Whenever the Dead turned to Dancin’ In The Streets, often to open a set, you knew things were about to get hot and funky. But there were some different flavors to this funk because the Dead trotted out Dancin’ during three distinct periods, first, from its debut on July 3, 1966 until late 1970, then post-hiatus through to 1979, and finally from 1984 to 1987.
The early versions are as psychedelic as the Dead themselves, just dripping with lysergic energy. And of course, Pigpen adds his indelible vocals, organ, and swag to these Dancin’ versions. The famed 1970 Harpur College show is the go-to version from this period. But it is hard to discount others from 1970: Kresge Plaza at MIT, March 21 and November 8 at the Cap Theater, June 6, 1970 at the Fillmore, and April 15 at Winterland, to name more than a few. And there are no shortage of burners from the sixties, with the March 18, 1967 Winterland show arguably taking the cake as best of the decade.
After the December 23, 1970 show at Winterland, the Dead put the tune on the shelf until 1976, that is, save, opening with Dancin’ In The Streets at the incredible 1971 New Year’s Eve concert.
When the Dead returned from their hiatus on June 3, 1976, they also brought Dancin’ In The Streets out of retirement, slotting it as the closer to the first set. And they played Dancin’ at their next eight shows. While the boys finally snapped that streak, the tune continued to appear regularly throughout the latter half of the seventies. These late 1970s versions were groovy, disco-infused treats. The 5-8-77 Dancin’ is, like so much else from that Barton Hall show, held up as the quintessential version despite Bobby’s lyrical flub. But other ’77 efforts are at least as awesome. From May alone, the ones at St. Louis Arena, Atlanta’s Fox Theater, and the Sportatorium are all epic. And don’t sleep on the other years, try June 14, 1976 at the Beacon; May 11, 1978 in Springfield, Mass; and October 27, 1979 in South Yarmouth, for instance.
The Dead played one more discofied Dancin’ in the early 80s – July 7, 1981, to be exact – before the song once again dropped out of their repertoire. Then, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on June 24, 1984, the boys once again decided to bring the tune back into the rotation. Over sixteen shows in the mid-80s, the Dead returned, more or less, to their original 60s arrangement of Dancin’, playing it in a more relaxed sort of style. And the band rarely stretched these versions out to the extent they had earlier, most coming in around seven minutes with few extending much beyond that. These were sure-fire rockers with, unsurprisingly given their length, less space for jamming. But in the best versions, Jerry reliably lights off. And the cream of the later crop of Dancin’ In The Streets includes the July 15, 1984 effort at the Greek, the one from April 27, 1985 at the Frost, and December 27, 1986. Finally, on April 6, 1987, the Dead put Dancin’ In The Streets to bed for good.
Motown producer and songwriter William Stevenson started writing Dancing In The Street (the Dead changed the name slightly on the Terrapin Station release) while watching people cool down in open fire hydrants on a particularly oppressive Detroit summer day. Marvin Gaye and Ivy Jo Hunter helped Stevenson turn the song from a ballad into a dance hit for Martha and the Vandellas. Released in 1964, their version climbed the charts and peaked at number two.
Dancing In The Streets stands as one of the absolute Motown classics. The song’s unerring ability to get people up on their feet and rocking is surely a huge part of that; as Martha Reeves said about Dancing’s long-time popularity, “It’s a song that just makes you want to get up and dance.” But the tune also enjoys an association with the Civil Rights Movement of the Sixties, especially its more radical, Black Power edge. In that context, the party song became a call to protest in the streets. Undoubtedly, the Dead recognized and embraced this interpretation, but also turned it on its head in their usual joyous, bacchanalian, acid-drenched fashion of the same period.
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