Leo Sayer’s infectious hit, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” is more than just a feel-good disco track; it’s a testament to spontaneity and collaboration in music creation. Born from a studio jam session, this song, with its irresistible groove and catchy chorus, topped charts and earned a Grammy. Let’s delve into the story behind this classic track and explore how a casual studio moment turned into a global dance phenomenon.
The Accidental Genesis at Studio 55
The spark for “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” ignited during the recording sessions for Sayer’s 1976 album, Endless Flight. A daily ritual between Sayer and drummer Jeff Porcaro on their commute to Studio 55 in Los Angeles unknowingly set the stage for the song’s creation. They challenged each other to identify and appreciate songs they heard on the radio, fostering a shared musical curiosity. One morning, Sayer was captivated by Shirley & Company’s “Shame Shame Shame” and shared his enthusiasm with Porcaro upon arriving at the studio.
“I came in and said, ‘Oh, man, I just heard this song from Shirley & Company,’” Sayer recounted. Porcaro immediately resonated with the groove, launching into a drumbeat reminiscent of “Shame Shame Shame.” Sayer spontaneously began singing, and within moments, a full-fledged jam session erupted in Studio 55. The studio was filled with some of the finest musicians in Los Angeles, including Ray Parker Jr., Lee Ritenour, John Barnes, and Willie Weeks, all contributing to the impromptu musical explosion.
It was producer Richard Perry who recognized the magic unfolding. He abruptly stopped the ongoing recording session, switched to a fresh reel of tape, and urged the musicians to capture the raw energy of their jam. This unrehearsed, organic moment became the foundation of what would become “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.”
Leo Sayer Endless Flight album cover featuring Leo Sayer in a pilot outfit, showcasing the Endless Flight album which includes the hit song "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing".
From Jam Session to Hit Song: Refining the Groove
While the studio jam was full of energy and potential, it was still a rough, unstructured recording. Perry, however, sensed a hit. He played the jam back to Sayer, who, despite its raw edges, recognized “something really fresh and groovy” within the recording. Perry, confident in his instincts, declared it a potential hit.
To refine the jam into a complete song, Perry paired Sayer with songwriter Vini Poncia. Working in Studio 2, equipped with just a tape deck and a piano, they sought to extract the song’s core essence. Poncia recalled Sayer spontaneously singing to guitarist Ray Parker Jr. during the jam, “you make me feel like dancing.” This phrase sparked an idea. Sayer began structuring lyrics around this hook, and with a key change suggested by Poncia, the chorus began to take shape. Incredibly, the core of the song was crafted in a mere five minutes. Both Sayer and Poncia knew they had captured something special, and Perry’s initial hunch was further validated.
Bill Schnee and Steve Gadd: Adding Professional Polish
To elevate “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” from a studio jam to a polished hit record, producer Richard Perry enlisted the expertise of engineer Bill Schnee. Schnee, renowned for his work at Producers Workshop Studio, a space prized for its custom console and superior sound, was in the midst of working on Steely Dan’s Aja. Perry’s request to borrow Schnee, and even more crucially, drummer Steve Gadd, who was recording with Steely Dan, was a testament to Perry’s commitment to perfection.
Schnee facilitated a session at Producers Workshop, bringing in Gadd, along with Ray Parker Jr. on guitar, and bassist Chuck Rainey, alongside Steely Dan guitarist Larry Carlton. Gadd’s drumming, particularly his signature drag snare technique, proved to be the perfect rhythmic backbone for “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”. Schnee opted for a straightforward recording setup, capturing the live energy of the session with essential microphones and utilizing LA2As on guitars and an 1176 on bass to achieve a rich, dynamic sound. Sayer laid down a guide vocal track as the band cut the basic track live in just two hours. Impressed by the efficiency, Perry even managed to squeeze in a basic track recording for another song, “How Much Love,” within the remaining hour of the session.
The Painstaking Process of Comping and Mixing
While the recording sessions captured the vibrant energy of “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” the journey to the final mix was meticulous and time-consuming. Leo Sayer described producer Richard Perry’s exhaustive approach to vocal comping on the Endless Flight album. Perry believed in recording numerous takes, sometimes for performance nuances, but often simply to amass options for later selection.
The comping process involved a small group, typically including Sayer, Perry, engineer Howard Steele, and assistant engineer Gabe Veltri. They would scrutinize every word, debating minute differences between takes. Sayer humorously recalled the painstaking nature of these sessions, where even visiting producer Peter Asher playfully called out Perry’s “pedantic” approach. This meticulous attention to detail, however, was a hallmark of Perry’s production style, aimed at achieving absolute perfection.
In a pre-digital era, editing involved physically cutting and splicing 2-inch multitrack tape. Sayer vividly described the process of using razor blades and sticky tape to join different takes, a laborious task requiring a keen ear and steady hand. The engineers would manually roll the tape across the playback heads, listening intently to pinpoint precise cutting points. This intricate process, repeated for each song on Endless Flight, highlighted the dedication and craftsmanship involved in creating records before the advent of digital audio workstations.
A Smash Hit is Born: “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”‘s Legacy
From its accidental inception in a studio jam to its meticulous refinement in post-production, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” was destined for success. Engineer Bill Schnee recognized its hit potential immediately, captivated by Sayer’s falsetto and the song’s instantly memorable melody and opening line.
His instincts proved correct. “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” soared to the top of the Billboard charts in January 1977, becoming Leo Sayer’s first Number 1 hit in the US. The song’s infectious energy transcended genres, earning Sayer and Vini Poncia a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1978, a testament to its broad appeal. More than just a disco anthem, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” remains a timeless feel-good classic, a vibrant reminder of the magic that can emerge from spontaneous creativity and collaborative spirit in the recording studio.
