Songs that fill the dance floor

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 20 Dec 2003 10:38 am

"we better do a dance number, no one is dancing"

People that wanna "dance" can do that at home! When I go to see music, I go to see and hear the music, and not to see a bunch of "pseudo-exhibitionist cum entertainers" try to impress me with their fancy shirts, hats, and beltbuckles.

Whatever happened to people who like to just see and hear good live music?

I guess, as Jimmy Durante used to say...

"Everybody wants to get into the act!"

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 21 Dec 2003 10:47 am

When I go to see music, I go to see and hear the music, and not to see a bunch of "pseudo-exhibitionist cum entertainers"...

...I hope that's Latin, Donny...

John Kavanagh · Post by **John Kavanagh** » 21 Dec 2003 11:51 am

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl". I've been in three groups where it was the never-fail for getting them on their feet. Maybe it's a regional thing.

Wayne Morgan · Post by **Wayne Morgan** » 21 Dec 2003 11:57 am

Hey Donna, who wouldn't tap their toe when Tommy plays ???

Happy Holidays
Wayne [This message was edited by Wayne Morgan on 21 December 2003 at 12:02 PM.]

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 21 Dec 2003 2:50 pm

Dancing is fun.
Music and dancing go together. I'm happy to play my part. The country shuffle never clicked for me untill I played a couple dances in Texas. The Texas guys that play dances end up with such a great rythmic feel.

When I was playing for the people Darwin never met in the north east country line dance scene the Electric Slide was a big hit. The Chicken Dance is a big one at weddings also. When those songs are playing and I'm watching the crowd I always wonder how our species ever dominated this planet.

Bob

Dan Hatfield · Post by **Dan Hatfield** » 22 Dec 2003 2:29 pm

Here is my two cents worth and it is probably over priced at that. But I believe that MOST people who show up at a dance have very little interest in the musicians per se. They are more interested in whether or not they can move their feet in a way that is comfortable with the rhythm pattern of any given song. I believe that this theory applies to women more than men, and I don't mean that in any negative way. I just think that women are wired differently than men in many ways. It is my contention that just as the majority of men (young ones anyway) have an intense sex drive to the point that it is more important than food or water, so I think women (in general) have that same intensity of desire to DANCE. When you look out at the audience at a dance, you can be sure that the women are there to DANCE, whereas I think most of the men are there either to find a woman or to try to please the woman they are with. And I don't believe that either gender knows much about music. I bet if you polled the average audience at a dance, 50% can't carry a tune; 80% don't know the difference between a "regular" guitar and a bass guitar; 99% would not know it if you played a minor chord where you are supposed to play a diminished chord, and on and on.

Remember when Dick Clark had the "American Bandstand" show and he would ask people in the audience how they rated various musical groups? Did you ever hear one of them say "I didn't like the chord structure of that song" ? Heck no, the ONLY response you EVER heard was "IT HAD A GOOD BEAT" (if they liked the song) and "IT DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD BEAT" (if they didn't like the song)

So I guess that the bottom line is this. If you want to please the audience when you play, it is best to try to figure out what THEY think are the most danceable tunes. That idea is very hard to put in practice, at least for me. I prefer to play what makes me happy musically, but I know that is not always the choice of the audience.

Sorry, I got carried away.

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 22 Dec 2003 2:39 pm

Aqui in California, "La Bamba" es muy buena tam bien. Translaition (Here in CA, "La Bamba" is very good also).

The singer of the band I'm playing with now is half Mexican, but just like Richie Valens, he doesn't speak a lick of Spanish. I had to teach him the words.

We usually add "Twist & Shout" to "La Bamba."

------------------
Ben
Zum D10, NV400, POD, G&L Guitars, etc, etc.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 22 Dec 2003 3:37 pm

Fraulein
Crazy Arms
I Fall To Pieces
Waltz Across Texas
Fool Hearted Memory

Edit: Dittos to what Ben said, above.

------------------
Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

[This message was edited by Lee Baucum on 22 December 2003 at 03:38 PM.]

Donna Dodd · Post by **Donna Dodd** » 22 Dec 2003 6:19 pm

Dan - I've never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense actually. Think of all the rythmic tasks women excel at:
rocking a baby
rocking a sick husband
tapping her foot while waiting for an explaination
shaking her finger rythmically while disciplining
perfecting "Shake N Bake"
playing table-drums while your husband rehearses
Gestering the "NO" word without uttering a sound.
Counting to three before taking action with your toddler when told to pick up his toys

I'd say no more than 5 seconds in to Billy Bass singing Take me to the River and I'm already grooving.

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 25 Dec 2003 8:27 pm

In our playing area a Waltz always bringsd out the young and old.

Leigh Howell · Post by **Leigh Howell** » 26 Dec 2003 12:33 pm

Almost Persuaded
For the Good Times
Tennesee Waltz
Pledging My Love
Behind Closed doors
Swingin,Whole Lotta Shakin, Kansas City.
Mountain Music. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Leigh

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 26 Dec 2003 2:42 pm

Tennessee Waltz and House of Blue Lights

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 28 Dec 2003 8:45 am

Wonderful Tonight/Eric Clapton & Unchained Melody/R. Brothers are two songs that work for my band with any age group. (Sleep Walk also works for a regular set or a Dinner set)I don't even put these songs on the set list, I just call them out when I fill the time is right.

Charles French · Post by **Charles French** » 28 Dec 2003 5:48 pm

Songs that fill the dance floor

That's one worry I don't have.

cf

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 29 Dec 2003 8:17 am

What state or part of the country you play in(and part of the world),where you live,has alot in saying what songs fill the dance floor. ; Waltz Across Texas; would fill the floor in Texas alot more than New York. And if I may add-When it comes to country music where you live has alot in saying what is country and all the difference in country music. Rock and roll,jazz,classical dosn't vary that much. Joe

Richard Mitcham · Post by **Richard Mitcham** » 4 Jan 2004 7:04 am

For my band it varies,if we play clubs its old country, if its bars its new country and rock. I was on the road mostly out west for nine years and it was swing and top 20 country songs. But everywhere we play 50's seem to work. If the bass player and the base drum are working together like they should be ya gotta tap your foot and dance sooner or later. (Usually after a few drinks)