Land of a Thousand Dances

The original Chris Kenner recording, which peaked at No. 77 on the Billboard chart in 1963, 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. Kenner's original recording included a brief, gospel-influenced, a capella introduction with the words: "Children, go where I send you / (Where will you send me?) / I'm gon' send you to that land / the land of a thousand dances." This 18 seconds was left off the single release to facilitate radio airplay, and the phrase "Land of 1000 Dances" never appeared in any subsequent recording. ==Cannibal and the Headhunters version==

The song's "na na na na na" hook was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their 1965 version, which reached number 30 on the Billboard chart. The hook happened by accident when Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, lead singer of Cannibal and the Headhunters, forgot the lyrics. ==Wilson Pickett version==

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.) His recording was released as a single and appeared on his album, The Exciting Wilson Pickett. The single became his third Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1 hit and his biggest ever pop hit, peaking at No. 6. In 1988 a re-recorded version by Pickett was featured in a concert during the movie The Great Outdoors, while the original recording is featured at the end credits of the movie. In 1989, the earlier Pickett version was ranked number 152 on Dave Marsh's list of The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. The version is later used in the 1997 movie The Full Monty. Pickett's version also appears in a trailer for the 2006 film Glory Road, a 2017 TV commercial for Hulu, the first episode of Season 3 of Sex Education, and a 2022 commercial for the Samsung Galaxy. The song appeared in Just Dance 3 as a playable track. Personnel • Vocals: Wilson Pickett • Guitar: Chips Moman, Jimmy Johnson • Keyboards: Spooner Oldham • Drums: Roger Hawkins • Bass: Junior Lowe or Tommy Cogbill • Tenor sax: Charlie Chalmers, Andrew Love • Trumpet: Wayne Jackson • Baritone Sax: Floyd Newman ==Other recordings and inspirations==

• Some releases of the song credit Antoine "Fats" Domino as a co-author of the song with Kenner. Domino agreed to record the song in exchange for half of the song's royalties. • The J. Geils Band released a live cover version as a single in 1983. Cash Box said that the band "does justice" to the original on the recording. Billboard said that "Acapella chanting, with the audience hooting and clapping in the background, fills out the sound with manic high energy." • The "na na na" chorus was interpolated into the reggae hit "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze, which topped the US charts in 1994. ==Charts==

Weekly charts Chris Kenner version Cannibal and the Headhunters version Wilson Pickett version Ted Nugent version J. Geils Band version Elwood Blues Revue featuring Wilson Pickett version == Certifications ==

Wilson Pickett version == References ==