Category: Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers – Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing)

The song was released in 1977 and reached #10 on Billboards Hot 100 chart. The song was written by Jack Tempchin from the band The Funky Kings. They had a minor hit with the song a year earlier.

From Wikipedia.

Rivers recording of the song originally known as “Slow Dancing” was the first release on Rivers’s own Soul City label following the label’s reactivation in June 1977. The track was issued under the title “Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancin’)” to avoid confusion with the current single release “Slow Dancing Don’t Turn Me On” by the Addrisi Brothers.

The first version of the song was made on the self-titled 1976 album by the Funky Kings whose membership included its composer Jack Tempchin: entitled “Slow Dancing”, the track was issued as a single reaching #13 on the Easy Listening chart in Billboard crossing over to #61 on the Billboard Hot 100. Olivia Newton-John recorded “Slow Dancing” for her 1977 album release Making a Good Thing Better, with the lyrics changed from “my girl” to “my guy.” A version of the song also appeared on the 1977 album release One More Tomorrow by the group Unicorn, fronted by Muff Winwood. The Unicorn version was issued as a single in 1977, with a 1978 re-release. “Slow Dancing” was also a single release for Lorna Wright in the summer of 1977.

The first video is Johnny Rivers singing it live on the Midnight Special. The second video is a video someone made to the studio version of the song.

Swayin’ To the Music (Slow Dancin’)
It’s late at night and we’re all alone
Just the music on the radio
No one’s comin’, no one’s gonna telephone
Just me and you and the lights down low
And we’re slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world just you, girl
And we just flow together when the lights are low
Shadows dancin’ all across the wall
Music’s playin’ so soft and slow
Rest of the world so far away and small
When we’re slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world
Hold me, oh, oh, oh, hold me
No never let me go
As we dance together in the dark
So much love in this heart of mine
You whisper to me, hold you tight
You’re the one I thought I’d never find
Now we’re slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world
Whole wide world