Shadow Dancing (song)

"Shadow Dancing"
Single by Andy Gibb
from the album Shadow Dancing
B-side "Let It Be Me" (US/CA)
"Too Many Looks in Your Eyes" (EUR)
"Fool for a Night" (Italy)
Released April 1978
Format 7"
Recorded December 1977-February 1978
Genre Disco
Length 4:34
Label RSO Records
Writer(s) Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb; Andy Gibb
Producer(s) Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Andy Gibb singles chronology
"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water"
(1977)		 "Shadow Dancing"
(1978)		 "An Everlasting Love"
(1978)

"Shadow Dancing" is a disco song performed by English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb that reached number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Albhy Galuten (who also produced this song) arranged the song with Barry Gibb. While Andy Gibb would have three more Top 10 hits in the U.S., this would be his final chart-topping hit in America. The song became a platinum record.

Song development

The song was written by Andy and his brothers (Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb) in Los Angeles, while the trio of brothers were working on the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.[1] "And one night," Andy would recall, "while we were relaxing, we sat down and we had to start getting tracks together for the album" (also titled Shadow Dancing, which would eventually hit #7 on the U.S. album charts). "So we literally sat down and in ten minutes, we had a group going, (singing) the chorus part. As it says underneath the song, we all wrote it, the four of us."[2]

Release

According to Billboard's Book Of Number One Hits, Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the U.S. pop charts to have his first three singles hit the number-one spot. It remained in the top spot for seven straight weeks from 17 June to 29 July 1978. On 5 August it was replaced by The Rolling Stones with their hit "Miss You." Additionally, "Shadow Dancing" was listed by Billboard as being the number one single of 1978. In addition the song peaked at number eleven on the soul chart[3] and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States alone.[4] Its two B-sides "Let It Be Me" appeared on US version and "Too Many Looks In Your Eyes" was from his previous album Flowing Rivers.

In July that year, Gibb performed "Shadow Dancing" at the Jai-Alai Fronton Studios in Miami, when Barry, Robin and Maurice unexpectedly joined him on stage, and sang this song with him. It was the first time that all four brothers performed together in concert.[5]

Personnel

Charts

Peak positions

Charts (1978–79) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50)[7] 22
Brazilian Singles Chart[8] 1
Canada (RPM)[9] 1
Germany (Media Control Charts)[10] 44
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[14] 42
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 1
US Billboard Easy Listening Charts[15] 8
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[15] 11
US Cash Box[16] 1
US Radio & Records[8] 1
US Record World[8] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1978) Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50)[7] 30
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 36
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 17

Cover versions

References

  1. ↑ Gibb Songs 1978
  2. ↑ Bronson, Fred (October 2, 2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (Fifth ed.). Billboard Books. p. 485. ISBN 978-0823076772.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 229.
  4. ↑ Grein, Paul (August 26, 1978). "Billboard Vol. 90, No. 34". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  5. ↑ Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing at Songfacts.com
  6. ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. 1 2 "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". ultratop.be. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 3" (PDF). brothersgibb.org. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "CAN Charts > Andy Gibb". RPM. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  10. ↑ "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". officialcharts.de. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "UK Charts > Andy Gibb". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  15. 1 2 3 "US Charts > Andy Gibb". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  16. ↑ "Cashbox Top 100". Cashbox Magazine Archives. June 3, 1978. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
Preceded by
"You're the One That I Want" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John		 Billboard Hot 100 number one single
17 June — 29 July 1978 		Succeeded by
"Miss You" by The Rolling Stones
Preceded by
"With a Little Luck" by Paul McCartney and Wings		 Canadian RPM number-one single
17 June — 1 July 1978 		Succeeded by
"It's a Heartache" by Bonnie Tyler
Preceded by
"With a Little Luck" by Paul McCartney and Wings		 Cash Box Top 100 number-one single
3 June — 8 July 1978 		Succeeded by
"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty


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