Dancing on the Ceiling (Lionel Richie song)
"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 | 1986 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 4:21 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Writer(s) | Lionel Richie, Carlos Rios, Michael Frenchik | |||
Producer(s) | Lionel Richie, James Anthony Carmichael | |||
Lionel Richie singles chronology | ||||
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"Dancing on the Ceiling" is a song written by Mike Frenchik, Lionel Richie and Carlos Rios and performed by Richie on his 1986 album of the same name.[1]
The song reached the top spot on the Norwegian charts.[2]
21st century views
"This [sense of swagger] isn't entirely a good thing, since it means he indulges in silliness [...]" – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.[1]
In the early 21st century, Blender magazine published a list of the "50 worst songs of all time", with "Dancing on the Ceiling" listed at No. 20. Within a few years of printing this litany of insults, Blender was out of business.[3]
Despite some negative views expressed since its release, the song remains a regular addition to 80's music nights at clubs and bars.
Music video
The music video was directed by Stanley Donen who also co-produced it with Glenn Goodwin through Glenn Goodwin & Associates.[4] Michael Peters choreographed[5] and Daniel Pearl was the director of photography.[6] Shooting took place during three days at Laird Studios in Culver City and one day on location at the LeMondrian Hotel in West Hollywood.[4] The video reportedly cost somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000[5] (or around $400,000), making it the most expensive short form music video production at the time.[4]
In the video, which premiered on September 8, 1986,[7] Richie and friends attend a party and dance on the ceiling reminiscent of Fred Astaire's routine in Donen's 1951 film Royal Wedding.[4] Donen later said that Richie actually adapted easier and quicker to the rotating room used in the video than Astaire did while shooting Royal Wedding.[8] There is also a reference in the video to The Seven Year Itch when air blows a woman's skirt over her head. At the end Rodney Dangerfield and Cheech Marin make cameo appearances.[5] The video also features dancer Diane Alexander, who would later become Richie's second wife.[9][10]
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 Richie's The Definitive Collection DVD.
Charts
"Dancing on the Ceiling" reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin and "Stuck With You" by Huey Lewis and the News.
Chart (1986) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | 6 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 3 |
UK Singles Chart | 7 |
France (SNEP)[11] | 42 |
External links
- Live performance on ABC's The View
- Watch official video on Youtube
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Summertime, and the Loving Is Anything but Easy for Lionel, Melvin and Stephanie
- ↑ The Joy and Pain of Celebrity Marriage
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling" (in French). Les classement single.