We Are Family vs Greatest Dancer

[discodjinn]

Which side of the Sister Sledge 12" do you remember hearing/playing most in clubs?

[whitesockedfunk]

Probably We Are Family but I'll always prefer He's The Greatest Dancer :-)

[Dayna]

"We Are Family" was a T-Dance staple at Gay clubs it was used as somewhat of a Gay unity anthem..I always preferred the struttish beat and sassy lyrics of the Chic-esque "He's The Greatest Dancer"..

Sister Sledge were horrified and upset with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers for making them sing the Lyric "My Cre'me de la Cre'me Please Take Me Home" because they thought it made them sound promiscuous ....

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

"He's The Greatest Dancer" did great! But nothing like "We Are Family".
Nor did it have, anywhere near as long a clublife.

I recall the standard mixes with "We Are Family" being, The Stones' "Miss You" and Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". And they were two of the slowest bpm tracks on the charts. So, anything that clocked-in around that bpm-range got played.

Though the Atlantic promo 12" was pressed as:
"He's The Greatest Dancer" = A-side
"We Are Family" = B-side.

It was the same situation as Gloria Gaynor's "Substitute" b/w "I Will Survive".
Or, Tata Vega's "Get It Up For Love" b/w "Just Keep Thinkin' About You, Baby".

The B-sides had up-tempo cuts, with catchy, sing-along lyrics and a positive message, that crowds could relate to en masse. Soooo...

...we flipped 'em over.

[Old Disco DeeJay]

Of the 2, I preferred He's The Greatest Dancer. As Dayna says, it was more Chic-esque.

In the UK, the original 1979 version of Lost In Music had 'Thinking Of You' on the 'B' Side, which is my favourite Sister Sledge track, with heavy Chic influence.

It effectively remained as an unknown album track until getting loads of exposure at the Caister Soul Festival in 1984, which forced the record company to release it as a single on it's own right, where it was a huge club hit, despite it's laid back tempo and reached No. 11 in the charts.

It was also a Top 20 hit, when re-released in the UK in 1993.

I don't think this was released as a single, or particularly popular in the US, but if it was, I'm sure someone here will correct me. :icon_biggrin:

Dailymotion - sister sledge thinking of you - une vidéo Musique

[drlove]

Though both great tunes were on different sides of the same 12" single (essentially allowing disco deejays to choose which one to play any particular hour of the night), pop and R&B radio embraced them at separate times:

He's the Greatest Dancer broke first in February '79, eventually reaching #9 on the pop charts (becoming Sister Sledge's first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100) and #1 on the R&B chart. We Are Family followed it just 2 months later, going all the way up to #2 on pop and #1 on R&B, and becoming Sister Sledge's highest-charting pop hit (and arguably best known song career-wise).

I personally prefer He's The Greatest Dancer for its stylish lyrics, but can see the universal appeal of the anthem We Are Family (and both cuts simultaneously topped the disco charts in late March '79).

[Zef]

[QUOTE=
In the UK, the original 1979 version of We Are Family had 'Thinking Of You' on the 'B' Side, which is my favourite Sister Sledge track, with heavy Chic influence.

[/QUOTE]

Hi there
I think the situation in the Uk was:
He's the greatest dancer/Somebody loves me (7"+12")
We are family/Easier to love (7"+12")
Lost in music/Thinking of you (7" only in 1979)

[Cory Ander]

I've always preferred "Greatest Dancer" not only because of that jangly guitar line, but the original version has a truly charming string arrangement and solo that were edited out of the single version. But "Family" had an anthemic vibe that has proven to be timeless....I'm tired of hearing it though, and I always heard it more often in clubs than "Greatest Dancer".

[Old Disco DeeJay]

Hi there
I think the situation in the Uk was:
He's the greatest dancer/Somebody loves me (7"+12")
We are family/Easier to love (7"+12")
Lost in music/Thinking of you (7" only in 1979)

Hi Zef
You are entirely correct. Thinking Of You was originally the 'B' side of Lost In Music, in the UK. I don't even need to go and check it, as I know you are right. I think I must be in the early stages of senile dementia.

Thanks for spotting my error and I'll amend my post.

[paul]

We Are Family was popular on the radio and in the clubs. The ladies especially loved it. Add to that, the Pittsburgh (baseball) Pirates used that as their theme song during there championship run in 1979. I'm still a little tired of hearing that song.

As with many here, I much prefer He's The Greatest Dancer. I often consider it my own personal theme song and it remains in my top 5 disco favorites.

So while HTGD did get a lot of play in the clubs, WAF doubled that. :icon_cool:

[remicks]

As with many here, I much prefer He's The Greatest Dancer. I often consider it my own personal theme song :icon_cool:

:icon_eek:


ah - you're just being modest Paul!!! :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:


________________________________


WE ARE FAMILY both in personal preference and how much more it was played back then .
(I was DJing then and I don't think I even bothered with HE'S THE GRAETEST DANCER )


*****

[paul]

:icon_eek:


ah - you're just being modest Paul!!! :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:


________________________________


WE ARE FAMILY both in personal preference and how much more it was played back then .
(I was DJing then and I don't think I even bothered with HE'S THE GRAETEST DANCER )


*****

:icon_biggrin:

[SandraDee]

Both tracks are brilliant but I'm with the majority here as I prfer 'HTGD'. 'WAF' was always my 3rd fave off the LP after HTGD & Lost In Music. 'WAF' has gone further down in my estimation in recent years as it's so overplayed even to the point where a famous UK TV comedian did a version & changed the lyrics to 'we are family, I've got my step-sister with me' - mildly amusing but I wish they'd leave the classics alone!