"Land of a Thousand Dances" by Chris Kenner [Who Needs Words]

               Hello and welcome back to Additive Noise, the official Spectator source for music and music reviews. It's an exciting week here- In celebration of homecoming, we've selected our favorite dance song to review this week.
                Have you ever heard one of those songs that has a chorus of non-words, like “sha-la-la’s” or “na-na-na’s”? It’s amazing how well those songs get stuck in your head and don’t go away. What better way to reach people with music than to review a song like this, that everyone has had stuck in their head at one point or another? Case in point, “Land of a Thousand Dances”.

                If you’re not familiar with the song right off the top of your head, I recommend you take a moment to look it up. “Land of a Thousand Dances” was first recorded in 1962 by Chris Kenner, a gospel singer from Louisiana, but it didn’t stay with him long. The song was almost immediately swept up by the 1960’s rock-and-roll wave, where it morphed into what we all know today. The famous “na-na-na” style chorus didn’t become part of the song until a live show by Cannibal & the Headhunters in 1965, where their lead singer forgot to words and had to improvise. His mixup became genius, and every artist since then has included it as the most well-known part of the song.

                Though it is the title of the song, the words “land of a thousand dances” never appear in the lyrics of most of today’s versions. It was drawn from an original introduction to the song, recorded by Kenner, saying "Children, go where I send you / (How will you send me?) / I'm gon' send you to that land / the land of a thousand dances." This section was trimmed from the final recording to accommodate radio airplay, and never returned. However, the song includes the titles of several well-known dances like the Pony, the Mashed Potato, and the Twist to name a few. It’s been covered by over 45 artists, in multiple languages, and it was even featured in one of the most memorable films of the 1990’s, FernGully: The Last Rainforest.

                Unlike most of the songs we review here at Additive Noise, this song doesn’t have any ‘deep’ lyrics that require analysis. On the contrary, what makes this song special is that you don’t have to think to get it. The music is upbeat and simple, with the rhythm of the drums leading it all. The Land of a Thousand Dances is a place where everyone can come to have a good time, and you don’t have to know the words. There’s a dance for everyone, the song is universal. What better song to celebrate homecoming?

                 This has been Additive Noise. Check back here next week for another review of the music you know and love! And remember: [Listen Out]