Do You Wanna Dance
The Swim
C'mon and Swim
Bobby Freeman released DO YOU WANNA DANCE but Chris Montez had the hit. His track THE SWIM followed the dance theme and became a soul classic in the mid sixties in Manchester. He followed up with C'Mon and Swim and then The Duck. In those days many many records were about dances, new ones, old ones, invented ones - The Hitch Hike, The Watusi and so on. The Shag never took off in the UK as the title was just too suggestive.
Everyone seemed to copy everyone else, Chubby Checker taking Hank Ballard and the Midnighters' original Twist, and Jackie Lee doing Freeman's S-W-I-M. Then With Bobby Freemen doing Jackie Lee's DUCK!
It was C'mon and Swim that was big at the Twisted Wheel.
BORN: June 13, 1940, San Francisco
Bobby Freeman was from San Francisco and started The Romancers as a 14-year old and later formed The West Coast Vocaleers. Their sound was more pop-centric than the Harlem group of the same name. The single Do You Wanna Dance just missed topping the R & B charts in 1958 - it was at number two for a couple of weeks (number five pop Billboard). It was later covered by Chris Montez. He recorded others on Josie - Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes and Need Your Love . C'Mon and Swim and SWIM were re-released in the 1964 dance craze era and reached the USA Top Ten R & B number five. S-W-I-M reached 56.
Song Lyrics - The Swim Bobby Freeman
C'mon everybody, c'mon in
Bobby's gonna show you how to do the swim
Kinda like the monkey, kinda like the twist
Pretend you're in the water and you go like this
Now baby swim, baby do the swim
Just like the dog but not so low
Like the hully gully but not so slow
Now baby swim, baby do the swim
Do what you wanna, do like you wish
C'mon baby now and swim like a fish
Baby swim, now baby come on in
Shake it up baby twist and shout
Now do the swim baby now work it on out
Now baby swim, baby do the swim
Do what you wanna, it's alright
Bobby's gonna show you how to swim tonight
Now baby swim
C'mon baby, I want you to swim
Oh yeah, do the dog paddle baby
Now do the backstroke
Shake it up baby, twist and shout
Now do the swim baby now work it on out
Now baby swim, baby do the swim
Do what you wanna it's alright
Cause Bobby's gonna do the swim for you tonight
Now baby swim