Download Instrumental    The title of this song never appears in the lyrics – go figure. It’s just a list of dances that were popular at the time – that time being the early 60’s.  We seem to be stuck in the 60’s here at the old studio, don’t we?  Not a bad place to be.  That’s when all the really good music came out.  Everything else since then is a just a variation of what we did back then….. some of it good, most of it bad.  But that’s just me.

Fats Domino got composer credit for “Land of a Thousand Dances” even though he didn’t write a word of it.  A chap named Chris Kenner penned the tune, but offered Fats half credit and royalties if he recorded it.  I hate to say it, but Domino’s version sucked – big time.  Kenner then recorded it himself  with only minor success.

The original arrangement didn’t have the signature chant “Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na” in it.  It took a Mexican-American band called “Cannibal and the Headhunters” to make a real hit out of it in 1964.  They added the “Na-Nas” and upped the tempo considerably.  Bar bands at the time loved the energy and chaos it created at one in the morning when the crowd was either sleepy or drunk.  I played it once myself for 30 minutes just to watch people go crazy. Big fun…

Singers, take this one and substitute today’s dances (do they still name dances?) in place of “the Jerk” and “Mashed Potato” or “Funky Alligator”.  Hmmmm, now that I think about it, maybe it’s a good idea NOT to name the dances today.  I sometimes dance to this one in the shower… yes, I do.