- Dancing on the Ceiling (Lionel Richie song)
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"Dancing on the Ceiling" Single by Lionel Richie from the album Dancing on the Ceiling B-side Love Will Find a Way Released June 19, 1986 Format CD single, 7" single, 12" single Recorded Summer 1985 Genre Pop, Adult contemporary, New Wave, rock Length 4:21 Label Motown Writer(s) Lionel Richie, Carlos Rios, Michael Frenchik Producer Lionel Richie, James Anthony Carmichael Lionel Richie singles chronology "Say You, Say Me"
(1985)"Dancing on the Ceiling"
(1986)"Love Will Conquer All"
(1986)"Dancing on the Ceiling" is a song written by Mike Frenchik, Lionel Richie and Carlos Rios and performed by Richie on his 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling.[1]
In the song Richie sings about a feeling, which is about a kind of joy and hence the title of Dancing on the Ceiling.
The song reached the top spot on the Norwegian charts.[2]
Contents
Reception
"This [sense of swagger] isn't entirely a good thing, since it means he indulges in silliness [...]" — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic[1]
Music video
The music video was directed by Stanley Donen who also co-produced it with Glenn Goodwin through Glenn Goodwin & Associates.[3] Michael Peters choreographed[4] and Daniel Pearl was the director of photography.[5] Shooting took place during three days at Laird Studios in Culver City and one day on location at the LeMondrian Hotel in West Hollywood.[3] The video reportedly cost somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000[4] (or around $400,000), making it the most expensive short form music video productions at the time.[3]
In the video, which premiered on September 8, 1986,[6] Richie and friends attend a party and dance on the ceiling reminiscent of Fred Astaire's routine in Donen's 1951 film Royal Wedding.[3] Donen later said that Richie actually adapted easier and quicker to the rotating room used in the video than Astaire did white shooting Royal Wedding.[7] There is also a reference in the video to The Seven Year Itch when air blows a womans skirt over her head. At the end of the video Rodney Dangerfield and Cheech Marin make cameo appearances.[4]
In the fall of 1986 HBO aired a half-hour TV special, Lionel Richie: The Making of Dancing on the Ceiling, directed by Sandra Hay and Alan J. Kozlowski, which takes a look at behind the scenes of the music video shoot. This documentary was also released on VHS and later as a hidden extra on Richies The Definitive Collection DVD.
Charts
"Dancing On The Ceiling" reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin (band) and "Stuck With You" by Huey Lewis and the News.
Chart (1986) Peak
positionU.S. Billboard Hot 100 2 U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles 6 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 3 UK Singles Chart 7 Cover versions
- 1989: Stevie Wonder
- 1996: Billy Ocean
- 1998: Richard Clayderman
- 1998: James Last
- 2004: The Pointer Sisters
- 2005: Hall & Oates
- 2009: La Toya Jackson
External links
References
- ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Dancing on the Ceiling". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r16529. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Lionel Richie - Dancing on the Ceiling (Song)". norwegiancharts.com. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lionel+Richie&titel=Dancing+On+The+Ceiling. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Frank Lovece (October 18, 1986). "Stanley Donen Is Dancin' On Air After Directing Richie Clip". Billboard 98 (42): 78. http://books.google.com/books?id=sSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ a b c Linda Moleski (September 6, 1986). "Video Track". Billboard 98 (36): 59. http://books.google.com/books?id=oCQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT58. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Daniel Pearl's resumé". Daniel Pearl. http://www.danielpearldp.com/page3.html. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Dancing on the ceiling [copyright notice]". faqs.org. http://www.faqs.org/copyright/say-i-do-by-james-harris-3rd-terry-lewis-james-wright-and-3/. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ Andy Roberts (June 20, 2010). "Happy Birthday, Lionel Richie". TheVine. http://www.thevine.com.au/blog/andyr/happy-birthday,-lionel-richie20100620.aspx. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
Studio albums Lionel Richie (1982) · Can't Slow Down (1983) · Dancing on the Ceiling (1986) · Louder Than Words (1996) · Time (1998) · Renaissance (2000) · Just for You (2004) · Coming Home (2006) · Just Go (2009)
Live albums Encore (2002) · Live in Paris (2007) · Live - His Greatest Hits and More (2007)
Compilation albums Back to Front (1992) · Truly: The Love Songs (1997) · Gold (2006) · Soul Legends (2006) · Sounds of the Season (2006) · The Definitive Collection (2007) · Symphonica in Rosso (2008)
Singles "Endless Love" (with Diana Ross) (1981) · "Truly" (1982) · "You Are" (1983) · "My Love" (1983) · "All Night Long (All Night)" (1983) · "Running with the Night" (1983) · "Hello" (1984) · "Stuck on You" (1984) · "Penny Lover" (1984) · "Say You, Say Me" (1985) · "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986) · "Do It to Me" (1992) · "My Destiny" (1992) · "I Call It Love" (2006) · "Why" (2006) · "All Around the World" (2007) · "Just Go" (2009)
Related articles 
Book:Lionel RichieCategories:- 1986 singles
- Number-one singles in Norway
- Lionel Richie songs
- Songs written by Lionel Richie
- 1980s pop song stubs
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