Dancing in the Street

Written by Motown songwriters Marvin Gaye, Ivy Jo Hunter, and William «Mickey» Stevenson in 1964, it became the biggest hit and trademark song for Martha & the Vandellas  ↓

Callin’ out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer’s here and the time is right for dancin’ in the street.
Dancin’ in Chicago   (dancin’ in the street)
Down in New Orleans  (dancin’ in the street)
In New York City  (dancin’ in the street)

All we need is music, sweet music,  There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swingin’ swayin’, and records playin’,  Dancin’ in the street

Oh it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.
So come on every guy, grab a girl,  Everywhere, around the world

There’ll be dancin’ . . . they’re dancin’ in the street.
This is an invitation, across the nation, A chance for folks to meet.
There’ll be laughin’ singin’, and music swingin’
Dancin’ in the street

Philadelphia P.A., Baltimore and D.C now,
Can’t forget the motor city,
All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swingin’, swayin’, and records playin,
Dancin’ in the street

Oh it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.
So come on every guy, grab a girl,  Everywhere, around the world

They’re dancin’, dancin’ in the street
Way down in L.A., every day they’re dancin’ in the street
Let’s form a big strong line, and get in time,  We’re dancin’ in the street.
Across the ocean blue, me and you – We’re dancin’ in the street

◊  American rock band Van Halen performed a cover of «Dancing in the Street», and released it as the second single from their 1982 album Diver Down. This version features heavy use of a synthesizer, played by Eddie Van Halen  ↓

♦  A third hit version was done by Mick Jagger and David Bowie as a duo in 1985, as part of the Live Aid charity movement. The original plan was to perform a track together live, with Bowie performing at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at John F. Kennedy Stadium, until it was realized that the satellite link-up would cause a half-second delay that would make this impossible unless either Bowie or Jagger mimed their contribution, something neither artist was willing to do. In 1968 Jagger and Keith Richards had already «borrowed» a line from the song in «Street Fighting Man» – «Cause summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the street, boy.»

In June 1985, Bowie was recording his contributions to the Absolute Beginners soundtrack at Abbey Road Studios, and so Jagger arranged to fly in to record the track there. A rough mix of the track was completed in just four hours, at which point the pair went straight out to London Docklands to film a video with director David Mallet  ↓

◊  A beautiful cover by Fred Frith included in his album ‘Gravity’ (1980)  ↓

◊→  The Mamas & The Papas  ⇐  [1966]