Land of a Thousand Dances
"Land of a Thousand Dances" (or "Land of 1000 Dances") is a song written and first recorded by American rhythm and blues singer Chris Kenner in 1962. It later became a bigger hit in versions by Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Pickett. A version by Thee Midniters reached #27 in Canada on March 22, 1965.[1]
| "Land of 1000 Dances" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Chris Kenner | ||||
| B-side | "That's My Girl" | |||
| Released | October 1962 | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
| Label | Instant | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chris Kenner | |||
| Chris Kenner singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Land of 1000 Dances" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Side A of US Rampart edition | ||||
| Single by Cannibal & the Headhunters | ||||
| from the album Land of 1000 Dances | ||||
| B-side | "I'll Show You How to Love Me" | |||
| Released | February 1965 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Label | Rampart | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chris Kenner | |||
| Cannibal & the Headhunters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song references a number of dance styles/moves including the Twist, the Alligator, the Mashed Potato, the Watusi and the Pony.
Background
The original Chris Kenner recording, which peaked at No. 77 on the Billboard chart in 1963, mentions 16 dances: the Pony, the Chicken, the Mashed Potato, the Alligator, the Watusi, the Twist, the Fly, the Jerk, the Tango, the Yo-Yo, the Sweet Pea, the Hand Jive, the Slop, the Bop, the Fish, and the Popeye. Kenner's original recording included a brief, gospel-influenced, a capella introduction with the words: "Children, go where I send you / (Where will you send me?) / I'm gon' send you to that land / the land of a thousand dances." This 18 seconds was left off the single release to facilitate radio airplay, and the phrase "Land of 1000 Dances" never appeared in any subsequent recording.
Cannibal and the Headhunters version
The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which Cannibal & the Headhunters added in their 1965 version, which reached number 30 on the Billboard chart.[2] The hook gave the song further notoriety. The "na na na na na" hook happened by accident when Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, lead singer of Cannibal and the Headhunters, forgot the lyrics.[3] The melody to this section was also created spontaneously, as it is not in Chris Kenner's original track. The "na na na na na" hook was later borrowed in the 1994 song "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Jamaican artist Ini Kamoze.[4]
Wilson Pickett version
| "Land of 1000 Dances" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side A of US (Atlantic) edition | ||||
| Single by Wilson Pickett | ||||
| from the album The Exciting Wilson Pickett | ||||
| B-side | "You're So Fine" | |||
| Released | July 1966 | |||
| Recorded | May 11, 1966, FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
| Length | 2:28 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chris Kenner | |||
| Wilson Pickett singles chronology | ||||
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The song's best-known version was by Wilson Pickett, who recorded the song during his first set of sessions at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,[5] backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the Memphis Horns. (He had previously recorded in Memphis.) His recording was released as a single and appeared on his album, The Exciting Wilson Pickett. The single became his third Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1 hit and his biggest ever pop hit, peaking at No. 6.[6] In 1988 a re-recorded version by Pickett was featured in a concert during the movie The Great Outdoors, while the original recording is featured at the end credits of the movie. In 1989, the earlier Pickett version was ranked number 152 on Dave Marsh's list of The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.[7] Pickett's version appears in a 2017 TV commercial for Hulu, the first episode of Season 3 of Sex Education, and a 2022 in American television commercial for the Samsung Galaxy.
Personnel
- Vocals: Wilson Pickett
- Guitar: Chips Moman, Jimmy Johnson
- Keyboards: Spooner Oldham
- Drums: Roger Hawkins
- Bass: Junior Lowe or Tommy Cogbill[8]
- Tenor sax: Charlie Chalmers, Andrew Love
- Trumpet: Wayne Jackson
- Baritone Sax: Floyd Newman[5]
Other recordings
- Some releases of the song credit Antoine "Fats" Domino as a co-author of the song with Kenner. Domino agreed to record the song in exchange for half of the song's royalties.[3]
- The J. Geils Band released a live cover version as a single in 1983. Cash Box said that the band "does justice" to the original on the recording.[9]
Charts
Chris Kenner version
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 77 |
Cannibal and the Headhunters version
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM[10] | 42 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 30 |
Wilson Pickett version
| Chart (1966)[11][12] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM[13] | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 22 |
Ted Nugent version
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 47 |
J. Geils Band version[14]
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 60 |
References
- ^ "RPM Top 40&5 Singles - March 22, 1965" (PDF).
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 101.
- ^ a b Shannon, Bob; John Javna (1986). Behind the Hits: Inside Stories of Classic Pop and Rock and Roll. New York: Warner Books. pp. 94–95. ISBN 0-446-38171-3.
- ^ "Daddy Yankee's Nicky Jam Collaboration "Muévelo" Is His Latest Flip Of A '90s Hit". Genius. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ a b White, Adam; Fred Bronson (1993). The Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits. New York: Billboard Books. p. 22. ISBN 0-8230-8285-7.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 461.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ Pickett, Wilson, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, Atlantic #8129, released 1966. Notes from Atlantic CD released 1993
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 19, 1983. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ "RPM Top 40&5 Singles - February 15, 1965" (PDF).
- ^ "The Exciting Wilson Pickett - Billboard singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ "Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 Dances". Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 19, 1966" (PDF).
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Menomonee Falls, MN: Record Research, Inc. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-89820-205-2.