Let's Hear It for the Boy
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Let's Hear It for the Boy is a 1984 song by Deniece Williams written by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford . The song is 4:20 minutes long and appeared on the album of the same name. It was used in the film Footloose .
Emergence
The song was written for the film Footloose and is used in a scene in which Kevin Bacon teaches the awkward Chris Penn to dance. Originally, a different piece was planned for the scene, but the crew got tired of it after around eight months of shooting. As screenwriter Dean Pitchford reported, those involved wanted a new, fresher song with female vocals. So he wrote a new text about a girl who thinks her boyfriend is great, even though he always steps on her feet while dancing; Tom Snow composed a melody for it. Pitchford knew Deniece Williams from working on the theme song for Hell Hunt to the End of the World and he asked Williams and producer George Duke to record the song. He wasn't satisfied with the first take because Williams' vocals seemed "too girlish" to him. However, Williams was back in New York City at the time , but the studio was in Los Angeles . The singer was flown in at short notice and took up the singing again within 20 minutes at 11 p.m. Williams did not know in which scene her song should be used until the film premiere.
Charts and awards
The song was released on February 14, 1984 and was a number one hit in the United States and Canada . The single was the second of five top 40 hits from the soundtrack to the film Footloose . The song was nominated for the 1985 Academy Awards, but lost to Stevie Wonders I Just Called to Say I Love You . Let's Hear It for the Boy was awarded platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America .
Music video
At the beginning of the video, a boy sits alone in a classroom next to a blackboard that says “I shouldn't fidget” (“I will not fidget”). He wriggles his legs and is amazed at Deniece Williams' appearance. They both dance in class and go to another room where a young man is playing a piano. Williams puts on a record whereupon he begins to dance too. After that, Williams finds himself in the middle of a football game. The video ends with everyone dancing.
Cover versions
- 2008: The Ting Tings