Shadow Dancing (song)
title: "Shadow Dancing (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1978-singles", "songs-written-by-barry-gibb", "songs-written-by-robin-gibb", "songs-written-by-maurice-gibb", "songs-written-by-andy-gibb", "andy-gibb-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-barry-gibb", "billboard-hot-100-number-one-singles", "cashbox-number-one-singles", "rpm-top-singles-number-one-singles", "rso-records-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-albhy-galuten", "1978-songs", "songs-about-dancing"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Dancing_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Shadow Dancing |
| cover | Andy Gibb g (3).jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | Andy Gibb |
| album | Shadow Dancing |
| B-side | |
| released | April 1978 |
| recorded | December 1977/February 1978 |
| studio | Criteria (Miami) |
| length | 4:33 (album Version) |
| 3:57 (single version) | |
| 6:07 (special disco version) | |
| label | RSO Records |
| writer | Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb |
| producer | Gibb-Galuten-Richardson |
| prev_title | (Love Is) Thicker Than Water |
| prev_year | 1977 |
| next_title | An Everlasting Love |
| next_year | 1978 |
| :: |
| name = Shadow Dancing | cover = Andy Gibb g (3).jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Andy Gibb | album = Shadow Dancing | B-side = | released = April 1978 | recorded = December 1977/February 1978 | studio = Criteria (Miami) | venue = | genre =
- Disco | length = 4:33 (album Version) 3:57 (single version) 6:07 (special disco version) | label = RSO Records | writer = Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb | producer = Gibb-Galuten-Richardson | prev_title = (Love Is) Thicker Than Water | prev_year = 1977 | next_title = An Everlasting Love | next_year = 1978
"Shadow Dancing" is a disco song performed by English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb. The song was released in April 1978 as the lead single by RSO Records from his second studio album of the same name. The song reached number one for seven consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. It was written by Andy and his older brothers, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb and Albhy Galuten (who also produced this song) arranged the song with Barry Gibb. While Andy Gibb would have three more Top 10 hits in the U.S., this would be his final chart-topping hit in the United States. The song became a platinum record.
Song development
The song was written by Andy and his brothers (Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb) in Los Angeles, while the trio of brothers were working on the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "And one night," Andy would recall, "while we were relaxing, we sat down and we had to start getting tracks together for the album" (also titled Shadow Dancing, which would eventually hit #7 on the U.S. album charts). "So we literally sat down and in ten minutes, we had a group going, (singing) the chorus part. As it says underneath the song, we all wrote it, the four of us."
Release
According to Billboard's Book Of Number One Hits, Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the U.S. pop charts to have his first three singles hit the number-one spot. It remained in the top spot for seven straight weeks from 17 June to 29 July 1978, keeping "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty from reaching the top spot. On 5 August it was replaced by The Rolling Stones with their hit "Miss You." Additionally, "Shadow Dancing" was listed by Billboard as being the number one single of 1978. The song peaked at number eleven on the soul chart and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States alone. Cash Box particularly praised the "solid arrangement of strings, horns, [and] disco-funk guitar work." Record World predicted that "this rather hushed dance record should be [Gibb's] third straight hit."
The single had three different B-sides. The US version's "Let It Be Me" and the European version's "Too Many Looks In Your Eyes" were both from Gibb's previous album Flowing Rivers, while the Italian release featured "Fool for a Night" from the Shadow Dancing album.
In July that year, Gibb performed "Shadow Dancing" at the Jai-Alai Fronton Studios in Miami, when Barry, Robin and Maurice unexpectedly joined him on stage, and sang this song with him. It was the first time that all four brothers performed together in concert.
Personnel
- Andy Gibb — lead and background vocals
- Barry Gibb — background and harmony vocals, orchestral arrangement
- John Sambataro — background and harmony vocals
- Joey Murcia — electric guitar
- Tim Renwick — electric guitar
- Ron Zigler — drums
- George Bitzer — Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hohner clavinet
- Harold Cowart — bass
- Joe Lala — percussion
- Albhy Galuten — orchestral arrangement
- Peter Graves — horns
- Whit Sidener — horns
- Ken Faulk — horns
- Bill Purse — horns
- Neil Bonsanti — horns
- Stan Webb — horns
Chart history
Weekly charts
::data[format=table] | Charts (1978–1979) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 11 | | Belgium (Ultratop 50) | 22 | | url=http://www.brothersgibb.org/download/page-3.pdf |title=Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 3 |publisher=brothersgibb.org |accessdate=1 January 2015}} | 1 | | Canada (RPM) Top Singles | 1 | | url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4596&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4596.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4596|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1978-07-15 |accessdate=2019-06-24}} | 1 | | Germany (Media Control Charts) | 44 | | url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Andy+Gibb&titel=Shadow+Dancing&cat=s |title=Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing |publisher=charts.nz |accessdate=1 January 2015}} | 5 | | url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Andy+Gibb&titel=Shadow+Dancing&cat=s |title=Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing |publisher=norwegiancharts.com |accessdate=1 January 2015}} | 4 | | url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Andy+Gibb&titel=Shadow+Dancing&cat=s |title=Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing |publisher=swedishcharts.com |accessdate=1 January 2015}} | 8 | | UK Singles (Official Charts Company) | 42 | | US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | | US Billboard Easy Listening Charts | 8 | | US Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 11 | | US Cash Box Top 100 | 1 | | US Radio & Records | 1 | | US Record World | 1 | ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (1978) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (KMR) | 60 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50) | 30 |
| Canada (RPM) | 2 |
| New Zealand | 14 |
| Norway (VG-lista) | 10 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Cash Box | 3 |
| :: |
All-time charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (1958-2018) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 49 |
| :: |
Cover version
- Cornell Dupree covered "Shadow Dancing" in 1978.
- Ndugu & The Chocolate Jam Co. covered "Shadow Dancing" in 1980.
- "Shadow Dancing" was included on the album Hail Satin released in 2021 by the Dee Gees (an alter ego of the Foo Fighters). Lead vocals on this cover were sung by Taylor Hawkins.
References
References
- [http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/78.html Gibb Songs 1978]
- Bronson, Fred. (October 2, 2003). "The Billboard Book of Number One Hits". Billboard Books.
- Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004". Record Research.
- Grein, Paul. (August 26, 1978). "Billboard Vol. 90, No. 34". Nielsen Business Media, Inc..
- (April 15, 1978). "CashBox Singles Reviews". Cash Box.
- (April 15, 1978). "Hits of the Week".
- [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6899 Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing at Songfacts.com]
- David Kent. (1993). "Australian Charts Book 1970—1992". Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W..
- "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". ultratop.be.
- "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 3". brothersgibb.org.
- "CAN Charts > Andy Gibb".
- (1978-07-15). "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
- "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". officialcharts.de.
- "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". charts.nz.
- "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". norwegiancharts.com.
- "Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing". swedishcharts.com.
- "UK Charts > Andy Gibb". [[Official Charts Company]].
- "US Charts > Andy Gibb".
- (June 3, 1978). "Cashbox Top 100". Cashbox Magazine Archives.
- "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". [[Kent Music Report]].
- "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)".
- (17 July 2013). "Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978". [[Library and Archives Canada]].
- "End of Year Charts 1978". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
- "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1978".
- "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart".
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cornell-dupree-mn0000118597 Cornell Dupree] allmusic Retrieved 11 September 2025
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ndugu-the-chocolate-jam-co-mn0002459106#discography Chocolate Jam Co.] allmusic Retrieved 10 September 2025
- Schube, Will. (July 27, 2021). "The Dee Gees Release Video for "Shadow Dancing"". uDiscoverMusic.
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