Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)

Album: Q-Feel (1982)
Charted: 75
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This dance-pop track set in motion a series of events that resulted in some of the biggest hits of the '80s. Q-Feel was led by the British duo of Martin Page and Brian Fairweather, who were making a kind of rhythmic, funky electronic music that was just coming into vogue. This song was too progressive for mass appeal, but it was picked up by the influential Los Angeles radio station KROQ, which got the attention of music industry executives in the area. Some of the more forward-thinking execs recognized this as the sound of the future, and tried to enlist the services of Page and Fairweather.

    Gary Gersh, who was an A&R man at EMI America, put them to work writing, performing and producing songs for Kim Carnes and Earth, Wind & Fire. They also played on the song "Ghostbusters."

    When Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin needed someone else to compose music for two lyrics he had written, he enlisted Page to it, as he liked the sound of "Dancing In Heaven." Those two lyrics, with music supplied by Page, both became #1 hits: "These Dreams" by Heart and "We Built This City" by Starship.
  • Q-Feel was named after the force a pilot feels on the joystick when flying a jet plane - Martin Page's father worked in the aerospace industry and suggested the name. The music video used an aviation theme, with the musicians and dancers dressed like airline employees.
  • This song was the result of a confluence of technology that was changing the musical landscape, as new drum machines and synthesizers were put into service. Martin Page wrote most of the song on a cheap Casio keyboard, and made a demo on a 4-track tape machine he had a home. Along with Brian Fairweather, he crafted the song, giving it a futuristic feel. The "Orbital Be-Bop" line was chosen because it fit musically and had the quirky sound they were looking for.
  • When this song was first released, it bubbled under at #110 on the Hot 100 thanks to its popularity in Los Angeles. It fared better in 1989 when it was re-released, this time making #75.

Comments: 2

  • Samantha Drennan from PaIt's ten thousand miles above LA, not above my legs. Sheesh
  • Kyu Hyun Kim from S. KoreaThis information helps to understanding about Q.feel & dancing in heaven.Thank you very much!!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.