Songs You Just HAVE to Dance To

[Phil Owl]

What are your fave tunes for different dances that make you just want to hit the floor?

[DanceMentor]

A couple that come to mind:
Salsa - Africando - "Ya Boy"
Swing - Count Basie - "Splanky"
Foxtrot - I'm not sure of the name, but lyrics have lady singing "I wanna love you...all night long"
Tango - Hector Varela - "Lilian"

[Phil Owl]

Some of mine:

EC Swing:

Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan or Ray Charles
Theme from "M-Squad" (I have a thng for Crime Jazz)
Muddy Water - Lou Rawls
Smack Dab In The Middle - Ray Charles
Organ Grinder Swing - Jimmy Smith
Doin' It To Death - James Brown
Salt Pork West Virginia - Louis Jordan
None of Them Knew They Were Robots - Mr. Bungle (NOT for the faint of heart, it's kind of like Basie, The Stray Cats and King Crimson having a rumble :twisted: )
Cheaper to Keep Her - Johnnie Taylor

Hustle:

More More More - Kylie Minogue (NOT the same song that Andrea True did in the 70's BTW)
I've Got The Next Dance - Deniece Williams
You've Got The Power - War
A Deeper Love - Aretha Franklin
Twilight Zone - Manhattan Transfer



Cha-Cha:

Spill The Wine - WAR
Twilight World - Swing Out Sister
The Sinister Minister - Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
anything by Tito Puente or Poncho Sanchez


Foxtrot:

The Best Is Yet To Come - Tony Bennett
Nice and Easy - Frank Sinatra

and so much more-----------------------

[x_lea_x]

Micheal Jackson just makes me wanna get up and dance! such gud beats to dance to! :roll: and he inspires me so much id lurve to dance like him! but i guess nobody cud ever be as gud as M.J?

[DanceMentor]

Welcome to the forums, x_lea_x!
Nice pictures on your website!

I can dance like Michael Jackson (just not as good)!
When I was about 12 years, I was doing the Moonwalk and many other moves. That was right after the Thriller album came out. I remember back then my favorite songs were:
Michael Jackson: Beat It, Thriller, Billie Jean
Herbie Hancock: Rock It
Prince: Little Red Corvette, 1999

We used to lay large peices of card board in the parking lot and break dance every day after after school.

That's my Michael Jackson story. :wink:

[x_lea_x]

lol thas wkd... i can do most of his moves yeah and im on ma way to bein a wikkard break dancer :D theres just so many types of dancin i wanna do and am workin on at the mo...lol its tiring me out tho... i overworked maself n made myself ill the other week :cry: but im all better now :) thgnx to ma mum... lol

[Anonymous]

How about Santana for some cha-cha?

I am looking for an awesome attention grabbing song for an upcoming solo/showcase dance. My instructor is thinkiong I should do Mambo/Salsa. Any ideas? I've got Celia Cruz, Mark Anthony, & Jerry Rivera in mind. My instructor also thought of "Faith" by George Michael or "Get Busy" (Shake that Thing) by Sean Paul. Help!!!!!!!!

[DanceMentor]

Nikki,

Here's a couple of Salsa/Mambo I would recommend:
"Ole" by Azucar Moreno
"Cali Pachanguero" by Grupo Niche
"Ya Boy" by Africando

...and Santana rocks! :o

[jdubbboy]

Any songs in the r&b genre? Fast beat...new...?

[Spitfire]

Cha Cha - "Cha Cha Latino" (don't know artist)
Swing - any good blues
Rumba - "Best" - Elton John
Waltz - "House" - Elton John

:D

[MissAlyssa]

you know what's fun to cha cha to? no doubt-hella good. I also like la cumparsita for tango :P

[chrisf]

How about Santana for some cha-cha?

I am looking for an awesome attention grabbing song for an upcoming solo/showcase dance. My instructor is thinkiong I should do Mambo/Salsa. Any ideas? I've got Celia Cruz, Mark Anthony, & Jerry Rivera in mind. My instructor also thought of "Faith" by George Michael or "Get Busy" (Shake that Thing) by Sean Paul. Help!!!!!!!!

try "Ella Fue (She Was the One)" by fania all stars for cha cha
sonara carruseles - el pito for mambo, or
grupo niche - una ventura or
africando - "aicha" or "ntoman" which are very good
also sonara carruseles - micaela

[DanceMentor]

Hi chrisf,

I just wanted to say "hi" and welcome you to the forums! ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

I love "una ventura". :D
I not sure if I've heard "Ella Fue". I'm going to check that one out. Thanks. :D

Oh, I don't think anyone has mentioned Guantanamera for Cha Cha by Celia Cruz.

I also just spoke with Alex Aldape who runs a salsa school called Dance Connection ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) in Chicago and he recommended Frankie Ruiz and Sonora Carruseles for Salsa.

[Spitfire]

Mongo Santamaria's "Watermelon Man."

Another great cha-cha tune. 8)

[Vince A]

Welcome to x-lea-x and chrisf . . .

What are your fave tunes for different dances that make you just want to hit the floor?

Last night, while practicing for an upcoming competition, we ran through our WCS for about two hours. The above question popped into my head from reading it a few days ago. So, I wanted to give my 2 cents . . .

-Wiggle Out Of This - Curtis Salgado
-1 + 1 + 1 is 3 - Prince
-How Long Can A Fool Go Wrong - James Cotton (kinda fast, great breaks)
-Don't Stop Movin' (to the funky funky beat) - ???

These always make me get up and dance - no matter where I am at!

[Spitfire]

Micheal Jackson just makes me wanna get up and dance! such gud beats to dance to! :roll: and he inspires me so much id lurve to dance like him! but i guess nobody cud ever be as gud as M.J?

Welcome,

I visited GB back in 1987.

[MissAlyssa]

Hi chrisf,

I just wanted to say "hi" and welcome you to the forums! ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

I love "una ventura". :D
I not sure if I've heard "Ella Fue". I'm going to check that one out. Thanks. :D

Oh, I don't think anyone has mentioned Guantanamera for Cha Cha by Celia Cruz.

I also just spoke with Alex Aldape who runs a salsa school called Dance Connection ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) in Chicago and he recommended Frankie Ruiz and Sonora Carruseles for Salsa.



Guantanameeeeeraaaaaa :P

[youngsta]

My 'can't sit down gotta find a partner' songs are:

Salsa
Joe Arroyo - 'Fuego En Mi Menti' (I swear this has to be the shortest salsa song I've ever come across)

Tito Puente - 'Hong Kong Mambo'

Sonora Carruseles - 'Micaela'

Son Boricua - 'El Negro Bembon'

Cha Cha Cha
Eddie Palmieri - 'Aye Que Rico'

Son Boricua - 'Salchida Con Huevos'

Tito Puente - 'El Cayuco'

Spanish Harlem Orchestra - 'Pa'Gozar'

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the tips, youngsta. I'm gonna check these out the songs you suggested on my Tito Puente CD set. He was so great. I saw him in concert once. One of those cheap, open air, no seats kind of concerts. Got within about 15 feet of the stage. The man was phenomenal. and he seemed to have a great sense of humor, too.


What a loss that he's gone, but his music -- that's another story. Definitely the dancing kind.

[youngsta]

Wow at least you got to see him while he was still here with us. I unfortunately didn't really get into Latin Jazz until he was already sick. :cry:

[MissAlyssa]

what's the name of the samba song played at the end of Dance With Me? I love to dance to that song.

[Black Sheep]

Dance Teachers.
When I ran my Hollywood Dance Club in the 1950's my main concern was building up a music library that my students enjoyed listening to as well as dancing to. When I decided to do some teaching last summer, I began looking for appropriate music to teach to, and much to my surprise some of my old favorites were still available that today's generation might enjoy, so I'll throw you a variety of CDs from the 1950's that will liven the ambiance of your dance studio, and delight and inspire your students:

'Big Band Era', 'Moonlight Serenade' with 20 songs froim the 1950's popular Swing numbers from Count Basie's 'One O'clock Jump' to Lionel Hampton's 'Flying Home'; Les and Larry Elgart, 'Best of the Big Bands' from, 'Cherokee' to 'Green Eyes'; Jimmy Lunceford, from 'Margie' (great balboa) to 'Blues in the Night'; Louis Prima, from 'Embraceable You' to 'Jump, Jive an' Wail'; and 'Sinatra & Dorsey Greatest Hit's, and last and some the greatest innovative Jazz music for listening and 'WCS Joshua Jive' interpretation, STAN KENTON, with classics like, 'Intermission Riff, 'Stompin at the Savoy', 'Laura', 'Bernie's Tune', and for some wild Boogie Woogie hard slappin' piano forte', body shaken vibrations, check out Rob Rio for free [Only registered and activated users can see links]
If those CDs don't hook your students on Swing/Lindy, they need a blood transfusion.
Black Sheep. song plugger from Tin Pan Alley days.

[pygmalion]

Black Sheep,

You may find this hard to believe, but the music you mention, is the music I was raised on. I was a lucky kid, although I didn't realize it at the time. 30's/40s era swingin' parents, 60's era Motown ECS and later WCS siblings, and then, much later, me.

The thing is, old or new, great music is great music.

Many, many days, when I'm playing a medley of my favorite songs on my CD player, I'll come up with Harry Connick Jr., then Frank Sinatra, then Nat King Cole, then George Michael. They all sing a great foxtrot. I think things come around, then come around again.


Long live 30's, 40's, 50's music! :D

[Black Sheep]

Pygmalion,
Since you have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to these jazpop classics, maybe you can appreciate my commitment to revive an interest in the 30's,40's and 50's music, but too many Song publishers cannot make money on songs that are 'Public Domain' and we no longer have those great composers, so the music companies sell this mostly junk music (I said mostly) so they can get their royalty checks. And that great music gets pushed on a back burner. I gave a short list of some of the great musicians and their music of the past, and you have added a few more. I hope there are other youngsters out there who can make their contributions of their favorite 'old time music'.
Black Sheep, the pied piper.

[pygmalion]

Some of mine:

EC Swing:

Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan or Ray Charles
Salt Pork West Virginia - Louis Jordan


Wow, another Louis Jordan fan! How about Caldonia? You may have to adjust the speed on your CD player a little, but who can resist a song with the lyrics,"what makes your big head so hard?" Classic!

[borikensalsero]

Must say, that the cha cha tunes that I would even consider dancing are actually son montunos. It might have its own dance, but I don't know it and since we can cha cha to a son montuno...

Mambo Songs:
Mi Desengaño - Roberto Roena
Marejada Feliz - Willie Rosario's or Roberto Roena's
Ausencia - Hector Lavoe
No Me Digan Que Es Muy Tarde Ya - Ismael Miranda
Azuquita Mami - El Conde
Juliana - Cuco Valoy
La Loma Del Tamarindo - El Gran Combo
Micaela - Tito Rodriguez
Una Canita Al aire - La Solucion
La Rueda - La Solucion
La Boda De Ella - Bobby Valentin
El Torrero - Orquesta Guayacan
Cucala - Celia's and Maelo's
Vagabundo - Andy Montañez
Idilio - Willie Colon
La Murga - Hector Lavoe
Al Son De Los Cueros - Sonora Carruseles
La Cartera - Larry Harlow
La Cuna Blanca - Raphy Leavitt
Cafe - Eddie Palmieri
El Paso De Encarnacion - Larry Harlow
Trampolin - El Gran Combo
Lloraras - Oscar D' Leon
Sonido Bestial - Richie Ray And Bobby Cruz (Live)
Guajira Ven - Hector Lavoe
Cui Cui - Roberto Roena
Ahora Si - Sonora Ponceña
Songorocosongo - Hector Lavoe
Faisan - Conjunto Clasico's or La Solucion
De Patitas - Luis "Perico" Ortiz
Perico - Maelo
Vasos En Colores - Marvin Santiago
Milogna para una niña - Andy Montañez
Sabroson - Markolino Dimond
Porque Adore - Frankie Dante
Bilando - Frankie Ruiz
Aquel Viejo Motel - David Pabon
Beni More - Oscar D' Leon
Pa' Bravo Yo - Justo Betancourt
Bilongo - Eddie Palmieri
Ajiaco Caliente - Eddie Palmieri
1920 - Johnny Ventura
La Reina - Raulin Rosendo
Periodico De Ayer - Lavoe
Cachondeo - Fruko
Carimbo - Maelo
Bamba Cure - Maelo
El Manisero - Mioses Simon
Aguzate - Celia Cruz
El Buen Pastor - Raphy Leavitt
No Me Tires La Primera Piedra - Tommy Olivencia
Caricias Prohibidas - Vitti Ruiz
Commo Lo hacen - Tommy Olivencia
El Swing - El Gran Combo
Pio Pio - Sonora Ponceña
Que Me Entierren Con Rumba - Sonora Carruseles
Al Son De Los Cueros - Sonora Carruseles
Celia - Quimbara
La Cura - Frankie Ruiz
Doce Cascabeles - Johnny Sedes
Carupano - Johnny Sedes
Lets dance!!!!!!!!

[Spitfire]

Once cha-cha tune that for me has this strong "driving force"...

Todo, Todo, Todo - Daniela Romo

[MissAlyssa]

It's raining men.....I know I know...

[pygmalion]

Hallelujah!

Have you ever seen the video for that song? What a scream. Two tons of fun! Literally. :lol:

[dancer_of_god]

the music my tap class is dancing to for our yearly production is thriller by m.j. pretty gud stuff. :) also, my class i co-teach is dancing to beat it by m.j also quite cool

[pygmalion]

Cool, dancer_of_god! Are you doing the m.j.-type choreography, too, or just using the music?

And by the way, welcome to the forums! :D

Jenn

[suek]

a lindy dancer chiming in with a few faves:

by artist
Ella: A tisket, a tasket; The E&D blues; Goody goody; I love being here with you
Billie Holliday: A fine romance; Billie's Blues; Miss Brown to You
Louis Armstrong: Just a Gigolo (much better than Prima); Mood Indigo; High Society
Count Basie: the 9:20 Special; All right, okay you win; Corner pocket; Jive at five
Jackie Wilson: Workout, I'm in heaven; Reet petite
Chuck Berry: Don't lie to me; Let it rock; You never can tell
Duke Ellington:Duke's place; In a mellow tone; It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing
Nat King Cole: Paper moon; Honeysuckle rose; Route 66
Cab Calloway: Are you hep to the jive?; Hoy hoy; The Calloway boogie

by song
Shiny Stockings -- Ella or Count Basie or Sarah Vaughn or Teddy Wilson
Frim Fram Sauce--Ella and Satch or Diana Krall
Harlem Nocturne--Prima/Butera or Mark Whitfield or Johnny Nocturne
Don't Get Around Much Any More--Ella, Etta James, Satchmo, Woody Herman

Let me know if you can listen to any three and stay seated. I'll give odds....

Blessings,

Sue

[Black Sheep]

Suek,
Your choice of Count Basie's '9:20 Special' has everything a music loving, Lindy dancer dreams of; musicianship, arrangement, improves, syncopation, a variety of brass, and an on going melodic line that's ear grabbing and scintillates down the spine into the erotic nervous system. And I do not think the Count ever got the adulation for a Classic piece of music that rates right up there with Ravel's and Rimsky Korsakov's best.
Welcome to the friendliest forum in town and thanks for an out standing list of Lindy Music. That was the kind of music that molded the smooth flowing dancing of the 1940's and 1950's, and I believe it can smooth out the skipping and hopping Texas Tommy Swingout in due time.
Black Sheep, 'Music nourishes the Soul' Joe Lanza 2003 a.d.

[pygmalion]

Yes. suek has incredibly good taste in music, among other things. :D

(movies, teachers, and more, I bet. :D )

[MissAlyssa]

does anyone know the name and artist of a song that starts out "ooooh, when I see her in my tshirt, watching tv with her mama on the telephone" it's a country song sung by a male. :?:

[Swing Kitten]

Sounds like a country song

[Spitfire]

After Dark by Tito and Tarantula. This is a tune I like to Rumba to. When I hear this song it reminds me a lot of The Doors with the vocal and guitar.

[MadamSamba]

Ohhh, youngsta, I LOVE salsaing to Sonora Carruseles' Micaela. No matter where I am or how good/bad I'm feeling, hearing that just makes me jump up and start mamboing! :)

[Vince A]

I really love the old swing stuff, but into the new stuff as well.

I like this one song, and after being recommended by d nice, I picked it up: Outkast - Speakerboxx - The Love Below album, and the song is "The Way You Love."

The first time Care and I got out on our dance floor to "play" to it, of course we started with WCS, then as the song 'changed,' I felt a fast cha cha. And that's what we did - back and forth with WCS and cha cha.

See Jenn . . . . two can be mixed! Although the dance was still a WCS.

Great song though . . . great album!

[Spitfire]

I was thinking about this as I heard it played over the radio at work...

Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight." Be great for NC2S.

[Adwiz]

With my iTunes library of dance music nearing 1000 songs, it can be hard to pick (all legal, I should point out).

My favorites at this time:

Samba: Ooh La La by Chicadee
Cha Cha: Arriba by Joee
Jive: Jack is Back by The Clan
Rumba: Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Quizas Quizas Quizas) by Doris Day (from the motion picture soundtrack for Strictly Ballroom)

Slow Waltz: Fascination by Al Martino
Viennese Waltz: Hijo de la Luna by Maria Ines
Quickstep: Shall We Dance by the Surprise Orchestra
Slow Foxtrot: Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra
Tango: Hey Sexy Lady by Shaggy

[dnquark]

Ok, since I used to be collecting dance music obsessively I'll pitch in a few of my faves:

Lindy:
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats

Waltz (Viennese):
Nara - E.S. Posthumus (entrancing, very awesome)
Hijo de la Luna - Mecano
Erin Shore - The Corrs
Drought - Vienna Teng

Waltz (Cross-step):
The Chase - Emer Kenny
Spiderdust - Bel Canto
Lay Me Down - Happy Rhodes
Kiss From a Rose - Seal

Hustle:
Nothing Really Matters (instrumental version) - Madonna
Tears of Pearls - Savage Garden

Cha-cha:
Smooth - Santana
Short Skirt, Long Jacket - Cake

Salsa:
La Vida Es Un Carnaval - Celia Cruz

Nightclub Two-Step:
Building a Mystery - Sarah McLachlan
Tonight and the Rest of my Life - Nina Gordon

Schottische (yes, it used to be a social dance for me):
Misery - Green Day

Polka (it should be a social dance everywhere!):
Bravado - Harmonica Man
Cotton Eye Joe - Rednex

...Then there are a few lindy tunes that are awesome, but I don't know the names of because I'm so excited after dancing to them that I forget to ask the DJ for the name of the song :D

[lindy jihad]

i like to lindy hop to lindy music.

[DancingMommy]

How about Santana for some cha-cha?

I am looking for an awesome attention grabbing song for an upcoming solo/showcase dance. My instructor is thinkiong I should do Mambo/Salsa. Any ideas? I've got Celia Cruz, Mark Anthony, & Jerry Rivera in mind. My instructor also thought of "Faith" by George Michael or "Get Busy" (Shake that Thing) by Sean Paul. Help!!!!!!!!

George Michael for Mambo? Ummmmmmmmmmm that song has weird breaks in it - it came on the radio the other day, and I was thinking.. I wonder what you could do to *that*.... Mambo did not come to mind, but I can see your instructor's point.

King Chango has an excellent cha-cha-cha. They are more of a ska/punk band, but one of their songs is just right.... I'll have to dig out the CD...

For an eye-catching Mambo, try Brian Setzer's version of "In the Mood" from the "Vavoom!" album. I swear it's a Mambo - really! I'm the queen of dancing to "weird" music... LOL 8)

[DancingMommy]

what's the name of the samba song played at the end of Dance With Me? I love to dance to that song.

Which One? There are two - one is Black Machine's "Jazz Machine" - they really slowed it down for the movie and the other one is a Brazilian song "Magalenha" I think is the name. I only know its Brazilian becuase it's in Portuguese... 8) The first one is kinda techno a little, the other is more authentic (at least according to my Brazilian friends).

[DancingMommy]

With my iTunes library of dance music nearing 1000 songs, it can be hard to pick (all legal, I should point out).

Rumba: Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Quizas Quizas Quizas) by Doris Day (from the motion picture soundtrack for Strictly Ballroom)



I concur, although MY favorite is the Quickstep - Happy Feet - that can only be found on the compilation "Something for Everybody" by Baz Luhrman. It's way cool! 8)

[Vince A]

Anyone see the video of R.Kelly - Step In The Name Of Love . . . What is the dance they're doing? Just some dance pattern? It's almost WCS, w/o the slot.

I think it's just the song, but I learned it, the moves at least and the alternative moves that some are doing, whatever they're doing. I still need to put it all together. Quite easy . . .

[suek]

Anyone see the video of R.Kelly - Step In The Name Of Love . . . What is the dance they're doing? Just some dance pattern? It's almost WCS, w/o the slot.

I think it's just the song, but I learned it, the moves at least and the alternative moves that some are doing, whatever they're doing. I still need to put it all together. Quite easy . . .

It's called Chicago Steppin'. I've been learning it from DNice here in Sacramento (I beat you to this reply, Damon?). And yes, you can do just about any move to it, inside the six-count pattern. Can be danced to R&B or hiphop. It has changed me from someone who cringed when hiphop was played to someone who jumps up and steps to it.

Another cool thing is that you can dance it partnered or not...so in Florida last week I found myself dancing in a little circle with three other women. Nice.

[Vince A]

Anyone see the video of R.Kelly - Step In The Name Of Love . . . What is the dance they're doing? Just some dance pattern? It's almost WCS, w/o the slot.

I think it's just the song, but I learned it, the moves at least and the alternative moves that some are doing, whatever they're doing. I still need to put it all together. Quite easy . . .

It's called Chicago Steppin'. I've been learning it from DNice here in Sacramento (I beat you to this reply, Damon?). And yes, you can do just about any move to it, inside the six-count pattern. Can be danced to R&B or hiphop. It has changed me from someone who cringed when hiphop was played to someone who jumps up and steps to it.

Another cool thing is that you can dance it partnered or not...so in Florida last week I found myself dancing in a little circle with three other women. Nice.
Absolutely kewl . . . thanks suek.

I've read where he has posted about Chicago Steppin' . . . was wondering what he was talking about. I love the dance . . .

Are you taking any Lindy from him? I plan to take some after the holidays . . . maybe I'll fine tune this one as well!

I love dancing to hip hop . . . the music just gets me going . . . and I'm much older than most on DF . . .

[suek]

Yeah I take a little lindy from DNice (grinning). I take--most recently--three classes a week that he teaches at a local studio: lindy/charleston, hiphop and balboa. I also take two-three privates a month with him.

So yeah, I study with him some. I've actually been studying with him for over a year (maybe 18 months). Added the privates in the fall, so I've been working pretty hard. I'm editing this to add that he is responsible, to a large extent, for making my lindy hop what it is today. Which mostly means drilling the bad habits out of me and replacing them with better basics. And teaching me much about musicality and what swings and what does not. For which I am very grateful. He has also encouraged me to study with other teachers, take workshops, go to camps; which I do.

And yet my social dancing still sucks. Oops sorry--some of that ol' negativity slipped right in there. Oh well.

[Vince A]

Thanks again suek . . . I was convinced he knew what he was talking about just by reading what how he writes!

I'm anxious to get started in Lindy with him . . .

By the way . . . where do you live and where do you go dancing around the area???

[suek]

Vince, see the local calendar ([Only registered and activated users can see links] apologize I tried to make this a live link and failed...someone tell me how to do this again please) for info on the Tower (Wednesdays) and the Grad (Sundays) and Swingtime at the Spotlight (2nd and 4th Saturdays).

Sue

[Vince A]

Thanks again Sue . . .

I'll check out the sites that you sent . . .