Dancing on the Ceiling [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] (CD - 1986)

Narada Michael Walden (arranger, drums, programming); Carlos Rios

(acoustic & electric guitars, synthesizer); Tim May, Eric Clapton, David Cochrane, Vernon "Ice" Black, Steve Lukather (guitar); John Barnes (piano, Synclavier, programming); Greg Phillinganes (keyboards, Mini-Moog synthesizer, synthsizer, programming); Michael Lang, Neil Larson (keyboards); Michael Boddicker, Preston Glass, Corey Lerios (synthesizer); Neil Steubenhaus, Nathan East, Joseph Chemay, Abraham Laboriel, Randy Jackson (bass); John Robinson, Paul Leim (drums); Paulinho Da Costa, Sheila E (percussion); Alabama, Alfie Silas, Marva King (background vocals).

Producers: Lionel Richie, James Anthony Carmichael, Narada Michael Walden.

Recorded at Oceanway, Hollywood, California; Motown, San Rafael, California;

Music Mill, Nashville, Tennessee; Bear Creek Studios, Woodenville, Washington in 1986. Originally released on Motown (6158). Includes liner notes by Steven Ivory.

This is part of Motown's "Classic Albums" series.

Personnel: Lionel Richie (vocals, keyboards, drum machine, background vocals); Carlos Rios (guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer); David Cochrane (guitar, background vocals); Eric Clapton, Steve Lukather, Tim May, Vernon "Ice" Black, Charles Fearing (guitar); John Barnes (piano, synthesizer, Synclavier, programming); Michael Lang , Neil Larsen (keyboards); Cory Lerios, Michael Boddicker, Preston Glass (synthesizer); Paul Leim (drums, drum machine); Narada Michael Walden (drums, drum programming); John "J.R." Robinson (drums); Paulinho Da Costa, Sheila E. (percussion); Steve MacMillan (sound effects); Phyllis Saint James, Stephanie Taylor, Fred Law, Deborah Thomas, Suzee Wendy Ikeda, Jeff Cook, Carmen Twillman, Janine Marie, Brenda Richie, Melinda Chatman, Julia Tillman Waters, Kitty Beethoven, Billie Barnum, Ricky Nelson, Karen Siegel, Anita Sherman, Karen Jackson, Jennifer Hall, Alfie Silas, Marva King, Maxi Anderson, Maxine Willard Waters, Randy Owen, Richard Marx, Theodore Gentry, Kevin Dorsey , Marlena Jeter (background vocals).

Recording information: Bear Creek Recording, Woodenville, WA; Motown Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studio; Music Mill Studio, Nashville, TN; Oceanway Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Tappan Recording Studio, San Rafael, CA.

Photographer: Aaron Rapoport.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Cheryl Pyle; Dave Rosen; Kelly Ryan ; Wayne Hargrave; Kathi Pogoda; Linda Jenner.

Arrangers: John Barnes ; Lionel Richie; Narada Michael Walden.

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

Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston might have gotten more press in 1986 than Lionel Richie, but DANCING ON THE CEILING was every bit as commercially successful as CONTROL and Houston's self-titled debut. Spawning a remarkable five Top 20 singles, including the sprightly title track and the number one ballad "Say You Say Me" (the biggest hit of Richie's entire career), DANCING ON THE CEILING was the capper of Richie's most successful period. (Richie took an extended hiatus from music after this, not releasing a full album of original material for nearly ten years.) Richie's nearest comparison during this period was Phil Collins, who was just as ubiquitous on the airwaves with a similar brand of adult contemporary pop. But where Collins' records now sound dated because of their trendy reverb-heavy production, Richie was a canny producer/arranger in the grand Motown tradition, and so there's a timeless quality to tunes like "Ballerina Girl" that keeps them fresh.

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. [In 2003, Dancing on the Ceiling was reissued in a remastered version with four bonus tracks: 12" remixes of "Dancing on the Ceiling," "Se La," "Don't Stop," and "Love Will Conquer All." All are inconsequential -- no new ideas, just longer versions -- but collectors may like them, although they may find this reissue's biggest attractions to be its overall remastering and packaging.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize