1982: Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) - Q-Feel

Every week (oops, missed last week!) a London DJ chooses a summer track from each year of the 80s which embodies the season for them. After Readers Wife, Kim Phaggs's 1981 trip down memory lane, we're parked up at 1982.


Here's Holestar an artist, performer and DJ about town.
My father was in the Army so I spent the 80s on the move and ended up in Ayos Nicholias, Cyprus for a few years. Entertainment was limited to BFPS television (one channel, showing out of date shows for Forces families) so we would often travel to the video shop in Dhekelia where for some reason, you could keep the videos for months at a time. Some of the films that I watched on repeat include Victor/Victoria (funny that...), Teen Wolf, Bachelor Party (Tom Hank's finest hour) and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun which stared a young Sarah Jessica Parker (before her face looked like an elbow), Helen Hunt and a 12 year old Shannen Doherty working a stone washed denim look.

The basis premise of the film is a girl who spends her life moving around, ends up in Chicago who “loves to dance”. She enters a competition to appear on DTV (Dance TV, a pseudo version of dance shows Soul Train or American Bandstand), meets a boy, has some competition from a spoilt minx etc etc. Its a typical teenage comedy romp but still better than most of the teen dance films around today. There are some great songs on the soundtrack (notably Technique and Too Cruel) but its Q-Feel's Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) that stand out for me.

Played during the compulsory dance-off at the end of the film, it starts off sounding like a pop ballad but quickly moves into a dance floor shaker with incredible synth lines, an uplifting chorus, dramatic middle 8 and nonsensical lyrics. It was entered as A Song for Europe in 1982 but came a miserable 6th and unfortunately remains a one hit wonder for Q-Feel.

This song reminds me of two and a half year summer living in Cyprus. Blonde haired, carefree, finishing school at 12.30 to spend the rest of the day on the beach and chasing lizards around the house.

I could listen to this on a loop. It's a catchy, under-rated piece of 80s pop and very uplifting.

I tend not to play it out as its too fast for a warm up, a bit camp for a main set. It seems to work best when dancing around in my pants but this often overlooked gem certainly deserves a revival as a summer stomper.

Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) - Q-Feel (zShare)

And here's Q-Feel appearing on A Song For Europe. Vare orange!



Holestar gets about a bit! As well as being an artist, she regularly performs at venues like Duckie, DJs at Bollox in Manchester and is the self-titled Tranny with a Fanny. She's currently making a film about London's alternative queer scene at The Downlow (the Horsemeat boys all-embracing dance tent extravaganza complete with NYC street scenes) at Glastonbury titled Ring Them Bells as well as being part of the hugely successful collective. She'll be whooping it up right now down at the festival of festivals. Oh, and BTW, Holestar hearts you over at facebook!

Previous 80s summer posts
1980: Jump to the Beat - Stacy Lattisaw
1981: Japanese Boy - Aneka