I hope you're not making fun of these people, because the house dancers on Lawrence Welk doing "Land of 1,000 Dances" is cooler than Nas, Lupe, Eminem, Big L, Rakim, Raekwon, Ice Cube, Jay-Z, UGK, Z-Ro, Scarface, Shad, Common, Slaughterhouse, Masta Ace, Biggie, CunninLynguists, or Wu Tang doing, well ... anything. And as for Nino Tempo and April Stevens, I never really appreciated them until that clip. Scopitone. Man! posted by Faze at 2:16 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was just thinking about Ini Kamoze yesterday, while walking to my car. Small world? posted by penduluum at 2:17 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was so sure this was going to be a Katamari Damacy post. posted by elizardbits at 2:25 PM on July 23, 2011 [26 favorites]
The song was written and first performed by Chris Kenner in 1962. The "na na na na" part was added in 1965 by Cannibal and the Headhunters, allegedly because the lead singer forgot the lyrics. The Wilson Pickett version that everyone knows was recorded in Pickett's first session at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
The list of folks who've covered this song is long and diverse:
(backbone may well slip) posted by Surfurrus at 3:29 PM on July 23, 2011
Otis Redding & Wilson Pickett both in this compilation, oh my.
*swoons*
*throws motel keys up on the stage* posted by madamjujujive at 3:29 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I am torn between Wilson Pickett and his incredible Mojo Suit, and the WWF guys. Yeah! Picketts suit is awesome, I want one! posted by Oyéah at 4:03 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
/Led Zeppelin posted by bwg at 4:28 PM on July 23, 2011
I thought this was going to be about Journey. posted by ellenaim at 4:35 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Man, I can't stop watching that Nino and April video -- it teeters on the brink of Prisencolinensinainciusol. posted by FelliniBlank at 4:48 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Tom Jones is pure class. posted by carter at 4:56 PM on July 23, 2011
I thought this was going to be links to several dufferent songs that use "na na na na", and which of course would have included this one. posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:07 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was so sure this was going to be a Katamari Damacy post.
No shit. I went through all the links thinking "well, this one must be the Katamari tune then, right?". posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:34 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
That WWF one is supremely weird. I was going to ask if that was Meat Loaf on drums, but the YouTube comments say not only is it him, it's also Cyndi Lauper on guitar?! posted by adamdschneider at 6:01 PM on July 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
The Nino and April video reminds me of a Wil Ferrel SNL skit. posted by daHIFI at 6:35 PM on July 23, 2011
There was a web site that offered weirdo and probably really illegally provided songs in a set of volumes called "The Land of 999 Dances."
It was better than this, a little. posted by clvrmnky at 7:59 PM on July 23, 2011
FFS why is there no context? It's not clever! posted by Brocktoon at 9:40 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is the most perfect FPP that has ever been posted. No, seriously, two valid targets of righteous derision and mockery, I mean it was so bad Will Ferrell came in his pants at that second link, and is including a remake of it in his next movie as we speak... and then comes the original, performed live, and it's even more incredible than we remembered.
As a kid who grew up in the 80's in socialist India having never heard this song until now, allow me to express a polite but incredulous WHAT THE EFFING FUCK WAS THAT to the first video, and point to this helpful chart navigating through all the na's to others who might express similar incredulity in the face of such televised depravity.
I can't un-remember this ever, can I. posted by the cydonian at 10:01 PM on July 23, 2011
this helpful chart navigating through all the na's
1. "Batman" has twice as man na's as that.
2. "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" should have one more hey.
3. Where's "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"? Huh? Huh? Not only does it have a lot of na's--it was co-written by Nas.
twoleftfeet, I favorited you so hard, I'm in a suit, skanking as hard as I can in an alleyway. posted by Slap*Happy at 10:36 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Favoriting is not quite enough, I gotta testify ... This post has vaulted up into my Top Five Favorites Ever. Me too ... I let my backbone slip and it feels soo good. Thank you, j_p. posted by thinkpiece at 4:54 AM on July 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
To my mind, nothing improves on the two minutes and thirteen seconds of the original single.
To my mind, nothing improves on the two minutes and thirteen seconds of the original single.
Note no "na-na's" in the original. Where did this innovation, then creep in? Was it Cannibal's doing? posted by Faze at 7:43 AM on July 24, 2011
Faze, read the Dave Marsh link above. posted by jonmc at 7:46 AM on July 24, 2011
I'm just stunned that Faze has actually commented twice in the same thread. I've never seen that before. I didn't think he was able to do that. posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:14 AM on July 24, 2011
So fun! Needed this today. Thanks . . . Legendary, legendary post. Thanks! . . . This post has vaulted up into my Top Five Favorites Ever. . . Thank you, j_p . . . I love Metafilter.
You're welcome! Thanks to all of you for your kind words! And thanks to everyone who helped make this post! posted by jason's_planet at 2:19 PM on July 24, 2011
Don't forget the Turkish version of "Land of 1000 Dances" by Erkin Koray, "Sana bir şeyler olmuş" (literally "I Have Something"), though the Turkish lyrics have nothing to do with the English lyrics (like how the lyrics of Sinatra's "My Way" have nothing to do with those of the original French version by Claude François's "Comme d'habitude"). posted by dhens at 2:34 PM on July 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
« Older British manned space flights; an insidious threat ... | In 1875, the Portuguese cartoo... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 2:02 PM on July 23, 2011 [5 favorites]