"Everybody Dance" is a song by American band Chic. The disco song, which features Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals and Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Robin Clark on background vocals, was released as the second single from the band's self-titleddebut albumChic. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, it was the first song specifically written for Chic, and, due to its historical status and popularity, is usually played as the opening song of the band's live set. It was later heavily sampled by British group Steps on their song "Stomp" and by the Manic Street Preachers on their single " Just the End of Love". The song has featured in films such as The Last Days of Disco and Summer of Sam and is also featured in the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion pack on the radio station K109. According to Rodgers speaking for the BBC4 documentary "How to Make It in the Music Business", the session the song was recorded during cost the band $10, which went on bribing the elevator engineer not to tell the manager they were recording in there.
Release
Unlike most Chic singles, its 12" version was not included on a regular album, nor was it widely available upon original release, with the 12" format being issued only as a promo. The extended 12" version has, however, subsequently been issued on numerous compilations. Also unlike most Chic singles, the b-side "You Can Get By" was edited down from the original album track; almost all future Chic b-sides would be presented in their full-length versions.
Chart performance
"Everybody Dance" became another hit for the band in the United States, peaking at number 38 on the BillboardHot 100 chart in 1978. In the UK Singles chart, it reached number 9 in May 1978, spending 9 weeks in the Top 40 there.
In 1993, RuPaul recorded a version of the song for his debut album Supermodel of the World.
In 1993, British dance groupEvolution scored a UK Top 20 hit with a house cover of the track, released on Deconstruction Records. The extended version was appropriately titled 'Chic Inspirational Mix'.
;2000s
In 2007, Canadian singer Deborah Cox reinterpreted the track as "Everybody Dance ", incorporating a sample of the original Chic vocals in the mix. The track briefly hit the US Hot Dance Club Songs Chart, peaking at No.17.
;2010s
In 2011, English singer Kimberley Walsh covered the song for.
