After the Dance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 1976 song. For the Terence Rattigan play see After the Dance

"After the Dance" is a 1976 song recorded by Marvin Gaye. It was written by Gaye and Leon Ware, the co-producer behind Gaye's I Want You. The song was a modest hit.

Originally released as a double-A side to "I Want You" off the album of the same name where it peaked at #10 on Billboard's Club Singles chart, the song eventually found enough airplay to give itself a solo berth on the charts where it peaked at #74 on the pop singles charts (Gaye's lowest charted single on the pop singles chart to date in 11 years since 1963's "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby", the b-side of "Can I Get a Witness" peaked at #77 on the chart) and #14 on the R&B singles chart.

It has since been covered by a legion of jazz vocalists and groups including 4Play, who covered the song with longtime Gaye admirer, R&B singer El DeBarge, in 1991. Their version was released as a single that year and re-introduced newer listeners to Gaye's original.

During her "Girlie Show" concert in 1993, Madonna resung the opening lyric of the song, "Dance with me/c'mon, dance with me, baby", while performing "Everybody". The song was also sampled by De La Soul on the track "With Me" from their Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump album and by Nas on the track "Play On Playa" from his 2006 album Hip Hop is Dead.