Land of a Thousand Dances

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's "na na na na na" hook was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their 1965 version, which reached number 30 on the Billboard chart. The hook happened by accident when Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, lead singer of Cannibal and the Headhunters, forgot the lyrics. The melody to this section was also created spontaneously, as it is not in Chris Kenner's original track. The hook was later borrowed in the 1994 song "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Jamaican artist Ini Kamoze.

Wilson Pickett version

| B-side = You're So Fine 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, 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. 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. The version is later used in the 1997 movie The Full Monty. Pickett's version also appears in a trailer for the 2006 film Glory Road, a 2017 TV commercial for Hulu, the first episode of Season 3 of Sex Education, and a 2022 commercial for the Samsung Galaxy.

The song appeared in Just Dance 3 as a playable track.

Personnel

• Vocals: Wilson Pickett
• Guitar: Chips Moman, Jimmy Johnson
• Keyboards: Spooner Oldham
• Drums: Roger Hawkins
• Bass: Junior Lowe or Tommy Cogbill
• Tenor sax: Charlie Chalmers, Andrew Love
• Trumpet: Wayne Jackson
• Baritone Sax: Floyd Newman

Other recordings and inspirations

• 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.{{cite book |title= Behind the Hits: Inside Stories of Classic Pop and Rock and Roll|last= Shannon|first= Bob|author-link= Bob Shannon (WCBS-FM)|author2=John Javna |year= 1986|publisher= Warner Books|location= New York|isbn= 0-446-38171-3|pages= 94–95
• 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. Billboard said that "Acapella chanting, with the audience hooting and clapping in the background, fills out the sound with manic high energy."
• The "na na na" chorus was interpolated into the reggae hit "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze, which topped the US charts in 1994.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chris Kenner version

Cannibal and the Headhunters version

Wilson Pickett version

Ted Nugent version

J. Geils Band version

Elwood Blues Revue featuring Wilson Pickett version

Certifications

Wilson Pickett version

References

References

1. Marsh, Dave. (1989). "The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made". [[Plume (publisher).
2. "RPM Top 40&5 Singles - March 22, 1965".
3. Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition". Record Research.
4. "Daddy Yankee's Nicky Jam Collaboration "Muévelo" Is His Latest Flip Of A '90s Hit".
5. (2012). "Revolver: How the Beatles Re-Imagined Rock 'n' Roll". Backbeat Books.
6. White, Adam. (1993). "The Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits". Billboard Books.
7. Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004". Record Research.
8. "Land of 1000 Dances".
9. Pickett, Wilson, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, Atlantic #8129, released 1966. Notes from Atlantic CD released 1993
10. (February 19, 1983). "Reviews".
11. (February 19, 1983). "Top Single Picks".
12. Breihan, Tom. (March 14, 2022). "The Number Ones: Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes The Hotstepper"".
13. "RPM Top 40&5 Singles - February 15, 1965".
14. "The Exciting Wilson Pickett - Billboard singles". Allmusic.
15. "Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 Dances".
16. "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 19, 1966".
17. Whitburn, Joel. (2013). "Top Pop Singles 1955-2012". Record Research, Inc..
18. (17 September 1988). "Playlist Report: RAI - Italy".