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
1 Dancing On The Ceiling (Lionel Richie, Carlos Rios, Michael Frenchik) 4:35
2 Sela (Greg Phillinganes, Lionel Richie, Greg Phillinganes) 5:56
3 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
6 Love Will Conquer All (Cynthia Weil, Greg Phillinganes, Lionel Richie) 5:45
7 Tonight Will Be Alright (Lionel Richie) 5:09
8 Say You, Say Me (Lionel Richie) 4:05
9 Night Train (Smooth Alligator) (Jeffrey Cohen, Narada Michael Walden, Preston Glass, Walter Afanasieff, Sade Adu, Ray St. John) 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 Vocals | Maxine Anderson |
Background Vocals | Billie Barnum |
Background Vocals | Kitty Beethoven |
Background Vocals | James Anthony Carmichael |
Background Vocals | Melinda Chatman |
Background Vocals | Jeff Cook |
Background Vocals | Kevin Dorsey |
Background Vocals | Teddy Gentry |
Background Vocals | Jennifer Hall |
Background Vocals | Wayne Hargrave |
Background Vocals | Richard Marx |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Carmen 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 – Aaron Rapoport
Mixed At Ocean Way Recording
Overdubbed At Motown/Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios
Recorded At The Music Mill, Nashville, TN
Recorded At Bear Creek Studios
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Phonographic Copyright Motown Record Corporation
Copyright Motown Record Corporation
March 31, 2015 @ 10:07
neil stubenhaus on bass on the title track