Dancing with Myself

For the NBC show, see Dancing with Myself (TV series).

"Dancing with Myself" is a song by the punk rock band Gen X, first commercially released in the United Kingdom in October 1980, where it reached number 62 on the UK Singles Chart. It was remixed and re-released by the band's singer/frontman Billy Idol as a solo artist in the United States in 1981, where the song reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Nouvelle Vague covered the number in 2006 and released it on their album, Bande à Part.

"Dancing with Myself"
Single by Gen X
from the album Kiss Me Deadly
Released	October 1980
Genre	Power pop[1] glam rock[2]
Length	3:45 (album version) 3:30 (7" version) 4:06 (12" version)
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Billy Idol Tony James
Producer(s)	Keith Forsey

"Dancing with Myself"
Single by Billy Idol
from the album Don't Stop
Released	March 1981[3]
Recorded	1980 (remixed in 1981)
Genre	New wave[4] dance-rock[5]
Length	4:50 (album version) 3:19 (single version) 6:05 (12" version)
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Billy Idol Tony James
Producer(s)	Keith Forsey
Billy Idol singles chronology
"Dancing with Myself" (1981) "Mony Mony" (1981)
Music video
"Dancing with Myself" on YouTube

Theme

The inspiration for the song occurred during a tour of Japan by the English post-punk band Generation X in mid-1979, when its vocalist/frontman Billy Idol and its bassist Tony James were struck by the sight of the young crowd in a Tokyo discotheque dancing with their own reflections in mirrored walls rather than with one another.^[6]

Production

The song was written and first recorded by Generation X during demo sessions in mid-1979 at Olympic Studios in West London (this demo-recording was first commercially released retrospectively on the long-player K.M.D.-Sweet Revenge (1998)).^[7] After that band had split later in that year, Idol and James re-branded the act as Gen X, and in production sessions with Keith Forsey for a new long-player at AIR Studios in London in mid-1980, the song was re-recorded for commercial release as a single. The guitar parts of the song were a mix of the playing of three guitarists with distinctively differing styles, viz. Steve New playing the lead, Steve Jones playing rhythm, with another layer being added by Danny Kustow.^[8] On commercial sales in October 1980 as a pre-release single from the new band's forthcoming long-player Kiss Me Deadly (1981), "Dancing with Myself" was a retail failure, reaching only number 62 in the UK Singles Chart.

In 1981, Idol, now a solo artist after Gen X had broken up, had Forsey remix the record for its release as a single in the United States, fading down the guitar(s) and bass tracks from their dominance in the 1980 UK release and accentuating the vocal and percussion tracks, to produce a more rhythmic sound for the American commercial market. It became his first hit single in the United States and launched his career there, two versions being issued: the 3:20 single version (which was later included on Idol's 11 of the Best compilation) and the 4:50 extended version that appeared on Idol's Don't Stop EP.

Music video

For the 1981 United States single release a music video for use on the newly launched MTV was made, directed by Tobe Hooper, with Idol in a scenario drawn from the 1971 cinema film The Omega Man, playing a lone figure in a post-apocalyptic cityscape besieged upon a skyscraper rooftop by partying mutant street-waifs.^[7]

Cover art

The portrait image of Idol on the cover of the 1980 release was photographed by Iain McKell.

Formats and track listings

Gen X release

7″: Chrysalis – CHS 2444 (UK)

1. "Dancing with Myself" (3:30)
2. "Ugly Rash" (4:30)

12″: Chrysalis – CHS 12 2444 (UK)

1. "Dancing with Myself" (4:06)
2. "Loopy Dub" (5:08)
3. "Ugly Dub" (3:05)

12″ Chrysalis – CHS 2488 (45 rpm)

1. "Dancing with Myself"
2. "Untouchables"
3. "Rock On"
4. "King Rocker" (produced by Ian Hunter)

Billy Idol release

7″: Chrysalis – CHS 2488 (US)

1. "Dancing with Myself" (3:19) [Labelled as "Billy Idol featuring Generation X"]
2. "Happy People" (4:23)

7″: Chrysalis – IDOL 1 (UK – 1983)

1. "Dancing with Myself" (3:19) [Labelled as "Billy Idol featuring Generation X"]
2. "Love Calling (Dub)" (5:33)

12″: Chrysalis – IDOLX 1 (UK – 1983)

1. "Dancing with Myself" (6:05) [Labelled as "Billy Idol featuring Generation X"]
2. "Love Calling (Dub)" (5:33)
3. "White Wedding" (8:20)
4. "Hot in the City" (5:20)

• "White Wedding" is the 12" Shotgun mix,^{[clarification needed]} but not labelled as such.

Charts

Gen X version

Chart (1980–1981)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart[9]	62

Billy Idol version

Chart (1981)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[10]	27
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles	102
Chart (1983)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11]	39
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12]	9

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[13]	Platinum	30,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Maren Morris version

"Dancing with Myself"
Single by Maren Morris
Released	February 15, 2024 (2024-02-15)
Genre	Alt-pop
Length	4:11
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Billy Idol Tony James
Producer(s)	Gabe Simon
Maren Morris singles chronology
"42" (2023) "Dancing with Myself" (2024) "Cut" (2024)
Music video
"Dancing with Myself" on YouTube

In 2024, the song was re-arranged and covered by American singer and songwriter Maren Morris.^[14] The cover was released as a single on February 15, 2024, under Columbia Records, in a partnership with the mobile app Visible for their "Singles Awareness Day" campaign. It marks Morris first release since her collaboration with DJ an electronic artist Diplo, "42" in 2023.^[15][16][17]

Background and composition

According to critics, Morris version features banjos, strummed acoustic guitars which are complemented by Morris' signature smoky vocals on the track produced by Gabe Simon.^[18] Morris said about the cover origin: "I partnered with Visible because I loved the theme of their messaging, which is independence and ownership," she added, "For me right now, I'm really leaning into my sort of singleness and it's daunting but exciting."^[19] She also explained further why she chose Idol's song to cover: "i decided to cover one of my longtime favorite songs by Billy Idol because it's always been a beautifully melancholic anthem for me, It also captures where I am at right now; a little blue but a lot relieved. Dancing through my feelings and shaking off the expired layers that no longer strengthen me."^[20]

Reception

Morris version received mostly positive reviews by music critics. Gil Kaufman for Billboard praised Morris' delivery, stating that the singer "sounds perfectly fine on her own".^[21] Scott Bernstein for JamBase dubbed the cover as a "fresh spin" of Idol's song.^[22] In a more mixed review Tom Breihan for Stereogum said that Morris cover doesn't "seem likely to incite much dancing" describing it as "significantly less rambunctious and more serene" in comparison to the original.^[23]

Music Video

An official music video directed by Mehdi Zollo, sponsored by Visible was released alongside the single.^[24] The video was shot in East Nashville at Grimey's Records, and shows Morris dancing through the record store, sporting a leather trenchcoat, white tank top, jeans, and sunglasses.^[20] The music video pays homage to the 2000 film High Fidelity.^[20]

Release history

Release date and formats for "Dancing with Myself" (Maren Morris version)

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Various	February 15, 2024	Digital download streaming	Columbia Records	[17]

Appearances in popular culture

• Swedish rock-reggae band Dag Vag released a Swedish version of the song called "Dansar med mig själv" on their fourth LP 7 lyckliga elefanter in 1982.
• Belgian rock band De Kreuners released a Dutch version of the song called "Ik dans wel met mezelf" in 1982.^[25]
• Used in Can’t Buy Me Love (1987 film).^[26]
• A cover version by Blink-182 was featured on the compilation album Before You Were Punk^[27] and on Taylor Steele's Loose Change film soundtrack.
• A cover version by the Donnas was used in Mean Girls (2004) soundtrack,^[28] as well as the episode "God U." from the 2023 series Gen V.