Dancing 1979 Style

Clockwise: Anita Ward; Blondie; Amii Stewart; and Chic.

Ah, yes, 1979, what a fun year that was. I was in college in Reading, PA, striking out on my own, in that first-time-out kinda way. The music of the time was, well, I'll call it diverse. Rock was still living large, and Punk was starting to shine. Dance music was standing tall, and Pop was, well, popular. The Year-End Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 included The Knack, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Peaches and Herb, Gloria Gaynor, Village People, and Robert John, as well as some of the members of this post. Just outside of the Top 10, you had the Bee Gees, Dr. Hook, David Naughton, Pointer Sisters, Olivia Newton-John, and The Doobie Brothers. That is a list that could be called eclectic, to say the least. Away at college, I managed to get out more often than I cared to admit, be it parties on campus or perhaps one or two of the bars/clubs close to campus that did not linger too long on ID. There was plenty of music, no matter where I went. So to kick off the weekend, I thought I would pick four of the more memorable songs of the day, and share them with you. I will start with the song that finished #9 on the Billboard Year-end chart. "Ring My Bell" showcased the distinctive voice of Anita Ward, with music that was very bit as light and effervescent as she was. I know I danced to this more than I should have over the years, for it brings back some great memories. Enjoy Anita Ward singing "Ring My Bell".

Next up we have the band that let me have my 'Punk' moments, even on this song that was a big Pop and Dance hit. Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, and Frank Infante released the album 'Parallel Lines' in the Fall of 1978, and it was a must-have album in every college freshman's collection. The entire album was packed with great songs, but the one that made it into the Top 20 of the Billboard Year-end Top 10 was the Dance song with attitude, "Heart of Glass". The blasé delivery of by Harry was priceless, and made the song all that much more fun. Enjoy the music video for Blondie's "Heart of Glass".

Back in the late 1970s, Nile Rodgers was well on his way to being 'the man', working with everyone from Grace Jones to David Bowie. Rodgers formed the group Chic with Bernard Edwards, and the soon added Tony Thompson, Raymond Jones, Alfa Anderson, and Luci Martin to the lineup when they went to the studio to record "Le Freak", a great song written by Rodgers and Edwards. The song was the best selling record ever for Atlantic Records company, and the best-selling single ever for Warner Music Group until Madonna's "Vogue" sold more in 1990. When anyone heard the opening bars of the song, you knew it was time to head to the dance floor. Turn up the volume, and enjoy the music video from Chic for the #3 song of 2979, "Le Freak".

For the final slot on this post, I picked a song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper, which first hit the charts in 1966 as a single from Floyd. It was covered by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas in 1967, and David Bowie in 1974. But in 1979, it was Amii Stewart who had the honor of taking the vocals for "Knock On Wood", which made it to #22 on the year-end chart. This was another song that would draw me and my friends out on the dance floor in 1979, and for years to come. It was such a great recording, it still doesn't feel old at all. There was such power and energy in the song! So crank up the volume and hit play on the music video for Amii Stewart singing "Knock On Wood"!

Have a great weekend!

Friday Night Party Mix 1979

Clockwise from Top Left: Amii Stewart, McFadden & Whitehead, Patrick Hernandez, Chic and Anita Ward.

Friday night was a party night, after a long week of work or school. You just wanted to cut loose, and have some fun. If you were going to let loose in the clubs in 1979, this is a sample of some of the great music you would be dancing to. While some were declaring that disco was dead, the Billboard charts and the radio was saying something different, as these songs came up big. While 4 of 5 of the acts could be considered 1-hit-wonders, if you make music this good, you will be remembered. Like Amii Stewart when she is singing Knock On Wood.



Patrick Hernandez seemed like an unlikely candidate to have a hit dance track, at least on paper. His looks were a bit on the quirky side, with floppy curly hair and puppy-dog eyes. Patrick was born in France to a Spanish father and a mother who was both Austrian and Italian, pretty much hitting all the European ancestries. Somehow, the singer turned all this into his lone hit, Born To Be Alive. When touring in the US for the first time, a crew of young dancers were hired. One of said dancers was the young Madonna, before anyone knew who she was.



Fronted by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Chic set the tone for both R&B and dance music of the time. Rodgers had already established himself as a songwriter and musician, making incredible music with his guitar. Edwards played the bass alongside him, making cool and smooth sounds. In 1979, Good Times was their second song to top the Pop and R&B charts, as Le Freak had done it the year prior.



With a degree in psychology and a job as a teacher, Anita Ward was discovered and recorded an album. The owner of the label, Frederick Knight, approached her with a song she didn't care for, but he was insistent. That song was Ring My Bell, which became a huge song for Ward.



McFadden & Whitehead sprang from the Philadelphia sound of Gamble & Huff,as perfectly exemplified by Ain't No Stopping Us Now. They worked together as songwriters and record producers, as well as recording their own music.