Crown Heights Affair are a Soul, Funk, Jazz Fusion group, originally named New Day Express, the group formed in Brooklyn, NY, in 1967. Originally comprising lead vocalist Philip Thomas, guitarist William "Bubba" Anderson, bassist Arnold "Muki" Wilson, keyboardist Stan Johnson, and drummer Raymond "Sugar Ray" Rock. Crown Heights Affair's roster soon expanded to include saxophonist Darryl Gibbs, trumpeter James Baynard, and trombonist Julius Dilligard, Jr., and in 1973 they signed to RCA, releasing their self-titled debut LP the following year. While a hit in New York, the first single, "Super Rod," failed to earn attention across the rest of the country, and when the follow-ups "Leave the Kids Alone" and "Special Kind of Woman" met the same fate, the group was left without a label. At that point Johnson, Gibbs, Baynard, and Dilligard all resigned from Crown Heights Affair, with Howie Young joining on keyboards, Tyrone Demmons coming in on trumpet, and siblings Bertram and Raymond Reid playing saxophone and trombone, respectively.
This lineup signed to De-Lite, home to kindred spirits Kool & the Gang, and in 1975 Crown Heights Affair issued its sophomore effort, Dreaming a Dream, with an extended disco mix of the title cut cracking the R&B Top Five and the pop Top 50; "Every Beat of My Heart" and "Foxy Lady" soon followed, further establishing the group's growing reputation among clubgoers. Percussionist Skip Boardley joined the lineup with 1976's Do It Your Way; although the first single, "Dancin'," was a rather shameless knockoff of Isaac Hayes' classic "Theme from 'Shaft'," sales were again respectable, even if the LP's second single, "Do It the French Way," failed to generate much attention. 1978's Dream World was buoyed by De-Lite's new international distribution deal with Polygram. Virtually overnight Crown Heights Affair emerged as major fan favorites in the U.K., with the singles "Galaxy of Love" and "I'm Gonna Love You Forever" both reaching the British pop charts. While the title cut to 1979's Dance Lady Dance was another British hit, the album flopped stateside, prompting Crown Heights Affair to recruit producer Bert DeCoteaux, known for hits with Sister Sledge; the resulting Sure Shot remains a minor masterpiece, highlighted by the disco classic "You Gave Me Love," a Top Ten U.K. pop hit during the summer of 1980. But the general public's interest in disco soon took a nosedive, and Crown Heights Affair spent the next two years on hiatus. Minus keyboardist Young, the group resurfaced in 1982 with Think Positive, a failed attempt to update their sound to current tastes.
After one final effort, 1983's Struck Gold, Crown Heights Affair split. Bert Reid went on to enjoy some success as a producer, helming Denroy Morgan's underground smash "I'd Do Anything for You" as well as sessions for Unlimited Touch ("I Hear Music in the Streets"), Raw Silk ("Do It to the Music"), and Barbara Tucker ("Stay Together"). As vintage Crown Heights Affair grooves found their way onto latter-day hip-hop and R&B records, Reid also collaborated with producer/DJs Little Louie Vega and François Kevorkian. He died in New York City on December 12, 2004. Thomas joined The Flamingos in 2007. Raymond Reid died in 2013. The surviving members of the group remain active.
Dancin
Crown Heights Affair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the funky sound
That's going round town
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
We got the rhythm
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
Dance to the rhythm
Of the funky sound
That's going round town
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
We got the rhythm
And it's time to get down
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
Di di di di... Dance, dance
Di di di di... Dancing
Di di di di... Dance, dance
Dancing to the rhythm
Of the funky sound
That's going round town
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
We got the rhythm
And it's time to get down
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
Dancing to the rhythm
Of the funky sound
That's going round town
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
We got the rhythm
And it's time to get down
Everybody say
Di di di di... Dance
Di di di di... Dance, dance
Di di di di... Dance, dance
The lyrics to Crown Heights Affair's song "Dancin'" are straightforward and simple. The song encourages people to dance to the funky rhythm that is going around town. The repetition of "Di di di di... dance" reaffirms the message for the listener, reminding them to get up and move to the music. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a lively scene, with people all over town dancing and having a good time to the funky sound.
At its core, "Dancin'" represents the disco movement of the 1970s. It was a time of carefree music and fun, where people could forget their troubles and dance away their problems. The song captures that essence perfectly, with its infectious beat and easy-to-follow lyrics. The simplicity of the lyrics only adds to the appeal, making it easy for anyone to join in and dance along.
Overall, "Dancin'" is a feel-good song that encourages listeners to let loose and dance to the funky rhythm. Its catchy lyrics and lively beat have made it a classic in the disco genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Dancing to the rhythm
We are moving our bodies in response to the beat of the music
Of the funky sound
The sound we are dancing to is funky in style
That's going round town
This funky music is being played all over town
Everybody say
Everyone is invited to join in
Di di di di... dance
We are encouraging each other to dance by repeating these sounds
We got the rhythm
We have found the beat and can follow it with our dancing
And it's time to get down
This is the moment to start moving and enjoy the music fully
Di di di di... dance, dance
We are repeating the encouraging sounds to keep dancing
Di di di di... dancing
We are enjoying ourselves and expressing our excitement with these sounds
Dancing to the rhythm
Our bodies are moving in response to the music's beat
Of the funky sound
The music we are dancing to is funky in style
That's going round town
This funky music is being played all over town
Everybody say
Everyone is invited to join in
Di di di di... dance
We are encouraging each other to dance by repeating these sounds
We got the rhythm
We have found the beat and can follow it with our dancing
And it's time to get down
This is the moment to start moving and enjoy the music fully
Di di di di... dance, dance
We are repeating the encouraging sounds to keep dancing
Contributed by Callie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Apollo_Blaze
MEGA classic...Mega hit...Never gets old
Dawn Paige
This was another one of my favorite song as well. You can hear that bass line as well. But this music is one of the classic and coolest music there ever was. Dancing by Crown Heights Affair. My older sister love this song she thought this was shaft.
Lenard Shaw
I actually mixed this with shaft but this song instrumentally🎶followed by check out the groove by Bobby. Thurston☀🎶and some. Happy Thursday 🎶💝🔥
John Boughton
I remember playing this for the first time in 1976 @ a Club known as The Bandwagon in NW London I was a 18 years old & this track filled the dance floor every time it was played as did all of CHA tracks saw them in concert @ The Hammersmith Odeon absolutely breathtaking
Leondus
Now this is good dancing 💃 music 🎶 and it still sounds great
Stephen Cashmore
Love the guitar riff. This track takes me back to my youth. I was 17.
Henri Van bree
Perfect dan een record. Ride on
Troy Ellis
Crown Heights Affair personified that whole Saturday Night Fever/NY metro area vibe of that time in their music . Many of the people who enjoyed those days have passed .
Dave DisKo
I'm still kicking
Crazy Cuts
Those were the good ol' days for real.