1986 Lionel Richie – Dancing On The Ceiling

Dancing on the Ceiling is Lionel Richie’s third solo album, recorded beginning in 1985 and released in mid-1986. The album was originally to be titled Say You, Say Me, after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it was renamed after Richie rewrote the album. The album was released to generally positive reviews and warm sales, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 and moving 4 million copies. Following the album’s release Richie went on a long hiatus, releasing his first album of entirely new material ten years later.

Lionel Richie had risen to prominence as a member of the Commodores during the late 1970s, but after tensions arose in the band he left in 1981. His first two solo albums, Lionel Richie (1982) and Can’t Slow Down (1983), were runaway successes: Lionel Richie moved 4 million units, while Can’t Slow Down sold 10 million copies and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Dancing on the Ceiling was his third solo album.

Recording of the songs later used on Dancing on the Ceiling began in 1985. The track “Say You, Say Me” was used in that year’s White Nights, for which it had won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Work on the album was done while Richie was finalizing his work with “We Are the World”.

During early production, the album was intended to be titled Say You, Say Me and released in December 1985. However, Richie found that he did not “want to do those songs” owing to the social conditions he saw, and as such he began rewriting it “to express what [he] felt the world was boxing itself into”. Ultimately, the album’s title was changed to Dancing on the Ceiling, as the titular song was Richie’s next single. Recording for the album took over a year and a half, and Richie later stated that he tried to include a mixture of sounds.

Tracks

Dancing On The Ceiling (Lionel Richie) 4:35
Sela (Greg Phillinganes, Lionel Richie) 5:56
Ballerina Girl (Lionel Richie) 3:39
4  Don’t Stop (John Barnes, Lionel Richie) 8:10
5  Deep River Woman (John Barnes, Lionel Richie) 4:38
Love Will Conquer All (Cynthia Weil, Greg Phillinganes, Lionel Richie) 5:45
7  Tonight Will Be Alright (Lionel Richie) 5:09
Say You, Say Me (Lionel Richie) 4:05
9  Night Train (Smooth Alligator) (Jeffrey Cohen, Narada Michael Walden, Preston Glass, Walter Afanasieff) 4:57

Musicians

1 Dancing On The Ceiling

Bass Neil Stubenhaus
Drums JR Robinson
Guitar Carlos Rios
Piano John Barnes
Synthesizer Carlos Rios
Synthesizer Michael Boddicker
Vocals Lionel Richie


2 Sela

Bass Nathan East
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar Carlos Rios
Keyboards Michael Boddicker
Synthesizer Greg Phillinganes
Percussion Paulinho Da Costa
Vocals Lionel Richie


3 Ballerina Girl

Bass Nathan East
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar Tim May
Keyboards Mike Lang
Keyboards Neil Larsen
Synthesizer Michael Boddicker
Vocals Lionel Richie


4 Don’t Stop

Guitar Charles Fearing
Synthesizer John Barnes
Percussion Paulinho Da Costa
Percussion Sheila Escovedo
Vocals Lionel Richie


5 Deep River Woman

Bass Joe Chemay
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar Tim May
Guitar Louie Shelton
Keyboards Greg Phillinganes
Keyboards Michael Boddicker
Vocals Lionel Richie


6 Love Will Conquer All

Bass Nathan East
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar David Cochrane
Keyboards Lionel Richie
Synthesizer Greg Phillinganes
Synthesizer Michael Boddicker
Percussion Paulinho Da Costa
Vocals Lionel Richie


7 Tonight Will Be Alright

Bass Joe Chemay
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar Carlos Rios
Guitar Tim May
Guitar (solo) Eric Clapton
Keyboards Greg Phillinganes
Keyboards Lionel Richie
Synthesizer Michael Boddicker
Percussion Paulinho Da Costa
Vocals Lionel Richie


8 Say You, Say Me

Bass Abraham Laboriel SR
Drums JR Robinson
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar Steve Lukather
Guitar Tim May
Acoustic Guitar Carlos Rios
Keyboards Greg Phillinganes
Keyboards Lionel Richie
Synthesizer Michael Boddicker
Synthesizer Greg Phillinganes
Percussion Paulinho Da Costa
Vocals Lionel Richie


9 Night Train (Smoot Alligator)

Bass Randy Jackson
Drums Narada Michael Walden
Drums Paul Leim
Guitar Vernon Black
Percussion Paulinho Da Costa
Background Vocals Jennifer Hall
Background Vocals Kitty Beethoven
Background Vocals Marva King
Vocals Lionel Richie

Other Musicians

Background VocalsMaxine Anderson
Background VocalsBillie Barnum
Background VocalsKitty Beethoven
Background VocalsJames Anthony Carmichael
Background VocalsMelinda Chatman
Background VocalsJeff Cook
Background VocalsKevin Dorsey
Background VocalsTeddy Gentry
Background VocalsJennifer Hall
Background VocalsWayne Hargrave
Background VocalsRichard Marx
Background VocalsJulia Tillman Waters
Background VocalsCarmen Twillie

Liner Notes

Producer – James Anthony Carmichael, Lionel Richie
Producer – Narada Michael Walden (Track 9)
Arranged By (Background, Rhythm, Vocals) – Lionel Richie (Tracks 1, 5)
Arranged By (Choir, Rhythm, Vocals) – Lionel Richie (Track 2)
Arranged By (Rhythm, Vocals) – Lionel Richie (Tracks 3, 7, 8)
Arranged By (Background, Vocals) – Lionel Richie (Track 4)
Arranged By (Horns) – James Anthony Carmichael (Track 1, 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Carlos Rios (Track 1)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – James Anthony Carmichael (Tracks 1, 2, 6, 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm, Strings) – James Anthony Carmichael (Tracks 3, 5)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Greg Phillinganes (Track 6)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Lionel Richie (Track 6)
Arranged By (Rhythm, String) – James Anthony Carmichael (Track 8)

Art Direction – Johnny Lee
Photography By – Aaron Rapoport

Phonographic Copyright (p) – Motown Record Corporation
Copyright (c) – Motown Record Corporation