“Dancing Machine” is exciting, high-adrenaline disco-funk. The dynamic groove is masterfully arranged and features supertight musicianship from the talented session players. It boasts a scorching beat, superb bass work, and wicked rhythm guitar licks. Michael and Jermaine both deliver strong vocal performances. Jermaine’s rich, butter-smooth vocals provide a nice contrast to Michael's explosive vocals. The track also features a fantastic instrumental break and an indelible chorus. The other Jackson brothers–Tito, Jackie, and Marlon–provide sturdy vocal support with their soulful harmonies.
The Jackson 5’s producer Hal Davis came up with the song idea for “Dancing Machine” after a woman on the Motown staff would regularly come into his office and dance whenever he played music. He told fellow label songwriter Don Fletcher, “She’s a dancing machine.” Working from this title, Davis and Fletcher wrote the song with guitarist Dean Parks. The song was originally an album track on the Jackson 5’s eighth studio album G.I.T.: Get It Together, released in September 1973. A remixed, edited version of the song was released as a single on February 19, 1974. It topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group’s first U.S. top ten hit on the pop charts since “Sugar Daddy” in 1971. The song also performed well on the charts in Canada, peaking at #2. The remixed version of “Dancing Machine” became the title track of the Jackson 5’s ninth studio album, released on September 5, 1974.
“Dancing Machine” is widely considered a classic and one of the group’s most recognized songs. It has sold more than three million copies to date. The song also earned the Jackson 5 their second Grammy nomination in 1975 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals, but it lost to Rufus’s hit “Tell Me Something Good.”
During live performances of “Dancing Machine,” Michael Jackson would unleash his incredible robot dance solo on the instrumental break, astonishing audience members with his flawless moves. His eye-popping robot solo let everyone know that his dance skills were just as strong as his tremendous vocal abilities. Moreover, the dance break helped further popularize the physically complex “robot” dance technique, first developed by Charles Washington in the late 1960s; however, its roots date back to the 1920s, when it was used theatrically in miming.
“Dancing Machine” has been sampled on 33 songs, including “Bitties in the BK Lounge” (De La Soul), “Automatic” (E-40, featuring Fabolous), and “Like This” (Girl Talk).
The song has been featured on many film soundtracks, including Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2019), Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off The Wall (2016), Four Brothers (2005), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Contact (1997), The Inkwell (1994), and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988). It has also been featured on numerous TV series, including Glastonbury 2017 (2017), The Jacksons: An American Dream (season 1, episode 2, part II, 1992), In Living Color (season 3, episode 21, 1992), Quantum Leap (season 1, episode 4, 1989), and Diff’rent Strokes (season 1, episode 18, 1979). Additionally, the song was featured on the soundtrack of the video game Karaoke Revolution (2009).
The session musicians who played on “Dancing Machine” were William Salter (bass), James Gadson (drums), Joe Sample (keyboards), Bobbye Hall (percussion), and guitars: Dean Parks, David T. Walker, and Arthur Wright. It was produced by Hal Davis and arranged by Arthur Wright.
