It starts with a wedding. Or a bachelor party. Maybe just a guy in a tuxedo who looks like he’s about to sing a standard ballad, but then he opens his mouth and everything goes sideways. If you were alive and near a movie theater in the early 2000s, you know exactly who Dan Finnerty is. Even if you don't know the name, you know the vibe. Specifically, the chaotic, foul-mouthed, yet weirdly soulful rendition of The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love. It’s the kind of performance that shouldn't work. It’s a cover of a 1975 Roberta Flack classic, a song originally dripping with smooth R&B sensuality and quiet storm elegance. Then Dan gets a hold of it.
He screams. He swears. He adds aggressive backup singers who look like they’re backup dancing for a mid-tier 90s pop star. It’s hilarious.
But here’s the thing about The Dan Band: it isn't just a gimmick. Well, it is a gimmick, but it’s one executed with such high-level musicality and comedic timing that it became a staple of the "Frat Pack" era of filmmaking. When we talk about The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love, we aren't just talking about a cover song. We’re talking about a specific moment in pop culture where irony and sincerity crashed into each other at high speed.
The Origins of a Comedy Cult Classic
Dan Finnerty didn't set out to be the "wedding singer from Old School," though that’s the role that cemented his legacy. He started out in the theater world. He was in the STOMP cast in New York. He’s a guy with real pipes. The Dan Band began almost as a joke in Los Angeles, where Finnerty would take "girl songs"—tracks originally performed by female artists—and give them a hyper-masculine, aggressive, and profanity-laced makeover.
The brilliance of The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love lies in the juxtaposition. Roberta Flack’s version is about the intimacy of a touch, the "longing to be free" through love. It’s subtle. Finnerty’s version is... not. He takes that 1970s soft-rock DNA and injects it with the energy of a man who has had four too many espressos and a very public nervous breakdown.
Steven Spielberg actually "discovered" them. Seriously. He saw them at a club and ended up putting them in The Terminal. But the real explosion happened because of Todd Phillips. Phillips, the director who gave us Old School, Starsky & Hutch, and The Hangover, saw that Finnerty’s brand of musical comedy was the perfect tonal match for his films.
Why the Humor Actually Works
Why do we still watch clips of this on YouTube twenty years later? It’s the commitment.
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Most parody acts wink at the camera. They let you know they’re in on the joke. Finnerty performs The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love with the intensity of a man singing for his life. When he hits those high notes or drops an f-bomb in the middle of a particularly tender lyric, he’s doing it with a straight face.
The arrangement is tight, too. If you listen past the jokes, the band is actually incredible. They play with a funk-rock edge that makes the comedy land harder. If the music sucked, the joke would wear thin in thirty seconds. Because the music is actually good, you find yourself nodding along to the beat before remembering you’re listening to a grown man scream-singing about making love in a way that would make Roberta Flack blush.
The Power of the "Girl Song" Flip
There is a psychological component to why this specific song choice works. In the early 2000s, there was a massive trend of "ironic covers." Remember the Dynamite Hack version of "Boyz-n-the-Hood"? It was a whole thing. But while those often felt a bit mean-spirited or "look at how white/suburban I am," The Dan Band felt different.
By taking on The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love, Finnerty wasn't mocking the original song. He was mocking the performance of emotion. He was taking the ultra-vulnerable lyrics of a female R&B icon and filtering them through the lens of a "bro" wedding singer. It’s a satire of the lounge singer archetype.
Impact on the Movie Soundtrack Era
We don't really have "soundtrack moments" like this anymore. In the digital age, music in movies is often background noise or curated indie playlists. But in the era of Starsky & Hutch, the music was a character.
When The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love appeared on the Starsky & Hutch soundtrack (and in the film itself during the disco sequence), it served as a bridge between the 70s setting and the 2004 audience’s sensibility. It told the audience: "We know this is ridiculous, and we want you to have fun with it."
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- The Old School Effect: While "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is arguably their most famous movie moment (thanks to that iconic "f-ing" bridge), it was "I Feel Like Makin' Love" that proved the formula had legs.
- Live Performance: The band became a massive live draw. They weren't just a movie prop. They played The Tonight Show, they toured the country, and they released a live album, The Dan Band: Live!, which features the definitive version of the track.
The Technical Side of the "Funny"
If you're a musician, you can appreciate the craft here. They take the original $Ab$ major key and often shift the energy to something more driving. The use of the horn section—or the synth equivalent in smaller sets—mimics the 70s production but with a sharper, more modern attack.
Finnerty’s vocal range is surprisingly wide. To pull off the joke, he has to hit the falsetto. If he missed the notes, it wouldn't be funny; it would just be bad karaoke. The fact that he can sing makes the moments where he chooses to scream or growl much more impactful.
What People Get Wrong About The Dan Band
A lot of people think they’re a "cover band." That’s a bit like calling Spinal Tap a "heavy metal band." It’s technically true, but it misses the entire point.
The Dan Band is a comedy troupe that happens to be an elite musical ensemble. When you listen to The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love, you’re listening to a scripted piece of performance art. Every "improvised" rant and every seemingly accidental swear word is calculated for maximum comedic payoff.
There's also a misconception that they only do one thing. While the "aggressive cover" is their bread and butter, Finnerty has written original comedy songs too. But the fans always come back to the classics. They want to hear the songs they know, destroyed and rebuilt in Dan’s image.
How to Experience it Today
If you’re looking to dive back into this, don't just settle for a low-res movie clip.
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- Check out the Bravo Special: Back in 2005, they had a concert film called The Dan Band: I Am Woman. It’s the gold standard for their live energy.
- The Starsky & Hutch Cameo: Watch the scene again. Notice the background actors. Half of them are genuinely trying not to laugh.
- Live at Joe's Pub: Some of the best recordings of The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love come from their residency at Joe's Pub in NYC. The intimacy of the venue makes the aggression of the song even funnier.
Why It Still Matters
In a world where comedy is often over-analyzed and "safe," there is something deeply refreshing about a guy just screaming a love song. It’s primal. It’s silly. It reminds us of a time when movie comedies were allowed to be weirdly specific and slightly dangerous.
The Dan Band represents a specific slice of Americana—the wedding that goes slightly off the rails, the singer who thinks he's a bigger star than he is, and the universal truth that sometimes, the best way to honor a classic song is to absolutely tear it to pieces.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Dan Band Deep Dive
If you want to truly appreciate the genius of The Dan Band - I Feel Like Makin’ Love, start by listening to the 1975 original by Roberta Flack. Notice the breathy vocals and the Rhodes piano. Then, immediately jump to The Dan Band’s version from the Starsky & Hutch soundtrack.
Pay close attention to the 1:45 mark in the Dan Band version—that’s where the "breakdown" usually happens, and it’s a masterclass in comedic tension and release. Once you’ve done that, go find the clip of them performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It’s a rare example of a comedy band winning over a mainstream late-night audience without losing their edge.
Finally, if you're ever in Los Angeles or catching a festival lineup where they’re billed, go see them live. No recording quite captures the sweat and sheer volume of Dan Finnerty screaming about love while his backup singers do synchronized jazz hands. It’s an experience that transcends the screen.