The Dance Years

The Dance Years is a British documentary series created by Glenn Sims and written and presented by radio DJ Dave Pearce.[1] It premiered on 21 July 2001 on the British channel ITV. The 14-episode series[2] focused on dance music in the UK between 1988 and 2001, with each episode charting Pearce's personal top 10 dance tracks for a particular year.[3] The programme also explored the year's most influential people, songs and nightclubs. Each episode was broadcast on ITV[4] on Saturday mornings at approximately 1 a.m.[5] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian described The Dance Years as being part of a "bumper year" for retrospectives of dance music.[6]

The Dance Years
Title sequence for first episode
Genre	Documentary
Created by	Glenn Sims
Written by	Dave Pearce
Presented by	Dave Pearce
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	14
Production
Producer	Anna Kingsley / Paul Sampson
Editor	Tim Rogg
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Hewland International
Release
Original network	ITV
Original release	21 April – 21 July 2001
External links
Production website

The show featured talking head interviews with artists such as Double 99, Artful Dodger, Faithless, Slipmatt, Fabio, Judge Jules, Joey Negro, Sneaker Pimps, Boy George, Tony Wilson, Graeme Park, Roger Sanchez, Phats & Small and M&S. Following the TV series of The Dance Years, Pearce went on to release a set of compilation albums under the same name in 2009,[7] and hosted a similarly titled radio series in 2012.[8]

Episodes

No.	Year	Written by	Original air date
1	"1988"	Dave Pearce	21 April 2001
Top 10 for 1988 S'Express – Theme from S'Express Inner City – Good Life Raze – Break 4 Love Kym Mazelle – Got to Get You Back Mory Kante – Ye Ke Ye Ke D Mob – We Call It Aciied! Bomb the Bass – Beat Dis M/A/R/R/S – Pump Up the Volume The Beatmasters – Rok da House Rob Base & C-Z Rock – It Takes Two
2	"1989"	Dave Pearce	28 April 2001
Top 10 for 1989
3	"1990"	Dave Pearce	5 May 2001
Top 10 for 1990
4	"1991"	Dave Pearce	12 May 2001
Top 10 for 1991
5	"1992"	Dave Pearce	19 May 2001
Hardcore is taking over the country, legal/licensed raves are attended by tens of thousands, the huge castlemorton free party is attended by 40,000 but is shut down by the police and Back to Basics in Leeds is born. Top 10 for 1992 Liquid – Sweet Harmony Ce Ce Peniston – Finally Civilles and Cole – A Deeper Love Bizarre Inc – I'm Gonna Get You Felix – Don't You Want Me The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds Future Sound of London – Papua New Guinea SL2 – On a Ragga Tip Urban Shakedown – Some Justice The Prodigy – Out of Space
6	"1993"	Dave Pearce	26 May 2001
The clubbing scene becomes more dominant with venues such as Turnmills, The Ministry Of Sound and Gatecrasher becoming ever more popular. Top 10 for 1993 Leftfield and John Lydon – Open Up Urban Cookie Collective – The Key, The Secret U.S.U.R.A. – Open Your Mind Juliet Roberts – Caught in the Middle Baby D – Let Me Be Your Fantasy Golden Girls – Kinetic Shades of Rhythm – Sounds of Eden Underworld – Rez Slam – Positive Education Jaydee – Plastic Dreams
7	"1994"	Dave Pearce	2 June 2001
Top 10 for 1994
8	"1995"	Dave Pearce	9 June 2001
Drum and Bass emerges from the Jungle scene and takes off with nights like Speed headlined by LTJ Bukem and Fabio and Metalheadz headlined by Goldie. Ibiza becomes ever popular with clubs like Speed, Cafe Del Mar and Manumission attracting thousands. Top 10 for 1995 Livin' Joy – Dreamer Everything But the Girl – Missing Nightcrawlers – Push the Feeling On The Bucketheads – The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind) Grace – Not Over Yet Josh Wink – Higher State of Consciousness (remix) De'Lacy – Hideaway Adam F – Circles Alex Reece – Feel the Sunshine Wildchild – Renegade Master (Fatboy Slim remix)
9	"1996"	Dave Pearce	16 June 2001
The Progressive House term is discussed, Trade celebrates its 10th birthday, Mr C's The End is paid a visit and Basement Jaxx hit the scene. Top 10 for 1996 Underworld – Born Slippy The Prodigy – Firestarter Tori Amos – Professional Widow Todd Terry – Keep on Jumpin' Hysteric Ego – Want Love Farley and Heller – Ultra Flava Gusto – Disco's Revenge B.B.E. – Seven Days and One Week Chicane – Offshore Faithless – Insomnia
10	"1997"	Dave Pearce	23 June 2001
The Speed Garage scene explodes in London, the French start to make their stamp on the House scene, Big Beat is pioneered by Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers, Universe continue apace with their outdoor parties and Underworld become one of the biggest PA's around which Dave discusses with Darren Emerson. Top 10 for 1997 Ultra Nate – Free Olive – You're Not Alone Todd Terry – Something's Going On Chemical Brothers – Block Rockin' Beats Tina Moore – Never Gonna Let You Go Daft Punk – Da Funk Roni Size – Brown Paper Bag Brainbug – Nightmare Sneaker Pimps – Spin Spin Sugar (Armand Van Helden remix) Double 99 – Ripgroove
11	"1998"	Dave Pearce	30 June 2001
The Big Beat scene in Brighton is covered, opinions of modern-day Ibiza, compilation albums and drugs and the dance scene are also discussed. Top 10 for 1998 Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You Spacedust - Gym and Tonic Mousse T – I'm Horny Run-D.M.C. vs. Jason Nevins – It's Like That David Morales – Needin' You Energy 52 – Café del Mar '98 MJ Cole – Be Sincere Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank The Wiseguys – Ooh La La Tzant – Sounds of the Wickedness
12	"1999"	Dave Pearce	7 July 2001
Top 10 for 1999 Armand van Helden – You Don't Know Me Phats and Small – Turn Around Moloko – Sing It Back Yomanda – Synth and Strings
13	"2000"	Dave Pearce	14 July 2001
Dave and his guests discuss the Hardhouse scene, 2 step garage has taken off, as has the Cyprus holiday destination – Ayia Napa. As a result Ayia Napa vs Ibiza is discussed. Top 10 for 2000 Modjo – Lady (Hear Me Tonight) Spiller – Groovejet Black Legend – You See the Trouble with Me Sonique – Feels So Good Artful Dodger featuring Craig David – Re-Rewind DJ Luck & MC Neat – With a Little Bit of Luck Daft Punk – One More Time Bob Sinclar – I Feel for You Azzido Da Bass – Dooms Night Darude – Sandstorm
14	"2001"	Dave Pearce	21 July 2001
This episode features an interview with DJ Rap and a feature on Pete Tong. Old Skool is enjoying a revival and also gives birth to the New School Breaks scene, the future technology of music and its gadgets are reviewed, and the "Next Big Thing" is discussed. Top 10 for 2001 Rui da Silva – Touch Me Jakatta – American Dream M&S presents The Girl Next Door – Salsoul Nugget (If U Wanna) Chocolate Puma – I Wanna Be You DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies – Do You Really Like It? Bel Amour – Bel Amour Eddy Grant – Electric Avenue (remix) Roger Sanchez – Another Chance Kosheen – (Slip & Slide) Suicide Basement Jaxx – Romeo

See also

Similar programmes

• Gonzo
• NEWsic*

References

1. "Short Biography March 2012". davepearce.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
2. "Welcome to HEWLAND INTERNATIONAL". Hewland International. 2002. Archived from the original on 28 November 2002. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
3. Skiddle Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
4. Pressbox Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
5. Robinson, John (29 June 2001). "Music TV". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
6. Lynskey, Dorian (11 January 2002). "The old skool reunion". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
7. The Belfast Telegraph
8. Music Week Archived 14 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• The Dance Years at the British Film Institute
• The Dance Years at IMDb