1979 Sister Sledge – He’s the Greatest Dancer (US:#9 UK:#6)
“He’s the Greatest Dancer” is a 1979 song by the American vocal group Sister Sledge. Released on February 3, 1979, the song was written and composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and recorded for the group’s successful 1979 album We Are Family. Billboard named the song #66 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
The song was released as the lead single from the album at the beginning of 1979 crossing over from the clubs – its 12″ version was shared by the “We Are Family” and “Lost in Music” tracks” – to R&B radio giving Sister Sledge a number one hit on both Billboard’s Dance and R&B charts in March 1979. The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in May; it might have risen higher except that, in the same month, Atlantic Records, prompted by the overwhelming club response to “We Are Family,” sent the last-named track to radio. The song was also a hit in Australia (#5), the Netherlands (#1) and the UK (#6). “He’s the Greatest Dancer” was sampled by Will Smith in his 1997 number one hit single “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit’ It,” the first selection he released from his album Big Willie Style. In 2000, DJ Tony Touch recorded a version of the song, entitled “I Wonder Why? (He’s the Greatest DJ),” whose lyrics were sung by Keisha Spivey and Pam Long of R&B girl group Total. The song was recorded and released by Dannii Minogue in 2007 and was an international Top 40 hit; it was also sampled by a Russian pop group Hi-Fi in their 1999 song “Pro Leto” (Про лето, translated as “About Summer”). Robert Hood released a techno track based on the hook of this song on his label M-Plant. Nick Holder sampled the song on his 1997 album One Night in the Disco.
Album
We Are Family is the third studio album by the American R&B vocal group Sister Sledge, released on January 22, 1979 in the United States and on April 30, 1979 in the United Kingdom by Cotillion Records. The album was written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic, and includes […]
Musicians
| Bass | Bernard Edwards |
| Drums | Tony Thompson |
| Guitar | Nile Rodgers |
| Clavinet | Rob Sabino |
| Piano | Andy Schwartz |
| Piano | Rob Sabino |
| Flute | Alex Foster |
| Sax | Jean Fineberg |
| Sax | Alex Foster |
| Trombone | Barry Rogers |
| Trumpet | Ellen Seeling |
| Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
| Percussion | Sammy Figueroa |
| Background Vocals | Alfa Anderson |
| Background Vocals | David Lasley |
| Background Vocals | Diva Gray |
| Background Vocals | Luther Vandross |
| Background Vocals | Norma Jean Wright |
Produced By
Bernard Edwards
Nile Rodgers
Songwriters
Bernard Edwards
Nile Rodgers
Charts
US:#9
UK:#6