Chart Performance: Pop (#1) & R&B (#43); 1977
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In early 1974, English-born Leo Sayer notched up his first hit, The Show Must Go On, on both sides of the Atlantic. Except…the U.S. hit was recorded by Three Dog Night. In October of 1976, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Leo’s fifth U.K. hit, entered the pop chart in both countries. Sayer co-wrote Dancing with Vinnie Poncia, a jack-of-all-trades music veteran who sang on chart records (with the Videls, Innocence, and Trade Winds), composed hits (The Ronettes‘ Do I Love You?, Ringo Starr’s Oh My My), and produced albums (Kiss, Melissa Manchester). While rehearsing the tune in the studio, Leo began fooling around with the “You’ve got a cute way of talking” line. When producer Richard Perry played Dancing for Sayer a couple of months later, the singer didn’t even remember it. Fortunately, music lovers did. Dancing reached #2 in England, one step behind its chart topping performance in the States.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Richard Perry
Lyrics Written by:
- Leo Sayer
- Vini Poncia
Awards:
- Won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1978
- Ranked as the No. 13 song of 1977 by Billboard
- Top 40 Weekly Top Songs of the 70s Chart Position: #52
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).
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