Dance Band on the Titanic

Dance Band on the Titanic
Studio album by Harry Chapin
Released	September 1977
Recorded	1976–1977
Genre	Pop rock
Length	74:31
Label	Elektra
Producer	Stephen Chapin
Harry Chapin chronology
On the Road to Kingdom Come (1976) Dance Band on the Titanic (1977) Living Room Suite (1978)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

Dance Band on the Titanic is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, released in 1977. Its vinyl release is a double album. It was later released as a single CD.

Reception

Reviewed at the time of release, Sounds wrote: "Mr Chapin is such a master at his particular craft that his music itself is totally middle class, boring and as bland as the outward appearances and the public lifestyles of the men and women in his songs. So what is Chapin trying to do? Express suburban, boredom and frustration in realistic photographic detail? He does that alright." The album sold poorly, but was voted Album of the Year by The Times of London

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dance Band on the Titanic"	5:15
2.	"Why Should People Stay the Same"	4:47
3.	"My Old Lady"	3:52
4.	"We Grew up a Little Bit"	5:10

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bluesman"		5:18
2.	"Country Dreams"		4:47
3.	"I Do It for You, Jane"	Chapin, Sandy Chapin	5:08
4.	"I Wonder What Happened to Him"		4:11

Side three

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Paint a Picture of Yourself (Michael)"	3:52
2.	"Mismatch"	5:00
3.	"Mercenaries"	5:46
4.	"Manhood"	3:48

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"One Light in a Dark Valley (An Imitation Spiritual)"	Kenneth Burke	3:26
2.	"There Only Was One Choice"		14:01

Personnel

• Harry Chapin – guitar, vocals
• Buzz Brauner – tenor saxophone
• Barbara Carr – vocals
• Stephen Chapin – piano, vocals
• Tom Chapin – guitar, banjo, vocals
• Harry DiVito – trombone
• Howie Fields – drums
• Steve Gadd – drums
• Marsh Lynn Goldberg – vocals
• Jeff Gross – vocals
• Neil Jason – bass
• Arthur Jenkins – percussion
• Bernie Keising – bass, vocals
• Art Krahulek – vocals
• Barbara Lindquist – vocals
• Theodore Marnel – vocals
• Craig Mitchell – vocals
• Nancy Newman – vocals
• Ronald Palmer – guitar, vocals
• John Quayle – vocals
• Elliott Randall – guitar
• Steve Randall – vocals
• Donna D. Reilly – vocals
• Kim Scholes – cello
• Tim Scott – cello
• Gus Skinas – programming
• Mike Solomon – vocals
• Chris Waite – percussion
• Doug Walker – guitar, mandolin, vocals
• John Wallace – bass, vocals

Charts

Chart (1977)	Peak position
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape	58
Canadian Albums Chart	91

External links

• Chapin, Harry. "Dance Band on the Titanic". Youtube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22.