A rare live version of “Dancing in the Moonlight” via the indispensable Midnight Special channel…
The tune was written several years earlier by a guy named Sherman Kelly — and the story behind it is more than a little bit strange:
On a trip to St. Croix in 1969, I was the first victim of a vicious St. Croix gang who eventually murdered 8 American tourists. At that time, I suffered multiple facial fractures and wounds and was left for dead. While I was recovering, I wrote "Dancin in the Moonlight" in which I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life. The song became a huge hit and was recorded by many musicians worldwide. "Dancin In The Moonlight" continues to be popular to this day.
Well, now I’m going to have *that* picture in my head every time I hear it for the rest of my life.
It topped out at #13 in America during February-March of 1973, just before I turned 14.
As it turns out this big hit led indirectly to the formation of the band Orleans — more on that soon.