Dance This Mess Around

"Dance This Mess Around"
"Dance This Mess Around"
	Original 1979, Japanese single cover
Single by The B-52's
from the album The B-52's
B-side	"Lava" (Japan); "Rock Lobster" (Colombia);
Released	1979
Studio	Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas
Genre	New wave; dance-rock;
Length	4:36
Label	Island; Warner Bros.;
Songwriter(s)	The B-52's
Producer(s)	Chris Blackwell; Robert Ash (co-producer);
The B-52's singles chronology

"Dance This Mess Around" is a song by American new wave band The B-52's. It was released in 1979, as the third and final single from their self-titled debut album. The song features Cindy Wilson on lead vocals, as well as Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson, and has become a live favorite, even 40 years after its release. It was heard once in Alex Strangelove.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated in his review of the band's debut album that, along with "Planet Claire" and "Rock Lobster", "It's all great fun, but [the album] wouldn't have resonated throughout the years if the group hadn't written such incredibly infectious, memorable tunes as... 'Dance This Mess Around'"[1] In his review of the track, Evan Sawdey of PopMatters mentions that "fans have known this track for years as not only one of the finest tunes the group has ever composed, but also one of the absolute best tracks of the era," and that "This, along with "52 Girls", are the kind of songs that gave the band's debut its distinct personality."[2]

Personnel

Cindy Wilson - vocals, tambourine
Fred Schneider - vocals, toy piano
Kate Pierson - synth bass, organ, vocals
Ricky Wilson - guitar
Keith Strickland - drums, percussion

Chart positions

Chart (1980)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[3]	24
Australia (Kent Music Report)	43
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	35

References

Erlewine, Stephen (August 26, 2019). "The B-52's - The B-52's review". AllMusic.
Sawdey, Evan (July 14, 2014). "Dance This Mess Around: The B-52's - "Dance This Mess Around"". PopMatters.
"Billboard Archive" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. February 23, 1980. p. 33. Retrieved August 28, 2019.

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[1] Erlewine, Stephen (August 26, 2019). "The B-52's - The B-52's review". AllMusic.

[2] Sawdey, Evan (July 14, 2014). "Dance This Mess Around: The B-52's - "Dance This Mess Around"". PopMatters.

[3] "Billboard Archive" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. February 23, 1980. p. 33. Retrieved August 28, 2019.