1. King Harvest is a 4 piece… Read Full Bio ↴There are two entries for King Harvest.
1. King Harvest is a 4 piece band that formed in 1969 and is most well known for the classic hit "Dancing in the Moonlight," released in 1972. "Dancing in the Moonlight" is a cover of a song first released by the obscure New York band Boffalongo in 1970
For the four musicians who would eventually band together to form King Harvest – David “Doc” Robinson, Eddie Tuleja, Rod Novak and Ronny Altbach - whatever their original plans had been when they applied to the prestigious Cornell University, the college’s 53 fraternities, local bars, and the many other colleges within easy driving range presented an opportunity that pushed them away from their original scholarly goals, to become rock musicians.
By 1969, they banded together, with a few other friends, in a copy band that was tearing up Ithaca New York in those politically troubled times. They played songs from Sly and the Family Stone, Traffic, Hendrix, Dr. John and, finally, The Band – a mixed yet cohesive core of soulful music. And then they dispersed, presumably to "grow up".
However, within two years these four had regrouped in Paris, France, where they built a reputation as the one and only American touring band, playing clubs, pop festivals, and generally enjoying a lifestyle of motorcycles, music and, women. By this time, the band was performing, for the most part anyway, songs that the various members had written. Again, the musical range went from R&B tinged funky tunes to harder rock songs, influenced by their heroes but increasingly influenced by The Band. In fact, after recording and performing under various names - e.g. E Rodney Jones and the Prairie Dogs ( what did the French know anyway?), they settled on the title of one of their favorite Band songs, “King Harvest Has Surely Come,” and won a rock contest under the name “King Harvest.” It stuck.
The core of the band remained constant, but drummers came and went. In 1971, their old friend and one of the greatest rock drummers ever, Wells Kelly (Wells later became a founding member of Orleans but died in 1984) came to live with Doc, Eddie, Rod and Ronny in their walled-in villa in the small town of Orgeval, west of Paris, and brought with him new music - various albums like CSN&Y- but also a song his brother Sherman had written and recorded with a short lived group, Buffalongo (which included Doc, and Larry Hoppen who later would play with Wells in Orleans). That song was the single "Dancing In The Moonlight." Wells didn't stay long in the band, but his gift became the cornerstone of the future of the group.
In the spring of 1971, the band signed a recording contract with the French record company Musidisc, and in the fall of 1971, the group recorded Dancing in the Moonlight in a small studio in the 18th district of Paris. Small means small. Eddie had to sing lead out in the stairwell, which was a natural echo chamber (as long as the neighbors didn't come out during the recording), and the peculiar percussion sound they got was the result of using a toilet brush instead of some more modern percussion instrument.
To prepare for the recording, the group worked with their two producers, Pierre Jaubert, who really had been instrumental in signing the band to Musidisc and keeping the band together over a couple of years by providing recording opportunities and generally acting as the band's best friend, and Jack Robinson, a talented music publisher who came up with the idea of playing the intro to the tune up in the higher octaves, which became the song’s signature as it became a hit on AM radio in the United States. Jack was the hands on producer of the record, and was a true believer in the record.
The recording finished, the group, typically in the tradition of rock and roll, broke up. The record was initially released in France by Musidisc, without much success. But Jack and Pierre thought the record would do well internationally, and didn't give up on it. Eventually, after shopping the master to every international label from the UK and the US to anyone who would open the door to these two guys from Paris, they found Perception Records, a very small R&B label in NYC. Under a three year license with Musidisc, Perception released the single, and when it started to get airplay- largely as a result of Jack Robinson banging on program directors' doors in the Pacific Northwest- the group came back together - Doc and Eddie from a large sailing boat making frequent trips back and forth from Spain to North Africa , Rod from a meditation course in Spain where he was rooming with Sherman Kelly, and Ronny from a West Coast classical piano tour he was performing - and along with other musicians who came in and out of the band along the way, settled in upstate NY, close to their college "roots”, in the little town of Olcott Beach on the shore of Lake Ontario, where the band was offered the basement of the local methodist church as their practice room and where King Harvest legends still abound.
King Harvest toured once, with Jay Leno as the opening act for a few of the venues, but eventually Perception Records went out of business just as the follow up single, A Little Bit Like Magic, entered the charts, and once again the band disbanded.
There was one more shot, in the mid '70s, when Kip Cohen, head of A&R at A&M Records signed King Harvest to an album deal and hooked the band up with legendary songwriter Jeff Barry as producer. By this time, various members of the group were involved in the Beach Boys touring band and in recordings by the Beach Boys, and in fact it was in the Beach Boys' studio that the King Harvest Album (a collector’s item) was produced, with Carl Wilson, Mike Love singing background along with Peter Cetera of Chicago, and with jazz great Charles Lloyd playing a guest solo on one of the songs. In the end, the band's song "Old Friends" probably sums up the journey - "old friends, when the story ends, we'll still be good as gold."
2. King Harvest - experimental dub producer, winner of the experimental catagory in the 2009 Marijuana Music Awards.Visit his myspace/thekingharvest.
Dancin
King Harvest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When that moon gets big and bright
It's supernatural delight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody here is out-a sight
They don't bark and they don't bite
They keep things loose, they keep things light
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight, everybody's feelin' warm and right
It's such a fine 'n' natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
We like our fun and we never fight
You can't dance 'n' stay up tight it's supernatural delight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight, everybody's feelin' warm and right
It's such a fine 'n' natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
King Harvest's "Dancin' in the Moonlight" is a song about the joy and freedom of dancing beneath the moonlight. The song explores the idea that when the moon is big and bright, people become more alive, and they let loose, dancing without inhibition. The song also highlights the communal aspect of dancing, as everyone in the song is dancing together, without any barking or biting. Instead, they keep things light and loose, enjoying the supernatural joy that comes with dancing in the moonlight.
The song's lyrics emphasize the fact that dancing is a universal and natural activity; it is something that brings people together and makes them feel good. The feeling that comes with dancing in the moonlight is described as warm and right, making it a fine and natural sight. The lyrics suggest that when people dance together in nature, all their differences disappear as they are united by the primal rhythm of the dance.
Overall, "Dancin' in the Moonlight" is a feel-good song that celebrates the power of dance to bring people together and evoke a sense of joy and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
We get it on most every night
We dance under the moonlight almost every night
When that moon gets big and bright
When the moon appears large and bright in the sky
It's supernatural delight
The experience of dancing under the moonlight is extraordinary
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Everyone is dancing joyfully in the moonlight
Everybody here is out-a sight
Everyone here is great and amazing
They don't bark and they don't bite
No one is aggressive or hostile
They keep things loose, they keep things light
People are relaxed and happy
Dancin' in the moonlight, everybody's feelin' warm and right
Dancing in the moonlight makes everybody feel happy and content
It's such a fine 'n' natural sight
Dancing under the moonlight is a beautiful and natural scene to behold
We like our fun and we never fight
We enjoy having fun and don't get into arguments or fights
You can't dance 'n' stay up tight it's supernatural delight
Dancing helps you loosen up and enjoy life more
Dancin' in the moonlight, everybody's feelin' warm and right
Dancing in the moonlight makes everybody feel happy and content
Dancin' in the moonlight
We are all dancing under the moonlight
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@valeriecheersbrown4829
We get it almost every night
When that moon is big and bright
It's a supernatural delight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody here is out of sight
They don't bark, and they don't bite
They keep things loose, they keep 'em tight
Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
We like our fun and we never fight
You can't dance and stay uptight
It's a supernatural delight
Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
We get it almost every night
When that moon is big and bright
It's a supernatural delight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
@LICHBKLYN1
Beautiful, Wonderful, Incredible memories that bring a VERY big meaningful survival tactic that I grabbed on to, when I was struggleing to live. This song played an instrumental part of me being alive, today. Along with my ABSOLUTE, most BEST friend in the world, Sofi. I was 16, and very suicidal, and actually attempted 5 times, before I was 16. I awoke from a coma, to this song. Sofi, by my side. That's when I decided to fight. 44 years later, I've come a long way. And Sofi, me, and this song, continue to be a combined effort to bring about an awareness of mental health issues. At that time, no one knew. I actually don't know how to accurately express express those emotions. All I can say is, THANK YOU for posting. And, I'm doing well.
@KingHarvestMusic
What a great story and testament to the power of positive music. Thanks for posting and all the best to you.
@bertortiz1241
I’m a mental person and I think music is healing if it is good vibes, music saved my life
@LICHBKLYN1
@Bert Ortiz Music is one of the most healing things we are bleesed to have.
@christophermitchell4017
Wonderful story. Glad u r ok😊
@ShannyShan20
God Bless! We're glad u stayed with us...even if we don't know u, u are important!
@toddwindyhill
July 9, 1972....Dating my future wife and chilling with classics like this....Married June 1, 1974.....still together in 2020.
@Sakkara1331Midnyte4ever
that's beautiful and inspiring
@Dr..Lecter
Wish you a healthy, happy, long life together with your wife/family. All the very best🍀🍀
@DeanMk1
Right arm, Todd. Way to go, dude. -b