Dancing on the Ceiling

by Lionel Richie

Overview

Lionel Richie wasn't necessarily emboldened by the success of Can't Slow Down -- after all, he had experienced huge success since the Commodores -- but there is nevertheless a sense of swagger on its 1986 successor, Dancing on the Ceiling. This isn't entirely a good thing, since it means he indulges in silliness (the title track) and sappiness ("Ballerina Girl") in equal measure, seemingly without quite realizing how ridiculous either extreme is. Maybe that's because he still has a strong sense of popcraft, something that makes "Dancing in the Ceiling" stick in the head even if its lyrics are awful, something that makes "Ballerina Girl" work for a slow dance even if it is awfully sugary. This dichotomy is evident throughout the record, as Richie pulls out good music even if he indulges all of his worst impulses a little bit too much. He adds a bit more dance to this album, and while the grooves are funkier than anything since the Commodores, they run on too long -- at eight minutes, "Don't Stop" takes its title command far too seriously. This same tendency is apparent on the ballads and slower songs, which all stay around a little longer than they should, something that gives the impression that this record is a little less focused or consistent than the two blockbusters that preceded it. While it is true that there is nothing here nearly as good as the hits on Lionel Richie and Can't Slow Down, it also is true that on a track-by-track level, it's more consistent, never having resorting to the formless filler that peppered those two otherwise excellent records. This is a good thing, but it would have been better if the record had boasted one or two undeniable singles, or, if it didn't, would at least have been a little tighter. That said, Dancing on the Ceiling is a solid, enjoyable affair -- a comedown after the peaks of Lionel Richie and Can't Slow Down, and one that suggests that Richie needed the extended break he took after its release, but a good record all the same. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	03/29/2019
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031322161
Rank:	67403

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lionel Richie   Primary Artist,Drums,Vocals,Keyboards,Drum Machine,Vocals (Background)
Abraham Laboriel, Sr.   Guest Artist,Bass
Sheila E.   Guest Artist,Percussion
Greg Phillinganes   Guest Artist,Drums,Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Drum Machine,Moog Synthesizer
Alabama   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Paulinho Da Costa   Guest Artist,Percussion
Eric Clapton   Guest Artist,Guitar
Narada Michael Walden   Guest Artist,Drums
Billie Barnum   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Wayne Hargrave   Vocals
Kitty Beethoven   Vocals (Background)
David Egerton   Vocals
Kelly Ryan   Vocals
Julia Tillman Waters   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Maxine Anderson   Vocals
Melinda Chatman   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Maxima Rios   Vocals
David Cochrane   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Tiger Head Preston   Synthesizer
Tom Jones   Sound Effects,Special Effects
Jeff Cook   Vocals
Suzee Wendy Ikeda   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
John Barnes   Piano,Synclavier,Synthesizer
Dave Rosen   Vocals
John "J.R." Robinson   Drums
Fred Law   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Stephanie Taylor   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Brenda Harvey Richie   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jennifer Hall   Vocals (Background)
Nathan East   Bass
Neil Larsen   Keyboards
Randy Owen   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Richard Marx   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Preston Glass   Synthesizer
Marva King   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Neil Stubenhaus   Bass
Maxi Anderson   Vocals (Background)
Michael Boddicker   Synthesizer
Michael Lang   Keyboards
James Anthony Carmichael   Vocals
Dave Cochran   Guitar,Vocals,Saxophone,Synthesizer
Timothy May   Guitar
Neil Steubenhaus   Bass
Phyllis Saint James   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Louis Shelton   Guitar
Carmen Twillie   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Kevin Dorsey   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Louie Shelton   Guitar
Maxine Willard Waters   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Randy Jackson   Bass
Karen Jackson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Wendy Suzee Ikeda   Vocals (Background)
John Barns   Synthesizer
Norma Rios   Vocals
Linda Jenner   Vocals
Anita Sherman   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Wilbert Terrell   Vocals
Karen Siegel   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Kathi Pogoda   Vocals
Rick Nelson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Alfie Silas   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Theodore Gentry   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Steve MacMillan   Vocals
Steve Lukather   Guitar
Ken Caillat   Sound Effects,Special Effects
Cheryl Pyle   Vocals
Marlena Jeter   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Cory Lerios   Synthesizer
Vernon "Ice" Black   Guitar
Paul Leim   Drums,Drum Machine
Carlos Rios   Guitar,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic)
Joe Chemay   Bass
Leslie Smith   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Janice-Marie   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Deborah Thomas   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Charles Fearing   Guitar

Technical Credits

Dave Frazier   Engineer
David Egerton   Assistant Engineer
Stuart Hirotsu   Assistant Engineer
Suzee Wendy Ikeda   Engineer
John Barnes   Arranger,Composer,Synthesizer Programming
Fred Law   Assistant Engineer
Johnny Lee   Art Direction
Brenda Harvey Richie   Production Assistant
Preston W. Glass   Composer
Carlos Manuel Rios   Composer
Jeffrey Cohen   Composer
Calvin Harris   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Michael H. Frenchik Jr.   Composer
Jerome D. Cohen   Composer
Narada Michael Walden   Drum Programming,Vocal Arrangement,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Jim Cotton   Assistant Engineer
Preston Glass   Composer
Walter Afanasieff   Composer
James Anthony Carmichael   Producer,Horn Arrangements,Rhythm Arrangements,String Arrangements
Gordon Lyon   Engineer
Mike Frenchik   Composer
Wilbert Terrell   Assistant
Dana Chappelle   Assistant Engineer
Aaron Rapoport   Photography
Steve MacMillan   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Carlos Rios   Composer,Rhythm Arrangements
Greg Phillinganes   Composer,Rhythm Arrangements
Joe Scaife   Assistant Engineer
Lionel Richie   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Choir Arrangement,Vocal Arrangement,Rhythm Arrangements