 2020 and as a result the Jubël version gained more popularity two years after its initial release in Sweden. The song was rereleased for the British market giving it a much bigger international audience. It peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart,[43] and the Irish and Scottish singles charts as well.[44] The song was used in series 6 of the reality show Love Island in 2020 and spread to TikTok,[45] while reaching the top of the British radio list. The song also charted on the ARIA Australian Official Singles Chart, also in 2020.

Releases[edit]

  • 2018: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (2:44)
  • 2019: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (PBH & Jack Sunset Remix Radio Edit) (2:16)
  • 2019: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Jack Wins Remix) (2:40)
  • 2020: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Nathan Dawe Remix) (2:51)

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Other versions[edit]

In 1994, a version by Bahamian group the Baha Men reached No. 18 in New Zealand[67] and No. 42 in Canada.

See also[edit]

  • List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  2. ^ "Sherman Kelly". Sherman Kelly. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  3. ^ About Sherman Kelly
  4. ^ "High Broom - Dancing In The Moonlight (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  5. ^ "Images for High Broom - Dancing In The Moonlight". Discogs. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  6. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 24, 1973" (PDF).
  7. ^ "RPM Top 100 AC - March 3, 1973" (PDF).
  8. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  9. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 137.
  10. ^ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19730217.html Archived January 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine CASH BOX Top 100 Singles, February 17, 1973
  11. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
  12. ^ Musicoutfitters.com
  13. ^ "Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  14. ^ "Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  15. ^ "Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight" (in French). Ultratip.
  16. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 10. March 3, 2001. p. 11. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
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  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 30, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
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  35. ^ "Danish single certifications – Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight". IFPI Danmark.
  36. ^ "Italian single certifications – Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 2, 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Dancing in the Moonlight" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  37. ^ "British single certifications – Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight". British Phonographic Industry.
  38. ^ Sexton, Paul (February 26, 2000). Williamson, Nigel (ed.). "Global Music Pulse" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 9. p. 53. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  39. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 21 February, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 19, 2000. p. 27. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  40. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting November 13, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 11, 2000. p. 29. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  41. ^ "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 16th April 2001" (PDF). ARIA. April 16, 2001. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  42. ^ "The Story of... 'Dancing in the Moonlight' by Toploader". Smooth. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  43. ^ "Svenska Jubël slår i England – med gammal hit". Sydsvenskan.se. August 2, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
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  45. ^ Nina Holma (August 2, 2020). "Svenska Jubël slår i England – med gammal hit". vk.se. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
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  48. ^ "Jubël feat. Neimy – Dancing in the Moonlight" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
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