THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

488-Wilson Pickett-Land of 1000 Dances.

1966-Number 22 single.

Best Bit-At 0.12.The Pony, Chicken, Mashed Potato, Alligator, Watusi, Twist, Fly, Jerk, Tango ,Yo-Yo, Sweet Pea, Hand Jive, Slop, Bop, Fish, and the Popeye. I could mention the other 884 dances, but I would run out of room.

‘Land of 1000 Dances’ was originally written, and recorded by Chris Kenner (1929-1976.) He had his greatest success as a recording artist in 1961 when his co-write ‘I Like It Like That,’ with Allen Toussaint (1938-2015) reached Number 2 on Billboard.The song was covered by the English group ‘The Dave Clark Five’ in 1965, and made Number 7 on Billboard, but failed to chart in the UK. Kenner’s original version of ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ was inspired by an old ‘Spiritual Song’ called ‘Children Go Where I Send Thee,’with Kenner substituting places for dances, his recording stalled on Billboard at Number 77 in 1963.

The first top 40 version of the song was in 1965 by the Mexican/American band ‘Cannibal & the Headhunters’ who took the song to Number 30 on Billboard. This was the first time that the songs famous ‘na, na, na, na, na’ hook had been used, having been improvised by the bands lead singer Frankie ‘Cannibal’ Garcia. While performing the song Garcia’s microphone chord kept cutting out, and so to fill the gaps he chanted the ‘na, na.’ Probably all subsequent covers of the song now include the chant, including this most famous version by Wilson Pickett. In 1994 the Jamaican Reggae artist Ini Kamoze used the ‘na, na, na,’ in the chorus of his Billboard Number 1 single ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper.’

Wilson Pickett was born on March 18th, 1941, in Prattville, Alabama, United States, he died on January 19th, 2006, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 64. Pickett is considered a major figure in the development of Soul music, and after a grounding in Gospel music, joined the influential American R&B group ‘The Falcons’ in 1960 (see also best songs 828,) remaining a band member until pursing a solo career in 1963.Pickett recorded his version of ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at the ‘FAME’ studios using many of the top session players, and also members from the ‘Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.’ Pickett recorded 21 solo studio Albums between 1963-1999, and had 16 Billboard top 40 singles, with ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ achieving the highest chart placing when reaching Number 6 in 1966.

‘Dance with me honey, like Long Tall Sally.Twistin’ with Lucy,doin’ the Watusi. Gotta hold of your back, I like it like that, do the Jerk, watch me work.’