SOTW: Bryan Adams, "Let Me Take You Dancing" SP-12014

Our first featured 12" single is a bit of a rarity. A&M SP-12014 brings us the first Bryan Adams single release, "Let Me Take You Dancing." The song was already a minor radio hit in Canada in 1978 when John Luongo, a respected New York remix engineer, was brought in to create a disco record for release in the U.S. After percussion overdubs, Luongo felt the record should be sped up to create more impact on the dance floor. Adams was never happy with the outcome, saying his voice sounded too high. He has distanced himself from this record, rarely performing it in concert, and it appears on none of his hits compilations. It has appeared on only one various artist compilation, and it is questionable as to whether these Disco Box sets are legitimate releases or not.

Despite being relatively unknown, many still recognize the song even if they can't identify who performs it. Having spoken with a local record store manager who worked as a DJ back in the 70s and 80s, he says they occasionally see copies of this single come through the store, and he says even today it is a nice "pick me up" up-tempo record for DJs to spin, to break up the monotony. In its day, it became a modest hit, reaching #22 on the dance charts and becoming popular in NYC-area dance clubs.

As for Adams, of course, he would go on to much greater success at A&M in more of a rock/pop style.

Here is our featured single, posted on YouTube:



I have tried to locate the original pre-remix 7" single but it is not available on YouTube currently.

This was the first A&M 12" I bought (along with Lani Hall's 12" of "Double Or Nothing"/"Magic Garden")

My first impression was, "wow, a Rod Stewart sound-alike with a disco beat." When Adams' first LPcame out soon after I was disappointed these tunes weren't included, so, being a cautious buyre, I did NOT pick it up.

However after seeing him open for The Kinks in Hampton, VA while promoting his second album (You Want It - You Got It) I bought both albums. Of course a few weeks later Cuts Like Knife came out and Adams place in Rock History was sealed, thanks to several chart-topping singles and accompanying music videos.

Definitely a rare Adams tune and worth hearing if only to put his pop/rock career in perspective. Kind of like putting Herb Alpert's career in perspective with knowing about "Dore Alpert" vice not knowing about Dore Alpert...

Oh, and great kick off to the new forum! Even though we skiipped SP12000 thru 12013!

One thing I noticed while scouring Google was that this 12" single was released on several different variations of A&M labels. The "A&M Disco" label version in both red and yellow, the white/silver with tan letters (which might be an import and/or Canadian release), and I even saw one with the black label/red border like the 45s had for awhile. There are likely a few of the white label promo copies out there as well...probably rare as heck though!

I just hope that when I find one of these, it's not completely knackered...

My 12" is the yellow/red variety. This incarnation of label (used only for 12" singles) was nearly always Red for the A-side and Yellow for the B-side. There were a few where both sides were either yellow or red -- probably cases where they wanted to see which one would take of in the clubs before declaring one side as A and the other as B.

The 7" version had the white/silver/tan 70's A&M label. I imagine a 12" with that label would have to be a Canadian version as (I assume) would the red & black-style 80's single label. I've only seen that label used on singles in the US, so 12" versions are most likely imports.

BTW that You-Tube posting is not quite right -- it's either minus Adams' vocals or someone is playing a 33RPM single at 45RPM. The real deal is clearly Adams voice and this YouTube clip is not.

This thread needs pictures. Somebody scan a label.

Harry

No, this actually is the correct speed....for the remix. This is exactly how it sounded on radio back in the late 70s when local station WLBS played it. On the other hand, I have never heard the original 7" 45RPM version in its original key.

The sped up voice is the reason why Adams does not want the single reissued, or put it on any of his compilations. When John Luongo remixed it, he felt it needed to be sped up to make it more of a dance hit. He made the judgement call to speed it up as fast as he did, and pitch-changing devices had not yet been available. Adams also could have overdubbed new vocals, but that didn't happen either.

There are a few quotes from John Luongo that tell of how the song was remixed, and co-composer and instrumentalist on the track Jim Vallance himself has an excellent write-up on the song on his site as well.

Even if the vocals do have a "chipmunk on helium" sound to them, I think the whole track actually "works" quite well that way. Luongo knew what he was doing in that respect--the tempo hits hard, very propulsive IMHO. Even today, the DJ I spoke with says that it is a nice dance record that can still get people out on the floor, even if they don't remember who did it. Most who were out clubbing back in the day (or hounding the radio, like I did) remember the song, even if we didn't remember who sang it.

Consider this little-known fact also: Herb Alpert's "Rise" was actually a hit in the UK...with the 33-1/3RPM single played back at 45RPM! Since the majority of singles were cut at 45RPM in Europe, and without vocals on the as an indicator, DJs played it as-is without knowing the speed. So, Herb got a de facto upgrade to a piccolo trumpet on that one.

Here are some labels, collected from around the 'net. Looks like the red version was a promo copy. Near the bottom is the white/silver/tan label variation, clearly an import (as you can tell from the typeface--this one originates from Canada), but is in one of A&M's generic "disco single" jackets (I have a few of those) with the pink neon lettering. Another of A&M's generic disco single jackets is immediately below and again, a red "disco" label (can't tell if it is a promo or not, though). Interesting that on some of these, the flip side is an instrumental version, while others have the 45RPM single's B-side, "Don't Turn Me Away." The black/red label is a UK pressing.

BTW, this is one of those 12" singles I probably passed up dozens of times in the bins, and never grabbed it. Nowadays, it sells from $10 and up. Still kicking myself for missing out on so many of these!

Weird. Mine sounds nothing like the one in that YouTube clip. And that's the 12" that I own! Unless there's another 12" remix version out there I was unaware of... I prefer the flip side anyway.

How long since you've played it?

Well, since I haven't had a working turntable since 1991... But I did commit it to tape before that and play the tape it's on once in a while (it's on my homemade Bryan Adams The Best, The Worst and Rarities tape (which includes other goodies like "Christmas Reggae" and more...

Ouch! And I can't find one here to save my life! (Things are rather picked over in the Detroit area.)

One local store says they see a few of them every so often, but I don't get out to check the store that often either. They have an entire room dedicated to 12" singles, but a lot of it is the "house" music. The classic singles from the 70s and 80s do fill a good portion of the area though, but you often see a lot of common titles. As much as I like Dan Hartman's "Instant Replay" on 12", I don't need another eight copies.

I loooked at mine and it's yellow on both sides.

Jeff, Bill...do you both have commercial copies, or promos? I am now wondering if the red/yellow labeling was random or not.