You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

1976 single by Leo Sayer

"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"

Single by Leo Sayer

from the album Endless Flight

B-side

"Magdalena"

Released

October 1976

Genre

Disco
pop
R&B

Length

3:41
2:50 (7" version)

Label

Chrysalis (UK)
Warner Bros. (US)

Songwriter(s)

Leo Sayer
Vini Poncia

^[1]^[2]

Producer(s)

Richard Perry

Leo Sayer singles chronology

"Moonlighting"
(1975)

"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"
(1976)

"When I Need You"
(1977)

Music Video

"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" on YouTube

"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" is a song credited to British singer Leo Sayer, taken from his 1976 album Endless Flight.

Ray Parker Jr. claims that the song was stolen from him after he played it in a studio for an executive who promised he’d get credit. Parker received no royalties and no credit for that song. “It’s not Leo’s fault,” he told Variety. “He tried to cut six of seven more of my songs just because he felt so bad.”^[3]

"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart,^[4] making it his first top single in the United States, and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.^[5] Billboard ranked it as the No. 13 song of 1977. Credited songwriters Sayer and Vini Poncia won a Grammy Award for the song in 1978 in Best R&B Song. Parker has stated that he was the original songwriter and that when he gave the tune as a demo his accreditation as such was missed.^[6] Like other Sayer songs from that time, it features extensive use of the singer's falsetto voice, a very popular vocal register in disco-era songs. Sayer performed the song in the second episode of season 3 of The Muppet Show.

Music video

In the music video, Sayer sings and dances on a dimly lit stage. Special effects where Sayer's face is shown mirrored appear through out the video.

Personnel

Leo Sayer – vocals
John Barnes – clavinet
Larry Carlton, Ray Parker Jr. – guitar
Steve Gadd – drums
Jeff Porcaro – drums (verse 3 onwards)
Clydie King, Becky Louis, Sherlie Matthews – background vocals
Chuck Rainey – bass
Gene Page – string arrangements

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1976–1977)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]^[8]	2
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[9]	18
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[10]	1
Ireland (IRMA)^[11]	5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[12]	11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[13]	1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[14]	3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[15]	19
Switzerland (Sonntagsblick Hitparade)^[16]	18
UK Singles (OCC)^[17]	2
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[18]	19
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[19]	43
US Billboard Hot 100^[20]	1
West Germany (Official German Charts)^[21]	9

Year-end charts

Chart (1976)	Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[8]	84
Canada^[22]	99

Chart (1977)	Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[23]	49
Canada^[24]	30
New Zealand^[25]	27
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[26]	13

All-time charts

Chart (1958–2018)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100^[27]	594

Cover versions

DTV, in 1984, set the song to The Grasshopper and the Ants.
A remixed version of "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" credited to Groove Generation featuring Leo Sayer charted on the UK Singles Chart in 1998, peaking at No.32.^[5]
In 2008, the Wiggles sang the song as the title work of their DVD You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, with Leo Sayer guest starring.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Leo Sayer - You Make Me Feel Like Dancing / Magdalena (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1976. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
^ "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by Leo Sayer Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
^ Helligar, Jeremy (August 11, 2020). "How Ray Parker Jr. Got Cheated Out of a Grammy for a No. 1 Hit". Variety. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of #1 Hits, 5th Edition (Billboard Publications)
^ ^a ^b "Leo Sayer - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^ Helligar, Jeremy (August 11, 2020). "How Ray Parker Jr. Got Cheated Out of a Grammy for a No. 1 Hit". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
^ Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
^ ^a ^b "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 5179." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5163a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
^ "Leo Sayer – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
^ "Leo Sayer – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing". Top 40 Singles.
^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
^ "Leo Sayer – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing". Singles Top 100.
^ Swiss Charts Archive. 15 February 1977.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
^ "Leo Sayer Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
^ "Leo Sayer Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
^ "Leo Sayer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Leo Sayer – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
^ "Kent Music Report No 183 – 26 December 1977 > National Top 100 Singles for 1977". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
^ "Top Selling Singles of 1977 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1977-12-31. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
^ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.