Novelty dances

>: * Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion" hit #1 in 1962, but there was never any
>: actual dance by that name

>Most certainly there was a dance called the Loco-Motion. People used to
>do it all the time. You must be joking.

Retroactively, perhaps. According to co-writer Carole King (_Billboard Book of Number One Hits_, 1985 edition), "There never was a dance called the loco-motion until after it was a number one hit record... everyone said, 'how does this dance go,' so Little Eva had to make up a dance."

> Retroactively or otherwise there was a LocoMotion dance. Again the post
> didn't say "name songs that were dances first then a song next". Almost
> all the songs named were not associated with dances before the tune became
> popular. The song came first then the dance in almost all cases.

Thanks for pointing out this interesting fact. I had thought this might be the case. My imagination sometimes went wild, thinking certain songs were about dances when they really weren't. The two that come to mind are "Simon Says" by the 1910 Fruitgum Company in very early 1968 and "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James and the Shondells in mid-1966.

Madison

Mashed Potatoes & Monster Mash

Twist

Fad dances banned at Brigham Young U

General 60s dances

Resources

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Last modified on: 2001, Tuesday February 6.

URL: http://www.eijkhout.net/rad/dance_specific/novelty.html