Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)

"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"
Single by The Jacksons
from the album Destiny
Released	1979
Format	7" single 12" maxi single
Recorded	August 1978 in Los Angeles, California
Genre	Disco funk
Length	8:00 (album) 3:47 (7") 8:37 (Extended) 2:27 (Immortal version)
Label	Epic 8-50656
Writer(s)	Randy Jackson Michael Jackson
Producer(s)	The Jacksons
The Jacksons singles chronology
"Blame It on the Boogie" (1978) "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1979) "Destiny" (1979)
Destiny track listing "Things I Do for You" (3) "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (4) "Destiny" (5) This Is It track listing "The Way You Make Me Feel" (6) "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (7) "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (8)

"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" is a song recorded by The Jacksons for their 1978 album Destiny, and released as a single in 1979. It peaked at no. 7 in the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1979.^[1]

The most successful of the Jacksons' recordings for Epic, "Shake Your Body" (originally demoed as "Shake a Body") was produced by the Jackson brothers, written by Randy and Michael, and featured Michael on lead vocals. The chorus "let's dance/let's shout (shout)/shake your body down to the ground" was inspired by an ad-lib from Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up": "Let's dance/let's shout (shout)/gettin' funky's what it's all about" and the rhythmic pattern from Teddy Pendergrass's "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose" (from his album Life Is a Song Worth Singing, released a couple of months previously).

Release

Released to radio in a single edit of three minutes and forty-five seconds (and played in its full eight-minute album version by clubs), the single reached no. 3 in Cash Box magazine and peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[2] It also peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.^[2] The ensuing 12" Disco Single Remix featured a more focused drum and rhythm track, as well as the new synthesizer-voiced three octave climbing glissando that was not heard on the album version. "Shake Your Body" sold over two million copies, attaining double-platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The B-side on the 7" was "That's What You Get (For Being Polite)".

Live performances

The first performance of "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" was on the second leg of The Jacksons' Destiny Tour in 1979. Later, it was performed on the Triumph Tour in 1981. In 1984 it was performed on the Victory Tour. In 1987, it was performed on the first leg of Jackson's Bad Tour. It was also performed during the Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary concerts at the Madison Square Garden in New York City in September 2001; it would be the last song performed live by the Jacksons before the death of Michael Jackson in 2009. The song was going to be performed as an instrumental interlude (merged with Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough) during Jackson's 2009-2010 This Is It concert series at London's O2 Arena, which was cancelled due to his sudden death. The song was remixed and released on the deluxe edition of the Michael Jackson's Immortal album.

Personnel

• Written and composed by Randy Jackson and Michael Jackson
• Lead vocals by Michael Jackson
• Background vocals by Jackie Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson and Marlon Jackson
• Produced and vocal arrangements by The Jacksons
• Rhythm arrangements by Greg Phillinganes
• Horn and strings arranged by Tom Washington (Tom Tom 84)
• Keyboards and synthesizers by Greg Phillinganes and Mike Boddicker
• Drums by Ed Green
• Percussion by Paulinho da Costa
• Guitar by Tito Jackson

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1979) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 59 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 6 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[5] 4 Canada (CHUM)[6] 5 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[7] 5 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 13 France (IFOP)[9] 30 Ireland (IRMA)[10] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 8 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[14] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[2] 7 US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[2] 3 US Cash Box[15] 5 US Record World[16] 3 Chart (2009) Peak position US Billboard Hot Digital Songs[2] 50

Year-end charts Chart (1979) Rank Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 46 Canada (RPM Top 200 Singles)[18] 98 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 34 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 19 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 25 US Cash Box[22] 26 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/Sales Canada (Music Canada)[23] Gold 75,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Silver 250,000^^ United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 2,000,000^^ ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Samples

The song was sampled by reggae fusion artist Shaggy for his 2000 single "Dance & Shout".^[26] It was also sampled by rapper Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock on their song "Get on the Dance Floor".^[27]

References

1. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 91 (20): 100. May 19, 1979. ISSN 0006-2510.
2. "Destiny – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
3. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
4. "Ultratop.be – The Jacksons – Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
5. "Radio2 Top 30 : 21 april 1979" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
6. CHART NUMBER 1167 – Saturday, May 26, 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived November 7, 2006). CHUM.
7. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 4750b." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4734a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
9. "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "The Jacksons" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Shake Your Body". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Jacksons - Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
12. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Jacksons – Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
13. "Charts.org.nz – The Jacksons – Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
14. "Archive Chart: 1979-04-21" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
15. CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 19, 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived February 5, 2011). Cash Box magazine.
16. RECORD WORLD 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived May 11, 2005). Record World. Geocities.com.
17. "Jaaroverzichten 1979" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
18. "Top Singles – Volume 32, No. 13, December 22, 1979". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
19. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
20. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1979" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
21. "Top 100 Hits for 1979". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
22. The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived August 25, 2012). Cash Box magazine.
23. "Canadian single certifications – Jacksons – Shake Your Body". Music Canada.
24. "British single certifications – Jacksons – Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
25. "American single certifications – The Jacksons – Shake Your Body". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
26. "Shaggy feat. Pee Wee's Dance & Shout sample of The Jacksons's Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)". WhoSampled. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
27. "Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's Get on the Dance Floor sample of The Jacksons's Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)". WhoSampled. Retrieved June 14, 2013.