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Dance Hall Days

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Wikipedia article




"'Dance Hall Days'" is a song by English band Wang Chung. It was originally released as a single in 1982 when the band was called Huang Chung, then it was re-recorded and re-released in 1984 for the album 'Points on the Curve.' It was the band's only single to make the top 40 charts in the UK, narrowly missing the top 20. In the US, it peaked at No. 16 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and went to number one on the Dance Club Songs chart.

Background



Singer Jack Hues said,

Music videos



Two different music videos were made to promote the single. The first version of the video, directed by Derek Jarman, is a collection of home movies with the majority of the archive footage consisting of a stage show with swimmers and fountains, and other World War II-era material. Apparently, the footage is courtesy of the director's father, who was one of the first people to use a colour home movie camera. The toddler in the home movie footage is the director himself as a child. The home movies are interspersed amid footage of Jack, Nick, and Darren, lip-synching and playing the violin. The band are also dressed up as characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' at the end of the video, with Jack Hues as the Tin Man, Nick Feldman as the Scarecrow, and Darren Costin as the Lion.

The second version of the video is the most well-known, and received heavy rotation airplay at MTV. It is a magical fantasy concept video set in the 1940s, the heyday of dance halls. The video begins in black and white, with Jack Hues stopping in front of a closed-down hall, setting down the suitcase he carries, and picking up a flyer. The scene shifts to colour, featuring the band performing in the packed hall with the backing of a big band as couples dance (played by heavily made-up children from a local dancing school). Later, a disco ball descends to the floor and breaks open, allowing a mirror-covered dancer to emerge. The video ends in black and white, with Hues walking past the hall and down the street; he leaves his suitcase behind, but it sprouts legs and hurries off after him.

This version was nominated for Best New Artist at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, losing to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics.

Track listing



;7" Geffen / A3837 (UK) 1983

;12" Geffen / TA3837 (UK) 1983

;CD August Day / 042 (UK) 2019

Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



See also



*List of number-one dance singles of 1984 (U.S.)

References



Category:1982 songs

Category:1982 singles

Category:1984 singles

Category:Geffen Records singles

Category:Wang Chung (band) songs

Category:Songs written by Jack Hues

Category:Song recordings produced by Ross Cullum

Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Hughes (record producer)

Category:Songs about dancing

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