Dancing in the Moonlight

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Promotional 7-inch single
Single by Boffalongo
from the album Beyond Your Head
B-side	"Endless Questions"
Released	1970
Recorded	1970
Studio	J.T. Sound Studios
Genre	Pop rock
Length	3:10
Label	United Artists
Songwriter(s)	Sherman Kelly
Producer(s)	Eric & Steve Nathanson
Boffalongo singles chronology
"Please Stay" (1969) "Dancing in the Moonlight" (1970)

"Dancing in the Moonlight" is a song written by Sherman Kelly, originally recorded in 1970 by Kelly's band Boffalongo, and then a hit single by King Harvest in 1972, reaching number 5 in Canada and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2000, a cover by English band Toploader became a worldwide hit and achieved multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom. A version by Swedish EDM duo Jubël, released in 2018, was a hit in Europe.

History

Sherman Kelly wrote the song in 1969. While recovering from a vicious assault by a gang, he "envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life." Kelly wrote:

On a trip to St. Croix in 1969, I was the first victim of a vicious St. Croix gang who eventually murdered 8 American tourists. At that time, I suffered multiple facial fractures and wounds and was left for dead. While I was recovering, I wrote "Dancin in the Moonlight" in which I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life. The song became a huge hit and was recorded by many musicians worldwide. "Dancin In The Moonlight" continues to be popular to this day.

He recorded it singing lead with his band Boffalongo, who were active from 1968 to 1971; they included it on their album Beyond Your Head and it was their final single. The song was also recorded by High Broom and released in 1970 on Island Records. It failed to reach the UK Singles Chart.

King Harvest version

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Single by King Harvest
from the album Dancing in the Moonlight
B-side	"Lady, Come On Home"
Released	1972
Recorded	1972
Genre	Pop rock
Length	2:57
Label	Perception (P-515) A&M (1974 re-issue)
Songwriter(s)	Sherman Kelly
Producer(s)	Jack Robinson
King Harvest singles chronology
"You and I" (1971) "Dancing in the Moonlight" (1972) "A Little Bit Like Magic" (1972)

Sherman Kelly's brother Wells Kelly introduced the song to the Paris-based band King Harvest in which he was drummer, and former Boffalongo member Dave "Doc" Robinson was lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist. King Harvest recorded and released "Dancing in the Moonlight," featuring a prominent keyboard countermelody, as a single with "Lady, Come On Home" on the B-side in 1972. Steve Cutler, a jazz drummer from New York City (standing on the base of the pole in the cover picture), played drums on the tracks and toured France and the UK with the band. The group disbanded after six months and the single languished for a year until it was bought and released worldwide by Perception Records. In Canada, the song reached number 5 on the weekly charts and number 71 on the year-end chart for 1973. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States the weeks of February 24 and March 3, 1973.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1972–1973)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles	5
Canada RPM Top AC	69
US Billboard Hot 100	13
US Billboard Easy Listening chart	22
US Cash Box Top 100	10

Year-end charts

Chart (1973)	Rank
Canada	71
US Billboard Hot 100	36

Toploader version

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Single by Toploader
from the album Onka's Big Moka
B-side	"Lucy" "Jack" "Man with a Plan" "Times Like These"
Released	February 21, 2000
Length	3:52 3:30 (Stargate radio mix)
Label	Sony Soho Square
Songwriter(s)	Sherman Kelly
Producer(s)	George Drakoulias
Toploader singles chronology
"Let the People Know" (1999) "Dancing in the Moonlight" (2000) "Achilles Heel" (2000)
Music video
"Dancing in the Moonlight" on YouTube

In 2000, English band Toploader released a cover of "Dancing in the Moonlight". It was originally released on February 21, 2000, as the third single from their debut studio album, Onka's Big Moka (1999), and peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. It was then re-released in November of the same year with new production from Stargate and reached number seven on the same chart. The song has been certified 4× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams of over 2,400,000 units. Worldwide, the song reached the top 20 in Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. At the Danish Music Awards of 2001, the song was nominated for Foreign Hit of the Year.

Track listings

UK CD single (Feb. 2000)

1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" – 3:52
2. "Lucy" – 2:55
3. "Jack" – 3:34

UK 7-inch single (Feb. 2000)

A1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" – 3:52

B1. "Man with a Plan" – 3:41

B2. "Times Like These" – 4:52

UK cassette single (Feb. 2000); European CD single (2000)

1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" – 3:52
2. "Lucy" – 2:55

UK CD single (Nov. 2000); Australian CD single

1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" – 3:52
2. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Stargate radio mix) – 3:30
3. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Alliance DC vocal remix) – 6:30
4. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (live) – 4:31

UK cassette single (Nov. 2000); European CD single (2001)

1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" – 3:52
2. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Stargate radio mix) – 3:30

Charts

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)	Gold	35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)	2× Platinum	180,000‡
Germany (BVMI)	Platinum	500,000‡
Italy (FIMI)	Gold	25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)	4× Platinum	2,400,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref(s).
United Kingdom	February 21, 2000	7-inch vinyl CD cassette	Sony Soho Square
United Kingdom (re-release)	November 13, 2000	CD cassette
Australia	April 16, 2001	CD	Sony Music

Jubël version

"Dancing in the Moonlight"
Single by Jubël featuring Neimy
from the album Strawtown
Released	June 22, 2018
Recorded	2018
Length	2:44
Label	Good Soldier
Songwriter(s)	Sherman Kelly
Jubël singles chronology
"Illusion" (2017) "Dancing in the Moonlight" (2018) "On the Beach" (2019)
Neimy singles chronology
"Dancing in the Moonlight" (2018) "Unforgettable" (2018)
Music video
"Dancing in the Moonlight" on YouTube

Swedish record producer duo Jubël released a dance cover in 2018 featuring Neimy. It peaked at number 9 on Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart. It also charted in Belgium's Ultratip Bubbling Under chart in both Flanders and Wallon francophone markets.

The song garnered the attention of British radio DJs in 2020 and as a result the Jubël version gained more popularity two years after its initial release in Sweden. The song was rereleased for the British market giving it a much bigger international audience. It peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, and the Irish and Scottish singles charts as well. The song was used in series 6 of the reality show Love Island in 2020 and spread to TikTok, while reaching the top of the British radio list. The song also charted on the ARIA Australian Official Singles Chart, also in 2020.

Releases

• 2018: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (2:44)
• 2019: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (PBH & Jack Sunset Remix Radio Edit) (2:16)
• 2019: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Jack Wins Remix) (2:40)
• 2020: "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Nathan Dawe Remix) (2:51)

Charts

Chart (2018–2021)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	23
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)	46
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)	19
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	97
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)	10
France (SNEP)	128
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)	17
Ireland (IRMA)	36
Portugal (AFP)	128
Scotland (OCC)	3
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)	8
Slovenia (SloTop50)	13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	9
UK Singles (OCC)	11

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)	Gold	15,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)	2× Platinum	160,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)	Platinum	90,000‡
France (SNEP)	Gold	100,000‡
Italy (FIMI)	Gold	35,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)	Gold	30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)	Gold	25,000‡
Portugal (AFP)	Platinum	10,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)	Platinum	60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)	Platinum	600,000‡
Streaming
Sweden (GLF)	Platinum	8,000,000†
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

• In 1994, a version by Bahamian group the Baha Men reached No. 18 in New Zealand and No. 42 in Canada.
• In 2009 American actress and singer Alyson Stoner covered the song. Scenes from the film Space Buddies appear in the music video for this version; the music video is a special feature on the DVD release of the film.
• In 2021, a cover of the song was featured during the end credits of Muppets Haunted Mansion, performed by the Muppet band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
• In 2022, American country singers Chris Lane and Lauren Alaina released a rewritten version as a duet, incorporating country music elements in both the lyrics and instrumentation to change the genre of the song. This version differs enough from the original that it has been called more an homage than a cover.

See also

• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States