With last weekend’s overcast weather, most Minnesotans got shut out of Supermoon’s appearance and the chance to see for themselves the unusual lunar light show.
Luckily, a plethora of photographers — from the North Shore’s Grand Marais to those scattered all around the world — captured vivid images that are sure to wow viewers. In addition, check out some of National Geographic’s favorite Supermoon photos.
All of that attention got me wondering what it is about lunar light that prompts all those songs about dancing under its spell. There are quite a few. Feel free to add your suggestions to this sampler in the Comment section below.
We may as well start with a perfectly themed song, King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight.”
• Same name/different song: Here are a couple of versions of “Dancing in the Moonlight”: one by Smashing Pumpkins and the other by Thin Lizzy.
And then a list of other worthy dancing/moonlight combos:
• Tony Bennett and k.d. lang’s version of the standard “Moonglow.”
• And in its more elaborate form, we have the moonlight medley of “Moonglow/Theme From ‘Picnic,’ ” the wonderful 1955 film starring William Holden and Kim Novak in this still-captivating dance scene.
• Van Morrison’s “Moondance.”
• The Olympics’ doo-wop “Dance by the Light of the Moon.”
• Pete Seeger’s version of “Buffalo Gals,” a song featured, of course, in the annual classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
• And versions of two Cole Porter standards: Robbie Williams’ “It’s Delovely” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Begin the Beguine,” plus this stunning “Beguine” dance sequence by Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell.
• And we’ll end with my favorite, Neil Young’s hypnotic “Harvest Moon.”
