Back in 1987, my sisters fell in love with Dirty Dancing. Well, more accurately, they fell in love with Patrick Swayze who plays dance instructor Johnny Castle in the movie. Set in a vacation resort in the 1963 Borscht Belt, the film made $214 million worldwide. Clearly, there was an enthusiastic audience the seething sexual chemistry between Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
When I saw Dirty Dancing I was impressed by the soundtrack of the movie. Dirty Dancing included more music than many of the films in theaters at that time. There was a lot of dance music–after all this is a movie about dirty dancing–but there was also a surprising number of songs from the early 1960s included like “Be My Baby” by the The Ronettes, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by The Four Seasons, “Stay” by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles, and “Some Kind of Wonderful” by The Drifters.
Are you a fan of Dirty Dancing? Do you remember the music in this movie? GRADE: B
I like the early songs like “Hey Baby”, “Love Is Strange”, and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, but stuff like “Hungry Eyes” and “She’s Like the Wind” I can do without.
Jeff, Patrick Swayze’s “She’s Like The Wind”reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1988. Worldwide, it became a top-10 hit in nine other countries, including Belgium, Canada, and Ireland, as well as in France in November 1992. But, you’re right: Swayze can’t sing.
The movie was watchable – good but not great, as Marv Lachman would say. But a pretty good soundtrack overall. It certainly revived The Contours’ career.
Never have sat through FOOTLOOSE nor DIRTY DANCING, while enjoying much of the vintage soundtrack in the latter (never purchased a copy); did see FLASHDANCE, I think because my friend wanted to see it (I vaguely recall her apolozing), and it was amusingly insanely bad.
I think the Official Title of the one song was “In the Still of the Nite”…to the annoyance of English teachers for decades. As the current WIKIP article notes: ‘”In the Still of the Nite”, also subsequently titled “In the Still of the Night”, is a song written by Fred Parris and recorded by his band the Five Satins in 1956. Originally the song was titled “(I’ll Remember) In the Still of the Nite” to distinguish itself from Cole Porter’s “In the Still of the Night.” Later the title was changed to “In the Still of the Night”.’–hence I guess proper spelling triumphed
Patrick Swayze was quite the craze. Wasn’t he in Ghost too? I think dance-craze was everywhere in the eighties. In India, there was Disco Dancer which did phenomenal business in India and abroad.
I like the early songs like “Hey Baby”, “Love Is Strange”, and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, but stuff like “Hungry Eyes” and “She’s Like the Wind” I can do without.
Because Patrick Swayze was no singer, Deb
Jeff, Patrick Swayze’s “She’s Like The Wind”reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1988. Worldwide, it became a top-10 hit in nine other countries, including Belgium, Canada, and Ireland, as well as in France in November 1992. But, you’re right: Swayze can’t sing.
Deb, along with the songs from the early 1960s, this soundtrack includes songs from the 1980s. Jarring!
I like some of the songs, but I never saw the movie. Just not my bag. I always wondered why the hell someone would want to put Baby in a corner.
Jerry, Baby goes to a lot of places…
The movie was watchable – good but not great, as Marv Lachman would say. But a pretty good soundtrack overall. It certainly revived The Contours’ career.
Favorite songs:
Be My Baby
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Hey! Baby
One thing I never knew until decades later was that the harmonica part in “Hey! BABY” was played by Delbert McClinton.
Not a fan, but at least it wasn’t the dumbest dance movie of the ’80s. That would be FOOTLOOSE.
Don’t forget FLASHDANCE, Fred ” Welder by day, dancer by night.”
Jeff, FLASHDANCE (1983) cost $6 million to make and took in $201 million at the Box Office.
Fred, FOOTLOOSE (1984) cost $7.5 million to make and took in $80 million. DIRTY DANCING (1987) cost $6 million to make…and took in $214 million!
Never have sat through FOOTLOOSE nor DIRTY DANCING, while enjoying much of the vintage soundtrack in the latter (never purchased a copy); did see FLASHDANCE, I think because my friend wanted to see it (I vaguely recall her apolozing), and it was amusingly insanely bad.
I think the Official Title of the one song was “In the Still of the Nite”…to the annoyance of English teachers for decades. As the current WIKIP article notes: ‘”In the Still of the Nite”, also subsequently titled “In the Still of the Night”, is a song written by Fred Parris and recorded by his band the Five Satins in 1956. Originally the song was titled “(I’ll Remember) In the Still of the Nite” to distinguish itself from Cole Porter’s “In the Still of the Night.” Later the title was changed to “In the Still of the Night”.’–hence I guess proper spelling triumphed
Todd, I occasionally hear “In the Still of the Night” on Sirius/XM Radio.
Patrick Swayze was quite the craze. Wasn’t he in Ghost too? I think dance-craze was everywhere in the eighties. In India, there was Disco Dancer which did phenomenal business in India and abroad.
Neeru, you’re right about Swayze in GHOST. Another hit movie! The 1980s had a lot of heavy metal music and dance music!
I love the movie, the music, the setting, the actors.
Patti, my sisters rewatch DIRTY DANCING yearly!