Chris Kenner - Land of 1000 Dances

First performance: 30/10/1976

Coverinfo

Bruce performed 'Land of 1000 dances' 3 times in full and 64 times as a snippet:
 
Mostly the famous "na na na na na" hook, which was first added by Cannibal & The Headhunters in their version of the song.
 
1997-12-16 McLoone's Rum Runner, Sea Bright, NJ
1994-07-16 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
1982-07-23 East Freehold Showgrounds, Freehold, NJ
 
  • Snippets 
during LIGHT OF DAY
 
2016-09-14 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
2016-09-11 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh
2015-07-18 Wonder Bar, Asbury Park
2015-01-17 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park
2014-04-22 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh
2014-04-19 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte
2014-04-15 Nationwide Arena, Columbus
2014-02-07 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
2013-07-07 Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
2013-06-30 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England
2013-06-26 Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
2013-06-15 Wembley Stadium, London, England
2013-05-28 AWD Arena, Hannover, Germany
2013-05-14 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
2012-12-06 Jobing.com Arena, Glendale
2012-11-17 Sprint Center, Kansas City
2012-10-27 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh
2012-10-27 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh
2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
2012-04-17 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
2011-01-15 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park
2010-11-05 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh
2004-11-06 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park
2000-11-03 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park
1999-08-11 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford
1999-06-20 Gelredome, Arnhem, The Netherlands
1999-04-28 Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
1999-04-26 Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
1999-04-20 FilaForum, Milan, Italy
1999-04-11 Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
1998-03-02 Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh
1995-10-21 Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh
1993-04-04 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
1992-06-26 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
1992-06-21 Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy
1989-08-16 Cheers, Long Branch
1988-09-02 Wembley Stadium, London, England
1988-08-03 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
1988-08-02 Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
1988-07-30 Weserstadion, Bremen, West Germany
1988-07-27 Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
1988-07-25 Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark
1988-07-22 Waldbühne, West Berlin, West Germany
1988-07-19 Radrennbahn Weissensee, East Berlin, East Germany
1988-07-17 Olympia-Reitstadion Riem, Munich, West Germany
1988-07-14 St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland
1988-07-12 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
1988-07-10 Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England
1988-07-09 Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England
1988-07-07 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
 
during MARY'S PLACE
 
2003-03-07 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
 
during CADILLAC RANCH  
 
1985-09-30 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, LA
 
during DETROIT MEDLEY
 
2009-06-05 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
1984-07-24 CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON
1981-09-13 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati
1981-08-27 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, LA
1981-08-21 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, LA
1981-08-20 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, LA
1981-07-03 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford
1981-05-17 Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
1981-05-08 Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
 
during LAND
 
a Patti Smith/Chris Kenner song (1975). Originally recorded by Patti Smith. Includes a portion of Chris Kenner's "Land Of 1000 Dances".

1976-11-26 Bottom Line (The), New York City (Late)
 
during ROSALITA
 
1976-10-30 Palladium, New York City
The only ever guest appearance by Patti Smith at a Springsteen concert, on a customized, one-off, arrangement of "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)". Patti Smith rants/sings during a special interlude break in "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", with the horns playing what sounds like the riff to "Shotgun" and Springsteen providing a "Land Of 1000 Dances" chant, as well as the usual "Theme From Shaft" snippet
 
 
2021-07-21 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce played the song during the 25th episode of 'From My Home to Yours' series, themed "Frat Party", in the version of Cannibal & The Headhunters. He also sings the chant from "Land Of 1000 Dances" over the intro while introducing the Cannibal & The Headhunters recording of that song.  
 
 
 
 
  

Songinfo

"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook. The "na na na na na" hook happened by accident after "Cannibal and the Headhunters" covered the song and the leadsinger forgot the lyrics. The melody to this section was also created spontaneously, as it is not in Chris Kenner's original track. Cannibal & the Headhunters added in their 1965 version. The original Chris Kenner recording, mentions 16 dances: the Pony, the Chicken, the Mashed Potato, the Alligator, the Watusi, the Twist, the Fly, the Jerk, the Tango, the Yo-Yo, the Sweet Pea, the Hand jive, the Slop, the Bop, the Fish, and the Popeye. Kenner's original recording included a brief, gospel-influenced, a capella introduction with the words: "Children, go where I send you / (Where will you send me?) / I'm gon' send you to that land / the land of a thousand dances." This 18 seconds was left off the single release to facilitate radio airplay, and the phrase "Land of 1000 Dances" never appeared in any subsequent recording. 
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

2021-07-21 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce played the song during the 25th episode of 'From My Home to Yours' series, themed "Frat Party", in the version of Cannibal & The Headhunters.
He also sings the chant from "Land Of 1000 Dances" over the intro while introducing the Cannibal & The Headhunters recording of that song. 
 
Bruce on the song:
"Land of 1000 Dances", Cannibal & the Headhunters were one of the first Mexican-American groups to have a national hit record. They were an opening act for The Beatles' second American tour. They were discovered by Rampart Records owner Eddie Davis. They were among the 1960s Mexican-American musicians and singers who pioneered the East Side Sound of Los Angeles. Francisco Mario "Frankie Cannibal" Garcia founded the group in 1964. They came from the Ramona Gardens and Estrada Courts Housing Projects of East L.A. They were inspired by the African-American doo-wop groups in their neighborhood before honing their own sound of doo-wop and garage rock in East L.A. They played the historic Beatles Shea Stadium concerts but will always be remembered for "Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na, na na na, na/Na na na na". Enough said. "
 
 
 
 

Lyrics

I said, ah, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

You got to know how to pony (oh, yeah)
Like Bony Moronie (ooh, ooh)
You got to know how to twist (oh, yeah)
It goes like this (ooh, ooh)

I said, mashed potato (oh, yeah)
Do the alligator (ooh, ooh)
I said, Billy, get your yo-yo (oh, yeah)
Come on and let's go (ooh, ooh)

I said, clap your hands (come on)
I said, clap your hands (come on)
And then a-move your feet (come on)
A-get into that beat (come on)

I said, ah, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Everybody, come on, now!
(Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na) Whoa!
Yes, a-one more time
(Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na)

You got to know how to jerk (oh, yeah)
Come on, baby, work (ooh, ooh)
You got to know how to tangle (oh, yeah)
Make you do the jangle (ooh, ooh)

I said, do the watusi (oh, yeah)
Come on and do the watusi (ooh, ooh)

Yeah, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

I said, goodbye, Lucy
I said, goodbye, child
I said, wa-watusi
Put your hands in the sky
I said...