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Shadow Dancing (song)

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"Shadow Dancing"
Single by Andy Gibb
from the album Shadow Dancing
B-side
  • "Let It Be Me" (US/CA)
  • "Too Many Looks in Your Eyes" (EUR)
  • "Fool for a Night" (Italy)
ReleasedApril 1978
RecordedDecember 1977/February 1978
StudioCriteria (Miami)
GenreDisco
Length4:33 (album Version)
3:57 (single version)
6:07 (special disco version)
LabelRSO Records
Songwriter(s)Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb
Producer(s)Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Andy Gibb singles chronology
"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water"
(1977) 		"Shadow Dancing"
(1978) 		"An Everlasting Love"
(1978)

"Shadow Dancing" is a disco song performed by English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb. The song was released in April 1978 as the lead single by RSO Records from his second studio album of the same name. The song reached number one for seven consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. It was written by Andy and his older brothers, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb and Albhy Galuten (who also produced this song) arranged the song with Barry Gibb. While Andy Gibb would have three more Top 10 hits in the U.S., this would be his final chart-topping hit in the United States. The song became a platinum record.

Song development

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The song was written by Andy and his brothers (Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb) in Los Angeles, while the trio of brothers were working on the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.[1] "And one night," Andy would recall, "while we were relaxing, we sat down and we had to start getting tracks together for the album" (also titled Shadow Dancing, which would eventually hit #7 on the U.S. album charts). "So we literally sat down and in ten minutes, we had a group going, (singing) the chorus part. As it says underneath the song, we all wrote it, the four of us."[2]

Release

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According to Billboard's Book Of Number One Hits, Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the U.S. pop charts to have his first three singles hit the number-one spot. It remained in the top spot for seven straight weeks from 17 June to 29 July 1978, keeping "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty from reaching the top spot. On 5 August it was replaced by The Rolling Stones with their hit "Miss You." Additionally, "Shadow Dancing" was listed by Billboard as being the number one single of 1978. The song peaked at number eleven on the soul chart[3] and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States alone.[4] Cash Box particularly praised the "solid arrangement of strings, horns, [and] disco-funk guitar work."[5] Record World predicted that "this rather hushed dance record should be [Gibbs'] third straight hit."[6]

The single had three different B-sides. The US version's "Let It Be Me" and the European version's "Too Many Looks In Your Eyes" were both from Gibb's previous album Flowing Rivers, while the Italian release featured "Fool for a Night" from the Shadow Dancing album.

In July that year, Gibb performed "Shadow Dancing" at the Jai-Alai Fronton Studios in Miami, when Barry, Robin and Maurice unexpectedly joined him on stage, and sang this song with him. It was the first time that all four brothers performed together in concert.[7]

Personnel

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Chart history

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All-time charts

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Chart (1958-2018) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 49

Cover version

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"Shadow Dancing" was included on the album Hail Satin released in 2021 by the Dee Gees (an alter ego of the Foo Fighters). Lead vocals on this cover were sung by Taylor Hawkins.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Gibb Songs 1978
  2. ^ Bronson, Fred (October 2, 2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (Fifth ed.). Billboard Books. p. 485. ISBN 978-0823076772.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 229.
  4. ^ Grein, Paul (August 26, 1978). "Billboard Vol. 90, No. 34". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  5. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 15, 1978. p. 46. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. April 15, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  7. ^ Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing at Songfacts.com
  8. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ a b "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". ultratop.be. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  10. ^ a b c "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 3" (PDF). brothersgibb.org. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  11. ^ "CAN Charts > Andy Gibb". RPM. Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  12. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1978-07-15. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  13. ^ "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  14. ^ "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". charts.nz. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  17. ^ "UK Charts > Andy Gibb". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  18. ^ a b c "US Charts > Andy Gibb". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  19. ^ "Cashbox Top 100". Cashbox Magazine Archives. June 3, 1978. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  20. ^ "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  21. ^ "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  22. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  23. ^ "End of Year Charts 1978". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  24. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1978". Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  25. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  26. ^ Schube, Will (July 27, 2021). "The Dee Gees Release Video for "Shadow Dancing"". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
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