Dancing on the Ceiling (Lionel Richie song)

"Dancing on the Ceiling" is a song by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was written by Richie, Mike Frenchik, and Carlos Rios for his third studio album of the same name (1986), while production was helmed by Richie and James Anthony Carmichael.[1] Released as the album's leading single, it became a worldwide hit, reaching the top five in Sweden and Belgium as well as peaking on the top spot on the national singles chart in Norway. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1986, behind "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin and "Stuck With You" by Huey Lewis and the News.

"Dancing on the Ceiling"
Single by Lionel Richie
from the album Dancing on the Ceiling
B-side"Love Will Find a Way"
ReleasedJuly 15, 1986
Recorded1985
GenrePop, Pop rock, R&B
Length4:21
LabelMotown
Songwriter(s)Lionel Richie, Carlos Rios, Michael Frenchik
Producer(s)Lionel Richie, James Anthony Carmichael
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"Say You, Say Me"
(1985)		 "Dancing on the Ceiling"
(1986)		 "Love Will Conquer All"
(1986)

Reception

"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.[2] Despite some negative views expressed since its release, the song remains a regular addition to '80s music nights at clubs and bars.

Personnel
  • Lionel Richie – lead vocals, rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements
  • John Barnes – acoustic piano
  • Michael Boddicker – synthesizer
  • Carlos Rios – guitar, synthesizer, rhythm arrangements, hoopa holler
  • Steve MacMillan – door creek effects
  • Ken Caillat – sound effects
  • Tom Jones – sound effects
  • Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
  • John Robinson – drums
  • James Anthony Carmichael – horn arrangements, rhythm arrangements, hoopa holler
  • Maxi Anderson, Billie Barnum, Melinda Chatman, David Cochrane, Kevin Dorsey, Karen Jackson, Marlena Jeter, Fred Law, Janice Marie, Brenda Richie, Anita Sherman, Karen Siegel, Alfie Silas, Phyllis St. James, Stephanie Taylor, Deborah Thomas, Carmen Twillie, Julia Waters Tillman, Maxine Waters Willard – background vocals
  • David Egerton, Wayne Hargrave, Linda Jenner, Steve MacMillan, Greg Phillinganes, Kathi Pogoda, Cheryl Pyle, Maximo Rios, Dave Rosen, Kelly Ryan, Wibert Terrell - hoopa holler

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 production 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 while shooting Royal Wedding.[7] 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.[4] The video also features dancer Diane Alexander, who would later become Richie's second wife.[8][9]

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.

Track listings

7" Single

  1. "Dancing On The Ceiling" - 4:20
  2. "Love Will Find A Way" - 6:10

12" Single

  1. "Dancing On The Ceiling" - 7:10
  2. "Love Will Find A Way" - 6:14

Charts
Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 4
Canadian RPM Top Singles[13] 3
France (SNEP)[14] 42
Germany (Official German Charts)[15] 13
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 7
Norway (VG-lista)[18] 1
South Africa (Springbok)[19] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 2
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[24] 3
Year-end chart (1986)Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[25] 39

References
  1. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Dancing on the Ceiling". allmusic. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  2. "Blender Magazine - 50 Worst Songs Ever (Music Database :: Dave Tompkins)". Cs.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  3. Frank Lovece (October 18, 1986). "Stanley Donen Is Dancin' On Air After Directing Richie Clip". Billboard. 98 (42): 78. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  4. Linda Moleski (September 6, 1986). "Video Track". Billboard. 98 (36): 59. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  5. "Daniel Pearl's resumé". Daniel Pearl. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  6. "Dancing on the ceiling [copyright notice]". faqs.org. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  7. Andy Roberts (June 20, 2010). "Happy Birthday, Lionel Richie". TheVine. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  8. Summertime, and the Loving Is Anything but Easy for Lionel, Melvin and Stephanie
  9. The Joy and Pain of Celebrity Marriage
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 25. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 26 June 1988.
  11. "Austriancharts.at – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  13. Peaked on RPM 100 Singles Chart on September 13, 1986
  14. "Lescharts.com – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  17. "Charts.nz – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  18. "Norwegiancharts.com – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling". VG-lista. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  19. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  20. "Swedishcharts.com – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  21. "Swisscharts.com – Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  23. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  24. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 200.
  25. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 27, 1986). "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 98 (52): Y-21.
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