"Don`t Forget to Dance" is a song performed by British rock group The Kinks, released as a single in 1983 and included on their album State of Confusion.

Background and recording

"Don`t Forget to Dance" was initially recorded at Grand Slam Studios in New Jersey and Konk Studios in London in September and October 1982. Mixing and editing continued through late 1982 and into early 1983.[1] Although the ballad[2] was ultimately released as the follow-up single to "Come Dancing", also from State of Confusion, the Kinks` label, Arista Records, originally wanted to release it as the first single off the album. Ray Davies convinced Arista to release "Come Dancing" first and ultimately prevailed. "Don`t Forget to Dance" was eventually released as a single in August 1983 in the US and the following month in the UK.

Davies commented on the song, "Even a pompous love ballad like `Don`t Forget to Dance` had one of my favorite moments: a line, `nice bit of old`. There`s some nice writing in there".[3]

Reception

The song charted at No. 58 in the UK[1][4] In the US, it reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and No. 23 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[4] It also reached No. 20 in Canada`s The Record and No. 26 in RPM,[5] and No. 38 in New Zealand.

Music critic Pete Bishop praised the song for its "beautiful melody and arrangement."[6]

Lyrics

The lyrics are bittersweet, as they are about observing a lonely middle age woman.[7] Although the subject`s friends have all "either married, vanished, or just left alone" and she has a "broken heart", the singer states that "I bet you danced a good one in your time/And if this were a party/I`d really make sure the next one would be mine." The chorus exhorts the woman "Don`t forget to dance, no, no, no/Don`t forget to smile." Allmusic described the song as "elegiac", and Johnny Rogan called it one of Davies` stronger melodies.[7][8] Critic Don McLeese of the Chicago Sun Times noted that "`Don`t Forget to Dance` is gracefully melodic in the `Waterloo Sunset` tradition."[1]

Video

The video for "Don`t Forget to Dance" was produced by Michael Hamlyn and directed by Julien Temple, who had the same roles for the prior "Come Dancing" video. The video was shot in July 1983 and was first aired in Germany on 1 August. The first airing in the US was on 3 September on MTV and the first airing in the UK was in November. The video repeats elements from the "Come Dancing" video, including the Kinks playing themselves on the ballroom stage and Ray Davies pursuing the girl.[1] The video also includes a dream sequence based on the band`s early days and including a costume ball in a mansion. The scenes of the band playing in the ballroom may have been inspired by a concert the Ray Davies Quartet performed at the Lyceum Ballroom on New Year`s Eve 31 December 1962.[1]

Compilations

Since its initial release, "Don`t Forget to Dance" has been included on a number of Kinks compilation albums, including Come Dancing with the Kinks, You Really Got Me: The Very Best of the Kinks, The Kinks Greatest: 1970-1986 and The Ultimate Collection.[9]

Cover version

In 1985, Austrian musician Sigi Maron covered "Don`t Forget to Dance" with Viennese lyrics titled "Geh no net furt" on his album Unterm Regenbogen.[10]