"Dance Floor" by Zapp

Ohio groove masters Zapp thrilled funk lovers with the electrifying single “Dance Floor” in 1982. This explosive funk track blew up the airwaves and had folks setting dance floors on fire. It was refreshing to have a band like Zapp who was still dropping pure, hard-hittin’ funk in the early ‘80s, a time when a lot of popular funk and R&B acts were starting to water down their funk. The track features the band’s signature electro-funk sound, replete with nasty chicken-scratch guitar licks, a ferocious synth bass line, booming handclaps and a dynamic beat. And bandleader Roger Troutman further elevates the funk level with his imaginative talkbox work. The track also boasts some high-voltage synth vamps, a smoldering guitar solo and a fantastic bridge.

“Dance Floor” was a single from the band’s second album Zapp II, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1982. It was co-written and arranged by Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman. The song peaked at #62 on Billboard’s dance club chart and topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart. Zapp II also performed extremely well on the charts, peaking at #2 on Billboard’s R&B album chart and #25 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, with 500,000 units sold. The collection was co-produced by Roger Troutman and Terry “Zapp” Troutman.

“Dance Floor” has been sampled on 103 songs, including “California Love” (2Pac, featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman), “Wanted Dead Or Alive (2Pac and Snoop Dogg) and “Somethin’ For The O.G.’s (MC Hammer), per WhoSampled.com. The song has been featured on the soundtracks for the Mariah Carey-starring film Glitter (2001) and acclaimed HBO series The Wire (season 5, episode 7 in 2008).

The players on “Dance Floor” included Roger Troutman (talkbox, guitar, bass, keyboards, background vocals), Lester Troutman (drums) and Larry Troutman (percussion). The horn section consisted of Jerome Derrickson (saxophone), Eddie Barber (trumpet), Randy Wallace (saxophone) and Michael Warren. The background vocals were provided by Terry “Zapp” Troutman, Gregory Jackson, Bobby Glover, Jannetta Boyce Warren, Sherman Fleetwood, Ray Davis and Roger Troutman.  

Zapp performing "Dance Floor" live

"Dance Floor" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" Helped Set Off A Dynamic New Sound