#46 - Dancing In The Street

Artist: David Bowie & Mick Jagger

Album: None.  Released as a single only.
Video: From YouTube.

Here’s a song I didn’t care for in 1985, which I have grudgingly come to appreciate.  At the time, I had no idea that it was performed by two rock ‘n’ roll legends.  I just thought it was by the guys who sang "This Is Not America" and "Lucky In Love".

A remake of the 1964 Martha and the Vandellas classic, “Dancing In The Street” was recorded as part of the Live Aid concert.  The song was going to be performed live, with David Bowie in London and Mick Jagger in the U.S., but a delay with the satellite linkup nixed that plan.  Instead they recorded the song and video in one day in London, with the profits donated to the Live Aid charity for Ethiopian famine.

“Dancing In The Street” peaked at #7 in the U.S. and topped the singles chart in three other countries.  The opening is a roll call of famous countries and cities, a technique also used in James Brown’s “Living In America” and Huey Lewis & The News’ “The Heart Of Rock ‘n’ Roll”.  It’s a nice trick for the band to substitute the name of the town they are in while performing live, and always guaranteed to get a big reaction.

It’s a feel-good song, and also I suppose a redeeming effort for both Bowie and Jagger, who didn’t make their best music during this time period (to put it kindly).  And you can’t really watch them prance through this video without thinking, did they or didn't they?

The video is pure showmanship by two of the most flamboyant rockers ever.  Mick is just strutting and dancing and doing that inimitable Mick Jagger thing.  Not to be outdone, Bowie leaps into the video from a staircase and tries to out-Mick his partner with his own movements and antics.  True to the title, they spend the entire video dancing on a variety of streets, roads and boulevards.  They look like they’re having a blast.