Land of a Thousand Dances
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a soul song first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. Famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in 1965, the song's best-known version was Wilson Pickett R&B chart-topping 1966 recording on The Exciting Wilson Pickett. Wilson Pickett's version was the biggest hit. It was US #6 and #22 UK in 1966.
It has been covered by various other bands and artists including the Thee Midniters (1965), J. Geils Band (1983), Guy, Sam & Dave, Rezillos, The Action (with George Martin), The Residents, The Mummies, Patti Smith (on her seminal album Horses), Ted Nugent, Claus Ogerman, Japanese Shibuya-kei artist Comoesta Yaegashi and Bill Haley & His Comets, who scored a 1966 hit with the song in Latin America. Vinnie Jones also covered the song on his 2002 album Respect. Spanish band Baron Rojo covered the song in their Desde Baron a Bilbao live album.
Despite the title, in the original recording by Chris Kenner only sixteen dances are specifically mentioned: 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.
In 1986, The Wrestlers took it to #38 on the Canadian chart. It appears on The Wrestling Album.
[edit] In the media
- Wilson Pickett's version was played in the 1988 movie The Great Outdoors, Forrest Gump and as well as in a memorable audition sequence in The Full Monty.
- Guy's version appears in the 1992 movie FernGully: The Last Rainforest and its soundtrack.
- Chris Kenner's version was played in the 2003 movie Radio.
- The continuing "na" sequence was incorporated into the dancehall song "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze.
- Little Richard's version includes "Do the Philly Dog, like a smoky hog."
- Another version of the song was used in Kool-Aid commercials in the late 1990s.
- In the Philippines, Eat Bulaga, a variety show aired on GMA Network, had a song called Kagat Labi, and it used the tune of this song.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- http://www.tsimon.com/land.htm Story of "Land of a Thousand Dances"
- Patti Smith's version review at Allmusic
