[1] While recovering from a vicious assault by a gang, he "envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life".

While I was recovering, I wrote "Dancin' in the Moonlight" in which I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life.

[3]He recorded it singing lead with his band Boffalongo, and they were active from 1968 to 1971; they included it on their album Beyond Your Head and it was their final single.

King Harvest recorded and released "Dancing in the Moonlight", featuring a prominent keyboard countermelody, as a single with "Lady, Come On Home" on the B-side in 1972.

Steve Cutler, a jazz drummer from New York City (standing on the base of the pole in the cover picture), played drums on the tracks and toured France and the UK with the band.

The song garnered the attention of British radio DJs in 2020 and as a result the Jubël version gained more popularity two years after its initial release in Sweden.

[58] The song was used in series 6 of the reality show Love Island in 2020 and spread to TikTok,[59] while reaching the top of the British radio list.