Groups that officially include a full-time dancer in the band?
March 16, 2014 8:02 AM Subscribe
Example: Bez from The Happy Mondays
I am looking to compile a list of music groups that featured a permanent member whose role is to dance. (Well, it is okay if they have a tambourine or shake maracas.) I went back through fifteen pages of search results, so I apologize if I missed something.
Here is Bez performing with The Happy Mondays: Performance. He receives royalties from their music.
Can you name any other groups that feature a dancer?
I am looking to compile a list of music groups that featured a permanent member whose role is to dance. (Well, it is okay if they have a tambourine or shake maracas.) I went back through fifteen pages of search results, so I apologize if I missed something.
Here is Bez performing with The Happy Mondays: Performance. He receives royalties from their music.
Can you name any other groups that feature a dancer?
The Hidden Cameras.
posted by bcwinters at 8:08 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by bcwinters at 8:08 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Chicago's Mucca Pazza has cheerleaders.
posted by HeroZero at 8:10 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by HeroZero at 8:10 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Blue Aeroplanes.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:10 AM on March 16, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by unknowncommand at 8:10 AM on March 16, 2014 [3 favorites]
I don't know if they still do, but the Butthole Surfers used to feature a naked young woman with a shaved head.
posted by mikeand1 at 8:12 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mikeand1 at 8:12 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Beats Antique
posted by rancidchickn at 8:14 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by rancidchickn at 8:14 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
I don't know if they still do, but the Butthole Surfers used to feature a naked young woman with a shaved head.
That was Kathleen Lynch, FYI. She stopped performing with them in '89.
posted by mykescipark at 8:15 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
That was Kathleen Lynch, FYI. She stopped performing with them in '89.
posted by mykescipark at 8:15 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Portland 90s band Hazel had one Fred Nemo, dancer. Here is some video footage.
posted by safetyfork at 8:23 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by safetyfork at 8:23 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Prodigy had Leroy Thornhill and I think another guy that just danced.
posted by umberto at 8:43 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by umberto at 8:43 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hawkwind for a time had Stacia as their dancer.
’80s British indie band The Blue Aeroplanes had a dancer called Wojtek Dmochowski.
posted by misteraitch at 8:44 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
’80s British indie band The Blue Aeroplanes had a dancer called Wojtek Dmochowski.
posted by misteraitch at 8:44 AM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
Tilly and the Wall
posted by classa at 8:50 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by classa at 8:50 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Open House is a trad band consisting of fiddle (Kevin Burke), mandolin(Paul Kotapish), harmonica (Mark Graham), and "percussive dance" (Sandy Silva). They've been performing together on-and-off since 1992; they performed regularly till 1999 and had a reunion tour as recently as 2010.
posted by mr vino at 9:04 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mr vino at 9:04 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
George Clinton and the p-funk all stars
posted by Elly Vortex at 9:50 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Elly Vortex at 9:50 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Does the old man in Arrested Development count?
"They were even more distinguishable for the presence of member Baba Oje, a stately gentleman in his sixties, who primarily just sat around in a rocking chair during performances."
posted by Beardman at 10:30 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
"They were even more distinguishable for the presence of member Baba Oje, a stately gentleman in his sixties, who primarily just sat around in a rocking chair during performances."
posted by Beardman at 10:30 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
The 70s/80s German band Dschinghis Khan had one. Here he is in action: Moskau.
Also, David Byrne's 2008/9 tour for Everything That Happens Will Happen Today included dancers for most (if not all - I can't remember) of the songs.
posted by bibliowench at 10:40 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, David Byrne's 2008/9 tour for Everything That Happens Will Happen Today included dancers for most (if not all - I can't remember) of the songs.
posted by bibliowench at 10:40 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Howard Jones used to have a mime performing with him in the early days.
posted by kindall at 10:47 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by kindall at 10:47 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Prince has employed dancers over the years; there were a few in The Revolution and Mayte Garcia (his wife for a brief spell in the '90s) danced as part of The New Power Generation.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:52 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:52 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Satan's Cheerleaders were the dancers for the Warlock Pinchers.
also, VOTE BEZ!
posted by scody at 10:57 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
also, VOTE BEZ!
posted by scody at 10:57 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Flowered Up featured a dancer called Barry Mooncult.
posted by jontyjago at 11:29 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jontyjago at 11:29 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Slymenstra was originally a dancer for GWAR although later began singing backup, then one song as lead vocalist.
posted by K.P. at 11:53 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by K.P. at 11:53 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Johnny Maldoror plays tambourine and acts crazy on stage for the Breastfeeders.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 11:56 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 11:56 AM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Another: Paul Rutherford from Frankie Goes to Hollywood (though he also sang backing vocals, so I don't know if he strictly meets your criteria).
posted by scody at 12:41 PM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 12:41 PM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Maybe a bit of a stretch but Split Enz had Noel Crombie who was their official spoon player as well as costume and hair designer.
posted by kariebookish at 2:33 PM on March 16, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by kariebookish at 2:33 PM on March 16, 2014 [3 favorites]
The Flametrick Subs would often appear with Satan's Cheerleaders.
posted by adamrice at 4:05 PM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by adamrice at 4:05 PM on March 16, 2014 [2 favorites]
There's a bit of this in old-school hip-hop--besides the S1Ws, there was also Scoob Luva and Scrap Luva (Big Daddy Kane); G-Whiz, Eddie F and the late Trouble T-Roy (Heavy D and the Boyz (maybe worth noting that they also did background vocals and, in Eddie's case, occasional production).
posted by box at 4:47 PM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 4:47 PM on March 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Impotent Sea Snakes, Rocket from the Crypt (during the Scream, Dracula, Scream era) and the Creepy Creeps.
posted by Atom12 at 6:20 AM on March 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Atom12 at 6:20 AM on March 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Tupac Shakur started out in Digital Underground as a dancer and hype man, and only rarely contributed a verse on record.
posted by Smallpox at 8:55 AM on March 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Smallpox at 8:55 AM on March 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks! I'll be going through all of these suggestions. I'll mark this question as resolved.
posted by 99percentfake at 6:33 PM on March 17, 2014
posted by 99percentfake at 6:33 PM on March 17, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:02 AM on March 16, 2014 [8 favorites]