Harlem Shuffle

For other uses, see Harlem Shuffle (disambiguation).

"Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. The song describes a dance called the “Harlem Shuffle”, and mentions several other contemporary dances of the early 1960s, including the Monkey Shine, the Limbo, the Hitch hike, the Slide, and the Pony.

"Harlem Shuffle"
Single by Bob & Earl
from the album Harlem Shuffle
B-side	"I'll Keep Running Back"
Released	1963
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Length	2:35
Label	Marc Records 104[1]
Songwriter(s)	Bob Relf/Earl Nelson
Producer(s)	Fred Smith
Bob & Earl singles chronology
"Harlem Shuffle" (1963) "My Woman" (1964)

In 1986, it was covered by the British rock band The Rolling Stones on their album Dirty Work.

Bob & Earl

There was no pre-existing dance called the "Harlem Shuffle".^[2] The song was based on an instrumental number called "Slauson Shuffletime" (named after a boulevard in Los Angeles) by another Los Angeles singer, Round Robin.^[3] Bob & Earl's original single, arranged by Gene Page, peaked at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 36 on the Cash Box chart. The record was a commercial failure when first released in the UK in 1963, but on reissue in 1969 peaked at No. 7.^[4] It was released on Marc Records, a subsidiary of Titan Records. Barry White stated in a 1995 interview with the Boston Herald that, despite many claims to the contrary, he had no involvement with "Harlem Shuffle", though Page and White later worked extensively together.^[5][6]

In 2003, the original Bob & Earl version of the song was ranked No. 23 by the music critics of The Daily Telegraph on their list of the "50 Best Duets Ever".^[7] The song was used in the 1989 comedy-drama film Shag and the 2017 Edgar Wright-directed film Baby Driver.^[8]

Charts

Chart (1963–64) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100[9] 44 US Billboard Hot R&B Singles[9] 44 US Cash Box Top 100[10] 36

Chart (1969) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 7 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 7

The Rolling Stones version

"Harlem Shuffle"
Single by The Rolling Stones
from the album Dirty Work
B-side	"Had It with You"
Released	3 March 1986[15]
Recorded	April – October 1985
Genre	Pop rock, dance-rock[16]
Length	3:23 (7" single) 6:19 (12" "London Mix") 6:35 (12" "New York Mix")
Label	Rolling Stones
Songwriter(s)	Bob Relf, Earl Nelson
Producer(s)	Steve Lillywhite and The Glimmer Twins
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"She Was Hot" (1983) "Harlem Shuffle" (1986) "One Hit (To the Body)" (1986)

The Rolling Stones' cover version appeared on their 1986 album Dirty Work. It went to number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 13 in the United Kingdom, and number 1 in New Zealand. Keith Richards had been looking for songs to possibly include on the album and had been working up songs with Ronnie Wood and Womack while waiting for Jagger to return to the studio in Paris after doing promo work on his solo album. To Richards' surprise, Jagger liked the feel and cut the vocals quickly. It became the first cover song the Stones had released as an opening single off a new studio album since 1965.

In 1986, a 12" extended single mix of the song was released. One side contained the "London Mix" and ran 6:19. The other side had a "New York Mix" and ran 6:35. Both mixes were variations of the 7" mix. The "New York Mix" is available on the CD, Rarities 1971–2003, although it has been edited to 5:48. Both full-length 12" versions can be found on Disc 25 of Singles 1971–2006.

Music video

The Rolling Stones produced an accompanying four-minute music video, which combined with live-action and animation.^[17] The live-action was directed by animation director Ralph Bakshi and the animation was directed by future The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi.^[18] Other animators who worked on the video included Lynne Naylor, Jim Smith, Bob Jaques, Vicky Jenson, Pat Ventura and two other unknown animators.^[19]

Personnel

The Rolling Stones

• Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica
• Keith Richards – electric and acoustic guitars, piano, backing vocals
• Ronnie Wood – electric, acoustic and pedal steel guitar, tenor saxophone, backing vocals
• Bill Wyman – bass guitar, synthesizer
• Charlie Watts – drums

Additional personnel

• Chuck Leavell – keyboards^[20]
• Ivan Neville – backing vocals, bass guitar, organ, synthesizer
• Philippe Saisse – keyboards
• Anton Fig – shakers
• Dan Collette – trumpet
• Ian Stewart – piano
• Marku Ribas – percussion
• Jimmy Cliff, Don Covay, Beverly D'Angelo, Kirsty MacColl, Dolette McDonald, Janice Pendarvis, Patti Scialfa and Tom Waits – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1986) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[21] 6 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 13 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 4 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[24] 4 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] 5 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[26] 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[27] 2 France (SNEP)[28] 28 Ireland (IRMA)[29] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[30] 5 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[31] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[32] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[33] 6 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[34] 30 Spain (AFYVE)[35] 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 11 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 10 UK Singles (OCC)[38] 13 US Billboard Hot 100[39] 5 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play1[39] 4 US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales1[39] 5 US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[39] 2 West Germany (GfK)[40] 11 1Remix

Year-end charts Chart (1986) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[41] 49 Belgium (Ultratop)[42] 75 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[43] 48 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[44] 52 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[45] 58 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[46] 18

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[47]	Gold	50,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

A version by The Traits from the fall of 1966 reached number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 91 on Cash Box. The Action recorded the song in 1968 and released it as a single in Germany.

Samples

The song's opening horn section was sampled by the hip-hop group House of Pain for their breakthrough hit single "Jump Around" in 1992.^[48]

References

1. "45 Discography for Marc Records". Global Dog Productions. Globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
2. Stratton, Jon (October 31, 2022). Spectacle, Fashion and the Dancing Experience in Britain, 1960-1990. Springer International Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 9783031090127.
3. "The Times & The Sunday Times". The Times. December 14, 2007. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
4. "Bob & Earl Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
5. White, Barry. "Telephone interview with Larry Katz." Archived July 4, 2022, at the Wayback Machine June 1 or 2, 1995. The Katz Tapes. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. Nelson, Valerie J. "'Harlem Shuffle' co-writer was part of the soul duo Bob & Earl." Los Angeles Times, July 25, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
7. "List of the 50 Best Duets Ever". The Daily Telegraph. November 8, 2003. Archived from the original on March 27, 2004. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
8. Baby Driver (2017), retrieved September 8, 2017
9. "Bob & Earl awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
10. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 15, 1964
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12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bob And Earl - Harlem Shuffle" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
13. "Bob And Earl – Harlem Shuffle" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
15. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 10.
16. Ken Tucker (April 6, 1986). "R&B Gets The Superstar Treatment". Philadelphia Daily News. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013. "The Stones raise the rhythm-and-blues issue explicitly on "Harlem Shuffle," the first single to be released from Dirty Work. (...) Mick Jagger smears the lyrics with lascivious glee, while the rest of the band attempts to turn the tune into a hip dance-rock number."
17. IMDb ~ Rolling Stones Harlem Shuffle (1986 video)
18. Ray Broadus Browne, Pat Browne (2001). Popular Press (ed.). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. p. 676. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.
19. "Classic Cartoons: Harlem Shuffle". Classiccartoons.blogspot.com. September 20, 2006. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
20. Saulnier, Jason (April 8, 2010). "Chuck Leavell Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
21. bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
22. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
23. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
24. "Harlem Shuffle - ROLLING STONES". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 4
25. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0661." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
26. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 16. April 26, 1986. p. 14. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
27. "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 15. April 19, 1986. p. 14. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
28. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
29. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Harlem Shuffle". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
30. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Rolling Stones - Harlem Shuffle" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
31. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
32. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
33. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle". VG-lista. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
34. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
35. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
36. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
37. "The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
38. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
39. "Dirty Work awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
40. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
41. "Kent Music Report No 650 – 29 December 1986 > National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. Retrieved December 21, 2019 – via Imgur.
42. "Jaaroverzichten 1986" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
43. "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
44. "European Hot 100 Singles – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. December 27, 1986. p. 29. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
45. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
46. "End of Year Charts 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
47. "Canadian single certifications – The Rolling Stones – Harlem Shuffle". Music Canada. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
48. "House of Pain's Jump Around sample of Bob & Earl's Harlem Shuffle". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved July 28, 2013.