The Mick Jagger / David Bowie version of "Dancing In The Streets" gave us a cringey music video of them dancing and prancing around.
It should have been. I thought about that video yesterday when we were talking about this. They are lucky. Perhaps they were talented enough to overcome it. Billy Squire was already on his way out because Big Hair bands were going out and pop was becoming, well, popular. And so he tried to go pop, only it was an epic fail. His career came to a screeching halt. I can't believe people who loved him before stopped loving him all because of one video. I can see why it knocked him off the charts and why the record companies may have dumped him afterward but what about now? Does he still tour and sing his best hits? Even this song that ruined him is good. It's just the dancing that's bad.
Great OP. Different attitudes, times, dance styles. Practically no politics!
I’m sitting here on my balcony in my huge medical fracture boot. Was listening to old “American Songbook” crooners. The discussion made me laugh, and most of the videos too.
I remember as a square kid agreeing with my mom’s best friend that Elvis’ moves were “disgusting.” I grew out of that eventually … but always thought rock and roll individual “dancing” was kinda dumb. My mom taught me a little cha cha, and in 5th & 6th grade some girls invited us boys to their house to learn Lindy to “American Bandstand.” We were terrible, but tried. Rock and Roll killed old-fashioned partner dancing.
It wasn’t til partner dancing returned with the liberating (and multi-cultural) disco-hustle that my interest was piqued, because I went to some of the authentic NY clubs where it developed — not the posh clubs where it died.
But it wasn’t until I was over 40 that a woman dragged my ass out of the bar scene and invited me to a free traditional dance lesson that I got hooked. I really was reborn as a social dancer. Soon I was going after work every night for lessons and on weekends to every kind of dance party. In those days NYC had some really economical dance schools with great social dancers. Later I taught dance and formed a social dance club — when I lived in Beijing where Chinese and Westerners mixed together to enjoy American-style dancing.
But it does take time and effort to learn social dance, especially for a guy who needs to “lead,” and it is pretty much a dying social art, with video game dancing and modern individualism having replaced the old great Big Band era — except with a few ethnic exceptions, and occasional upsurges like Argentine Tango in a few big cities.
In the final analysis it doesn’t much matter if it’s social dancing, folk dancing, free-style, or whatever. They all provide different but similar pleasures. When you dance — if you have the energy and the music moves you — it’s great. Even if you are not a “born dancer.” Even if you look kinda silly.
Actually I don’t like it at all. It’s strange. I never liked “competitive” dancing. The “judging” and the fact that Dancing with the Stars is all a “performance” (by pros and actors who are usually good dancers already) is — to me at least — a big turnoff. I think it may actually discourage real social dancing.
I can't dance but I can play guitar and sing at the same time. Most people have trouble doing just one of those things. I can do both at the same time. How? That's how I learned. Singing along while strumming chords. Most people learned just playing the guitar. Stupid move. Then you have to go back and re train yourself. I'm also a good athlete. Could it be jocks can't dance? That can't be
Cool. When I was in 4th grade I loved to sing in our school assembly auditorium, when maybe 400 kids were doing our weekly version of the “Star Spangled Banner,” or maybe it was “When you walk through a storm …”
I wrestled. When we were setting up the gym for a home match against another school they would always break out the gym mic and ask me to sing Stevy Wonder My Cherie Amore. How did I know that? Eddie Murphy SNL. LOL. These guys heard me and asked if I wanted to be in their Led Zepplin band. I said let me think about it and went home and listened to Led Zepplin and told them no thanks. I can't sing like that. Maybe Harry Connick Jr It Had To Be You but not Led Zepplin. I wish.Cool. When I was in 4th grade I loved to sing in our school assembly auditorium, when maybe 400 kids were doing our weekly version of the “Star Spangled Banner,” or maybe it was “When you walk through a storm …”
Anyway, I sang so loud and terribly the music teacher had to ask me to sing less loud so as not to ruin it for everyone else! Thankfully she told me privately …
