Land of 1,000 Dances (Seemed Like)

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

"Land of a Thousand Dances" (or "Land of 1000 Dances") is a song written and first recorded by American rhythm and blues singer Chris Kenner in 1962. It later became a bigger hit in versions by Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Pickett. The song mentions 16 dances: the Pony, the Chicken, the Mashed Potato, the Alligator, the Watusi, the Twist, the Fly, the Jerk, the Tango, the Yo-Yo, the Sweet Pea, the Hand Jive, the Slop, the Bop, the Fish, and the Popeye. 

The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which Cannibal & the Headhunters added in their 1965 version, which reached number 30 on the Billboard chart. The hook gave the song further notoriety. The "na na na na na" hook happened by accident when Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, lead singer of Cannibal and the Headhunters, forgot the lyrics.

The song's best-known version was by Wilson Pickett, who recorded the song during his first set of sessions at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the Memphis Horns. He had previously recorded in Memphis.

Huntsville was not a land of 1,000 dances, but it had its share, and I loved them. I remember doing most of the 16 dances mentioned in the song.

On February 17, 1961, I went on my first real date and it was to a dance. I was 14 years old and my date, Ginger, was 12. We went on a double date with her older cousin to a Valentine’s Day dance at Huntsville High School. I have no idea which band played or what type of music they played. I was too scared to hardly even dance that night and I think I only got on the dance floor with her once or twice. The only dance I knew was a structured two-step and could only do that if I counted one-two-one silently in my head. Little did I know at that time that in a few short years dancing would be a major part of my social life and I would be going to dances at every opportunity. 

I think I actually first took up fast dancing with girls in 1962 when “The Twist” made its comeback on the record charts. It had been a number one song in 1960 and repeated the feat two years later. I learned to Twist and do most of the other dances watching American Bandstand and perfected them at the small boy-girl parties my friends held. 

On November 21, 1963, the day President Kennedy was shot, I started keeping a journal of things I did and places I went. My first recorded visit to a dance was made on Saturday, November 30, 1963. 

If there was a question in anyone’s mind about my love for the dances in Huntsville when I was a teenager, then let me present my case. In my journal, I recorded the dances I attended during my senior year at Lee High School and most of the bands that played for them starting in November 1963 and going to the end of May 1964. It is a testament to the plethora of local bands we had in Huntsville during the Sixties. Here are the dates, locations, and bands recorded, and only the dances I attended. There were others as well.

Sat. Nov. 30 – Bradley’s – no band noted

Fri. Dec. 13 – Bradley’s – 13 Screaming Niggers

Sat. Dec. 21 – Private dance at the Navy Reserve – no band noted

Tue. Dec 31 – Bradley’s (Cancelled because of historic snow storm.)

 Sat. Jan. 4 – National Guard Armory – no band noted

Fri. Jan. 10 – Bradley’s – Comets

Sat. Jan. 11 – Bradley’s – Continentals and Tempests

Fri. Jan. 17 – Bradley’s – Vibratones

Sat. Jan. 18 – Bradley’s – Chevells

Fri. Jan. 24 – Coliseum - WAAY dance – Continentals

Sat. Jan. 25 – Bradley’s – didn’t stay – no band noted

Sat. Jan 25. – Coliseum – Hi-Boys and Carl Perkins

 Fri. Feb. 7 – Bradley’s – Spinners from Nashville

Sat. Feb. 8 – Coliseum – Hi-Boys

Fri. Feb. 14 – Bradley’s – Continentals

Sat. Feb. 15 – Bradley’s – Tempests

Sat. Feb. 22 – Coliseum – WAAY dance – Hi-Boys

Sat. Mar. 7 – Bradley’s – Continentals

Fri. Mar. 13 – Bradley’s – Spinners

Sat. Mar. 28 – Bradley’s – Cobras

Fri. Apr. 3 – Coliseum – Battle of the Bands – Continentals (winner), Tempests, Jerry and the Ramrods, Tommy and the Playboys

 Sat. Apr. 11 – Coliseum – Jerry Lee Lewis and Vibratones (I had to pay the $2.00 at the door to see Jerry Lee Lewis.)

Sat. Mar. 18 – Bradley’s – Continentals

Fri. Apr. 24 – Lee High School – ’64 Senior Prom – Dixie Belle and Her Combo

Sat. Apr. 25 – Aquatic Club – Hi-Y Dance – Jerry and the Ramrods

Fri. May 1 – Bradley’s – no band noted...did not stay (Another dance was happening)

Fri. May 1 – Lee High School – ’65 Junior Prom – Continentals - Gate-Crashed this one

Sat. May 9 – Private party – Checkmates

Fri. May 29 – Bradley’s – Jesters and Continentals

Five days later, June 3, 1964, was the last day I a home in Huntsville. It was the day after graduation and I packed up my belongings and left the dances and the city behind me as I moved to Memphis. Though I went to dance there as well, they never lived up to the fun I had sharing the dancefloor with my classmates in Huntsville.

Dance memories may return next week. Here are a couple of other famous dance songs.

The Wayback Machine

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

Once again I am going to ask Mr. Peabody (a.k.a. Amazon Alexa) to play me a song from those days and collect your thoughts about the song. 

So...Mr. Peabody, take us wayback. What is the first song you will play?

"A Teenager in Love" was originally recorded by Dion and the Belmonts, and released in March 1959. It appeared on their album "Presenting Dion and the Belmonts" (1959). It reached number 5 on the Billboard pop charts. Dion initially thought the song sounded "wimpy", but then realized the sound the song has when the Belmonts started singing "ooh-wah" at the start of the song. 

Editor's Comments: I always liked Dion and the Belmonts' music. Again this week we feature a song that was not performed by our local bands at the dances we attended, but was a favorite record player hit at parties. This song was not really a slow-dance song or a real fast-dance song. I guess it was more of a song you listened to and sang along with. That said, it was also a nice song to shake to at Carter's. 

As you can tell, I am continuing down the road of remembering the dances in Huntsville during 1963-64. I was surprised I only had two comments on the dances at Bradley's. I know there were more of you who attended dances there. Those were the days, and unfortunately they can never be repeated. Many of the people are gone, most of the bands are gone, and many of the venues are gone as well. They only remain in our memories. I know some of you have different memories than I do, and here is your opportunity to relive them and share them with your classmtes and friends. What was the most memorable dance you attended during your high school days?

LEE LUNCH BUNCH

FOR THE CLASSES OF ‘64, ‘65, ‘66

CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023

11:00 AM

Please save the date for our spring lunch and chat time for the beginning of the thirteenth year for Lee Lunch Bunch for the classes of ‘64, ‘65, and ‘66.

Carrabba’s is located on the upper parking level of Parkway Place Mall in Huntsville. We have reserved a limited space area for our group, so please do let me know asap if you will be coming. Most of the time in the past we have met on the last Thursday of April. That was not available this time, so it will be on the third Thursday of April instead. As always, place and space are issues, but we should have enough space at this restaurant for our group.

Please do let me know if you plan to be there.

Thanks! Patsy Hughes Oldroyd ‘65

H (256) 232-7583

C (256) 431-3396

keithandpatsy@att.net

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Last Week's Questions, Answers, and Comments

Joel Weinbaum, LHS ‘64, "The dance routine you described may be the reason a number of our fellow classmates are great-grandparents. After graduation the US Navy had me focused on making preparations for crossing the Pacific Ocean in a small 400' Navy Destroyer to the South China Sea and the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. The hula was more tuned to my socialization at the time at Waikiki."

Cleve Smith LHS ‘66, "I saw Rufus Thomas "Walking the Dog" at the pier in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1966."