Domino Dancing

"Domino Dancing" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the lead single from their third studio album, Introspective (1988). It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in Finland, Poland and Spain.

"Domino Dancing"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Introspective
B-side"Don Juan"
Released12 September 1988 (1988-09-12)
Recorded17 March 1988
Genre
Length7:40 (album version)
4:18 (7″)
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Lewis A. Martinée
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Heart"
(1988)		 "Domino Dancing"
(1988)		 "Left to My Own Devices"
(1988)
Music video
"Domino Dancing" on YouTube

Background

Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, and influenced by Latin pop, the song was produced by Lewis A. Martinée, the Miami-based producer behind 1980s freestyle groups such as Exposé. The song was recorded at Martinée's studio in Miami, resulting in a considerably large number of studio musicians for a Pet Shop Boys song being featured on it.

The duo had achieved three number ones in 1987 and 1988, and Domino Dancing was expected to continue this success. However, the public reception to the duo's new Latin sound proved disappointing. Tennant remembers: "...it entered the charts at number nine and I thought, 'that's that, then – it's all over'. I knew then that our imperial phase of number one hits was over."[1]

The single missed the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 18, and was the duo's sixth and, to date, last top-20 entry in the United States.[2] (In fact, they have not made the top 60 since "Domino Dancing".) The song did reach number five on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where the duo have seen more consistent success.[3]

Music video

The music video for "Domino Dancing" was directed by Eric Watson and was his sixth of eleven collaborations with the band. The storyline is about a love triangle between two handsome young men who are fighting over a beautiful woman. Rolling Stone magazine calls the video "probably the most homoerotic pop video ever made", citing the slow-motion shots of the boys wrestling on the beach:

As such, the video exemplified the mainstream exploitation of gay sex in the Eighties, most evident in Calvin Klein ads and feature films like Top Gun. Unfortunately, Domino Dancing was every bit as dishonest, titillating the straight world with images it could never acknowledge, then doubling the repression by keeping openly gay expression closeted.

— Jim Farber, Rolling Stone[4]

The video was taped in about four days in the old colonial district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1988. One of the locations that was featured in the music video is the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery.

All the lead actors were Puerto Rican; the two boys were David Boira and Adalberto Martinez Mojica and the girl was Donna Bottman,[5] who was an aspiring actress and model. All of them were cast by the Pet Shop Boys.

Domino Dancing (extended version) is a seven-minute dance song, combined with Lowe's synth melodies, Cuban brass and early hip hop beats.

Versions

  • Domino Dancing (short video 7″) – 4:18
  • Domino Dancing (extended version 12″ remix) – 7:41[6]

Cast

  • Chris Lowe as Himself
  • Neil Tennant as Himself
  • David Boira as Boy
  • Adalberto Martinez Mojica as Boy
  • Donna Bottman as Girl

Cover versions

The Swedish Pet Shop Boys tribute band West End Girls released a cover version of "Domino Dancing" in 2005 as a single from their album Goes Petshopping, peaking at number three on the Swedish Singles Chart.

Track listings

7": Parlophone / R 6190 (UK)
  1. "Domino Dancing" – 4:17
  2. "Don Juan" – 3:53

12": Parlophone / 12 R 6190 (UK)
  1. "Domino Dancing" (Disco mix) – 7:41
  2. "Don Juan" (Disco mix) – 7:32
  3. "Domino Dancing" (Alternative mix) – 4:42
  • also released on MC (TCR 6190) and CD (CDR 6190)

12": Parlophone / 12 RX 6190 (UK)
  1. "Domino Dancing" (Base mix) – 5:53
  2. "Don Juan" (Demo) – 4:19
  3. "Domino Dancing" (Instrumental demo) – 4:45

12": EMI-Manhattan / V-56116 (US)
  1. "Domino Dancing" (Disco mix) – 7:41
  2. "Domino Dancing" (Single version) – 4:17
  3. "Don Juan" (Disco mix) – 7:32
  4. "Domino Dancing" (Alternative mix) – 4:48 (Longer outro)

Charts

References
  1. "Between the Lines: Introspective" PetShopBoysatDeadofNight. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 489.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.), page 202.
  4. Farber, Jim (14–28 December 1989). "Beyond the Big Hair – Video News and Notes". Rolling Stone. p. 235. ISSN 0035-791X.
  5. Domino Dancing: Girl in the music video: Donna Bottman
  6. Video on YouTube
  7. "Australian-charts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  8. "Austriancharts.at – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  9. "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  10. "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 9. 17 December 1988. p. 6. ISSN 0315-5994.
  11. "RPM 20 Dance Singles" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 6. 6 November 1988. p. 6. ISSN 0315-5994.
  12. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101 no. 3. 21 January 1989. p. 74. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
  13. "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 45. 5 November 1988. p. 28. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 43. 22 October 1988. p. 24. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  15. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  16. "Lescharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Domino Dancing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  18. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100 no. 51. 17 December 1988. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
  19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Pet Shop Boys" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  21. "Charts.nz – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  22. "Norwegiancharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing". VG-lista. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  23. "Notowanie nr 352" (in Polish). 3 December 1988. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  24. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  25. "Swedishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  26. "Swisscharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  27. "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  28. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  29. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  30. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  31. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  32. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending December 10, 1988". Cash Box. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  33. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  34. "Jaaroverzichten 1988 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  35. "Top 25 Dance Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 10. ISSN 0315-5994.
  36. "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 52/1. 1 January 1989. p. 31. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  37. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  38. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.