Released Early 1983 Recorded Late 1982 | Format 7", 12", cassette, CD Genre New wave, synthpop | |
A-side The Politics of Dancing B-side Flex It (North America) / Cruel World (Europe) | ||
"The Politics of Dancing" is a hit song by the British band Re-Flex, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). It is the title track of their only released album in the 1980s. There were 12" extended versions of the song released, as well as the 7" single and the album version. The Capitol Records (U.S.) 12" extended version notably became the first such instance of a UK band to top the American dance charts. The song was written by keyboard player/backing vocalist and band co-founder Paul Fishman.
It became the biggest hit of their career, peaking at number 28 in the United Kingdom and number 24 in the United States. It also peaked at number eight on the U.S. dance chart. The band managed to chart two more singles in the UK, but only managed to get one more single in the US. This song remains their signature song.
In 1994, the full-length version of the track was included on the first-time release of the album on CD, on the One Way Records label. As of September 2010, the album -- and the full length version of the track -- were remastered and released, alone and as part of a 6-disc box set of the band's cumulative work during that era, entitled Re-Fuse.