Since Jim and I took a couple of years of Ballroom and Latin dance classes, we would like to use our ahem skills at our wedding reception, but we’re having a little bit of difficulty finding popular songs that are of specific types. Our dance teacher isn’t much help; the only music he’ll play in class are songs that have a specific beat, but that nobody knows. Anyone know any popular songs that are: waltz, foxtrot, jive/swing, merengue, cha-cha, or salsa? An example of what we’re looking for is something like Wham’s “Wake me up before you go-go”, which is a great jive.
Not sure if it’d be considered a popular song at this point (hey, it was a long time ago!), but at our wedding we waltzed to Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.”
In theory, I think you should be able to waltz to anything with a 3/4, and foxtrot to anything with a 4/4 - maybe spend a fun day with your cds listening for meter?
Best of luck!
Bumping this in the hopes of getting a few more ideas
What about current Latin influences, like Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Nelly Furtado, Gloria Estefan, etc? I cant think of a particular song, but I’ll bet one of those artists has something fun and appropriate you could use.
I am not big into country music, but “When I Say I Do” by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman is a perfect waltz.
Let me check a thread elsewhere really quick-I’ll get right back to you…
Ok I’m back.
waltzes-
Fascination-Nat King Cole
Kissed by a Rose-Seal
Rainbow Connection-Kermit the Frog. ( PERFECT waltz time. And whimsical, too, if that’s you!)
fox trots-
At Last-Etta James
It Had to be You-Connick or Bennett
many of the Sinatra tunes
slow swing-
Somewhere (Beyond the Sea) Bobby Darrin
L-O-V-E- Nat King Cole
faster swing
Crazy Little Thing called Love-Queen (wouldnt this be COOL?)
Got the World on a String (?)
I dont know of any mainstream songs that would be good for cha-cha, merengue, etc, except the Latin ones already mentioned.
Also try the Buena Vista Social Club CD, which is lots of fun, and the Gypsy Kings?
Thanks so much, sidle. Posting this was worth it just to get “Kissed by a Rose”, one of both of our favourite songs. I’m terrible with metre - I didn’t realize it was a waltz. Other great suggestions, too. Jim probably has the album with Kermit’s song on it - especially if it’s a soundtrack. Going through our own music to figure this out is a good idea, but between the two of us, we probably have close to a thousand LPs, tapes and CDs (I was hoping to take the lazy way out with this thread :D).
Featherlou, my wife and I don’t do much fast Latin, so I can’t help much with merengue, salsa, and the like.
However, we did fox trot our wedding dance to Harry Connick Jr.'s “It Had to Be You”. Our wedding party dance was a single swing to the Stray Cat’s “Rock This Town”.
Speaking of Stray Cats, if you are looking for swing, check out the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s recent music. Also, Huey Lewis (of the News) put out a decent swing album a few years ago.
A rumba could also make a romantic wedding dance. It seems like half of light-rock music goes to a rumba beat, so finding a rumba should be no problem.
I’m surprised your teacher isn’t more helpful.
As a person who doesn’t know you in the least, may I suggest “There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill. It’s so schmaltzy and clichéd, it would fit any wedding!
It’s was kinda popular in the middle of the new wave era and reincarnated by Guy Richie in his lastest film;
The Stranglers…Golden Brown