Standing in the Spotlight

Infobox Album
Name = Standing in the Spotlight
Type = Album
Artist = Dee Dee King


Released = 1989
Recorded = 1989
Genre = Old school hip hop
Length = 31:46
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Producer = Daniel Rey
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|1.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:be65mpe39fco~T1 link]
Last album = "Funky Man" 12" (1988)
This album = "Standing in the Spotlight"
(1989)
Next album =

"Standing in the Spotlight" is the album by Dee Dee Ramone, under the rap moniker Dee Dee King, released in 1989. The album is sometimes considered to be one of the biggest failures in recording history, while others argue the whole affair was tongue-in-cheek. It also gave Dee Dee Ramone the distinction of being one of the first white rappers.

This album was released after Dee Dee left the Ramones and marks a radical shift from the guitar-based punk rock music he was widely known for. There are many rumors as to how this recording came to be, one being that he spent time in drug rehabilitation with people who turned him on to rap music. Prior to this album, he had recorded a single called "Funky Man"; this was not included on the album.

Despite his frequent boasting about his rapping abilities (especially in relation to other rappers), the album is lacking on many levels. Although considered a strong songwriter with the Ramones (e.g., "53rd & 3rd", "Chinese Rocks", "Psycho Therapy"), the lyrics on the album vary from the mundane to the silly. There are many instances where a line seems put in simply to create a rhyme. His rapping style has no signature rhythm (or "flow") and he seems to be trying to make his voice sound deeper than it naturally is; all of this adds to the unintentional humor people derive from the album.

Musically, the songs vary from old school hip-hop (e.g., "Mashed Potato Time", "Commotion In The Ocean") to rock and roll (e.g., "Baby Doll"). The backing music is made up of original recordings, as opposed to the practice of sampling, which was common for rap music at the time.

Debbie Harry sings backup vocals on "Mashed Potato Time" and "German Kid". "German Kid" also features Dee Dee rapping in both English and German (Dee Dee spent a lot of his youth in Germany).

"The Crusher" was re-recorded by the Ramones and released in 1995 on the ¡Adios Amigos! album.

Track listing

#"Mashed Potato Time" (feat. Debbie Harry) – 3:15
#"2 Much 2 Drink" – 3:32
#"Baby Doll" – 4:41
#"Poor Little Rich Girl" – 2:31
#"Commotion In The Ocean" – 3:23
#"German Kid" – 4:05
#"Brooklyn Babe" – 3:27
#"Emergency" – 3:23
#"The Crusher" – 3:29
#"I Want What I Want When I Want It" – 4:31