Search - Various Artists :: Groove N Grind

Do You Want To Dance?

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of various artists compilations. However, I am a fan of Sixties music and I have in my collection every single to hit Billboard's Top 10 from 1963 to 1974. Sometimes the most economical way to do this is to purchase collections like Rhino's excellent dance album Groove 'n' Grind.1. "Land of 1000 Dances" Wilson Pickett may have taken this song to the Top 10 a year after Cannibal and the Headhunters cracked the Top 40 (no. 30 in 1965), but this is the definitive version--Nah-na-na-na-na, indeed!2. "Cool Jerk" Another one-hit wonder, but with it's thumping bass line and rollicking piano, this No. 7 song from 1966 has a a permanent place on classic rock radio play lists.3. "Peppermint Twist" Not the first twist record (Chubby Checker did that a year earlier), but this million-seller went to No. 1 in 1962 for three weeks.4. "The Locomotion" Little Eva was 17 when she cut this Goffin-King classic. Carole King sings backup. [This song is so good it went to No. 1 twelve years later when it was covered by Grand Funk.]5. "Mickey's Monkey" The Miracles took this Holland-Dozier-Holland song to No. 8 in 1963. Suprisingly it was their last Top 10 hit until "I Second That Emotion" four years later.6. "Harlem Shuffle" This self-penned hit by Bob Relf and Earl Nelson peaked just outside the Top 40.7. "The Monkey Time" Soul singer Major Lance had his first Top 10 hit with this 1963 number.8. "The Jerk" A terrific R&B number that reached No. 7 in 1965.9. "Funky Broadway-Pt I" Another song that had greater chart success when covered by Wilson Pickett, but Dyke & the Blazers do a superior job with their own version of a song written by Arlester "Dyke" Christian.10. "(Baby) Hully Gully" Best known for their novelty hit "Western Movies" the Olympics add this wonderful entry in the dance craze sweepstakes from 1960.11. "The Stroll" At first glance this might look like another case of a white group capitolizing on a black group's success, but the Diamond's version of the Gladiolas' hit "The Stroll" is definitive of the era. 12. "The Walk" A rockin' number that went to No. 7 in 1958.13. "Georgia Slop" "Big" Al Downing's piano fuels this 1964 release.14. "The Madison Time-Part I" This spoken word-instrumental is led by pianist Ray Bryant. It peaked at No. 30 in 1960.15. "The Shag (Is Totally Cool)" A guitar and sax-driven number that pre-dates the beach music that followed.16. "The Bird's the Word" The Rivington's only reached No. 52 with this song, but the Trashmen would combine it with another Rivingtons' song "The Bird Is the Word" and rename it "Surfin' Bird" and take it to No. 4 a year later in 1964.17. "C'Mon and Swim" Six years after asking the musical question "Do You Want To Dance," Bobby Freeman took this song to No. 5.18. "The Twist" Since the Cameo-Parkway originals haven't been available for more than two decades this is a re-recording, but you'll probably recognize it as the same version that the radio plays. Chubby Checker has the distinction of being the only artist to take the same song ("The Twist") all the way to No. 1 in two non-consecutive years (1960 and 1962)."