Toploader, Dancing in the Moonlight | COVERS

In the seventh edition of COVERS (2026), Toploader delivers a compelling rendition of “Dancing in the Moonlight,” famously covered by King Harvest.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established and lesser-known musicians. In the seventh edition of COVERS (2026), Toploader delivers a compelling rendition of “Dancing in the Moonlight”, famously covered by King Harvest.  

Woo! The most famous rendition of “Dancing in the Moonlight” was recorded by King Harvest.  It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving King Harvest their only pop hit. However, this classic, written by keyboardist and songwriter Sherman Kelly, was originally recorded by Boffalongo. In 2000, English rock band Toploader (Joseph Washbourn, Dan Hipgrave, Rob Green, and formerly Matt Knight and Julian Deane) recorded its own cover of “Dancing in the Moonlight”.  It appeared as the second track from their debut album, Onka’s Big Moka. In the UK, Toploader’s take on the Boffalongo/King Harvest classic was a rousing success.   

“Dancing in the Moonlight” in the hands of Toploader is incredibly sweet.  It begins with that classic, signature instrumental introduction. It contrasts King Harvest’s lush intro but delivers the same effect. The sound is warm, thanks to the mallet percussion and the exuberant keyboards. Beyond the mallets and keys, there is an awesome, soulful groove and a robust bass line. Later, the percussion stands out, highlighting the group’s musicianship. Joseph Washbourn delivers a strong, well-rounded vocal performance.  His singing is expressive, never too much, yet commanding. He sounds different than Dave Robinson (King Harvest) but keeps the same energy. Towards the end of “Dancing in the Moonlight,” Washbourn impresses with his melodic tweaks and clever ad-libs.  While the verses are marvelous, the sing-along chorus is the section to beat.  Toploader nails it.  Something else the band, specifically Washbourn, nails is the organ solo during the instrumental break.  The organ adds soul and enhances the vintage sound that is firmly in place. It contrasts the guitar solo from the KH cover. King Harvest did big things with “Dancing in the Moonlight” stateside. In the UK, the same can be said of Toploader, who introduced this gem to a new generation. Nearly 1.2 billion plays on Spotify is quite impressive! Ass kicked and names taken!

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Toploader » Onka’s Big Moka » Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd. » 2000

Toploader, Dancing in the Moonlight: Covers No. 7 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd.; Alan Cordero, Flávia Vicentini from Pexels; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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