YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 159 (Dance The Night Away)
(Originally finalized on September 26, 2025)
Preface: Although I can enjoy watching it as performance art, dance is not my favorite subject when it comes to music. I prefer blues and rock to pop music because I'm not looking for something to bop my head to - I like songs that tap into strong emotions, and showcase the virtuosity of a band's instrumentalists. But dancing is intimately connected to the realm of music, so I thought it could be fun to explore some songs about dance this week.
Monday: Aerosmith - Same Old Song And Dance [Get Your Wings, 1974]
Comments: Knowing how big Aerosmith would eventually become, it's surprising how modest their beginnings were. I suppose that's not an unheard of phenomenon, but they debuted the same year as Lynyrd Skynyrd, which had a stellar debut album. This is probably the most marketable song from their sophomore effort; it wouldn't be until their third album that they would begin to court real success.
Tuesday: Van Halen - Dance The Night Away [Van Halen II, 1979]
Comments: Cream recorded a different song by the same title on their 1967 album Disraeli Gears, but I felt this song had a better dance energy. Also in Van Halen's discography is a later cover of the block party staple Dancing In The Street, which was popularized by The Mamas & The Papas. Between the two, as an original, this one has more of that Van Halen sound.
Wednesday: The Rolling Stones - Dance Little Sister [It's Only Rock 'N Roll, 1974]
Comments: Speaking of Dancing In The Street, Mick Jagger recorded a duet of the song with David Bowie in 1985, but it's about the campiest thing either one of them has ever done. So instead, here's a song from The Stones' 1974 album It's Only Rock 'N Roll which - true to the album's title - has more of a rock 'n' roll energy.
Thursday: Santana - Dance Sister Dance (Baila Mi Hermana) [Amigos, 1976]
Comments: Overshadowed by the guitar instrumental Europa, this song opens Santana's seventh studio album, continuing the band's legacy well beyond the point when Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon split off to form Journey. If you're not yet convinced that watching your sister dance is a whole vibe, I present to you Stevie Ray Vaughan's contribution to the subject.
Friday: Black Sabbath - St. Vitus' Dance [Vol. 4, 1972]
Comments: This is a song that is much more interesting when put into historical context. Named for the patron saint of dancers, it's a term that has been used to describe unexplained outbreaks of the "dancing plague" that occurred in the Middle Ages - in which, curiously, people would dance in a frenzy until ultimately dropping dead from exhaustion. Talk about a danse macabre! And who better to record a song on that subject than Black Sabbath?
Saturday: Neil Young - When You Dance I Can Really Love [After The Goldrush, 1970]
Comments: Neil Young's third album bridges the gap between his debut of electric jam band Crazy Horse, and the softer country ballads of Harvest that rocketed him to immortality, even as he was sharing studio time with Crosby Stills & Nash. Augmented by Jack Nitzsche on piano, this is one of the last songs Neil would record with Crazy Horse's original lineup featuring Danny Whitten, who would succumb to addiction before long.
Sunday: J. Geils Band - Land Of A Thousand Dances (Live) [Showtime!, 1982]
Comments: I couldn't resist including a version of this song this week. You may not know it by name, but you'll recognize it when you hear it. Popularized by Wilson Pickett, here the J. Geils Band prove (somewhat surprisingly) that they've still got soul, even at the height of their commercialized '80s period. Ted Nugent has also performed this song live in concert - it wasn't easy for me to choose between these two versions.
Honorable Mentions: You won't be suprised to hear that this is another theme with an abundance of songs to choose from. If I were so inclined (but don't hold your breath), I could probably repeat this theme. But I picked a smattering of songs that I'm happy with. Feel free to add your own. Some that I passed over include Van Morrison's Moondance, Billy Idol's Dancing With Myself, Bruce Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark, and Don Henley's All She Wants To Do Is Dance.