STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - LIONEL RICHIE - DANCING ON THE CEILING

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Good Tuesday morning to you all and welcome back to Stuck in The Vinyl Again . Today we celebrate the 74th Birthday of  Tuskegee, Alabama native, singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality, Lionel Richie. Happy Birthday Lionel ! He was born in 1949 to parents Lionel Brockman Richie Sr., a  U.S. Army systems analyst, and Alberta R. Foster, a teacher and school principal. He got his start as co lead vocalist of the Motown group Commodores, before establishing a successful solo career. That solo career includes 10 studio albums, three live albums, and seven compilation albums. Today his third record, Dancing On The Ceiling, is turning on our table. The LP was released August 5, 1986 on the Motown label and produced by Richie,  James Anthony Carmichael, and Narada Michael Walden. It peaked at #5 in Germany, #4 in Austria, #3 in New Zealand and on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, #2 in Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and #1 in Norway and on the Billboard 200. Five Singles were issued from the nine track album ; "Say You, Say Me" (#8 UK, #7 Poland, #3 Australia, Ireland, #2 Belgium, Dutch Top 40, #1 Canada Adult Contemporary, Canada Top Singles, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Cash Box Top 100), "Dancing on the Ceiling" (#42 France, #14 Dutch Top 40, #13 West Germany, #11 Austria, #8 Netherlands, #7 New Zealand, UK, #6 Switzerland, #4 Belgium, #3 Canada, Finland, Sweden, Adult Contemporary, #2 Australia, Hot 100, #1 Norway, South Africa),  "Love Will Conquer All" (#71 Australia, #45 UK, #24 Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, #19 Canada, #9 Hot 100, #2 Hot Black Singles, #1 Adult Contemporary), "Ballerina Girl" (#66 Germany, #43 Australia, #39 Netherlands, #35 Dutch Top 40, #24 South Africa, #22 Belgium, #18 France, #17 UK, #10 Canada Top Singles, #7 Hot 100, #5 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, #1 Canada Adult Contemporary, Adult Contemporary (Billboard)), and "Se La" (#43 UK, #41 West Germany, #20 Hot 100, #12 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Netherlands, #8 Dutch Top 40, #5 Adult Contemporary, #2 Belgium). 

1. "Dancing on the Ceiling" Lionel Richie
Richie, Carlos , Rios, Michael Frenchik
4:30

2. "Se La" Richie
Richie, Greg Phillinganes
5:22

3. "Ballerina Girl" Richie Richie 3:38

4. "Don't Stop" Richie
Richie, John Barnes
7:43

5. "Deep River Woman" Richie Richie 4:35

6. "Love Will Conquer All"
Richie, Cynthia Weil
Richie, Phillinganes
5:40

7. "Tonight Will Be Alright" Richie Richie 5:06

8. "Say You, Say Me" Richie Richie 4:00

Lionel Richie – lead vocals, rhythm arrangements (1–3, 5–8), vocal arrangements (1–8), choir arrangements (2), arrangements (4), keyboards (6–8), drum machine (6)

John Barnes – acoustic piano (1), synthesizers (4), Synclavier (4), arrangements (4)

Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (1–3, 5–9)

Carlos Rios – synthesizers (1), guitars (1, 2, 7), rhythm arrangements (1), acoustic guitar (8)

Steve MacMillan – door creek effects (1)
Ken Caillat – sound effects (1)
Tom Jones – sound effects (1)

Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (2, 5, 7, 8), synthesizers (2, 6), drum machine (2, 6), rhythm arrangements (2, 6), Minimoog bass (8)

Michael Lang – keyboards (3)
Neil Larsen – keyboards (3)
Preston Glass – synthesizers (9)
Cory Lerios – synthesizers (9)

Tim May – guitars (3, 5, 7, 8)
Charles Fearing – guitars (4)
Louis Shelton – guitar solo (5)
David Cochrane – guitars (6)
Eric Clapton – guitar solo (7)
Steve Lukather – guitars (8)
Vernon "Ice" Black – guitar solo (9)

Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar (1)
Nathan East – bass guitar (2, 3, 6)
Joe Chemay – bass guitar (5, 7)
Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar (8)
Randy Jackson – bass guitar (9)

John Robinson – drums (1, 8)
Paul Leim – drums (2, 3, 5–7), drum machine (8), additional drums (9)

Narada Michael Walden – drums (9), drum programming (9), arrangements (9), vocal arrangements (9)

Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 4, 6-9)
Sheila E. – percussion (4)

James Anthony Carmichael – horn arrangements (1, 7), rhythm arrangements (1–3, 5–8), string arrangements (3, 5, 8)

Background vocals

Maxi Anderson (Tracks 1, 2)
Billie Barnum (Tracks 1, 2)
Melinda Chatman (Tracks 1, 2)
David Cochrane (Tracks 1, 2)
Kevin Dorsey (Tracks 1, 2)
Karen Jackson (Tracks 1, 2)
Marlena Jeter (Tracks 1, 2)
Fred Law (Tracks 1, 2)
Janice Marie (Tracks 1, 2)
Rick Nelson (Tracks 1, 2)
Brenda Richie (Tracks 1, 2)
Anita Sherman (Tracks 1, 2)
Karen Siegel (Tracks 1, 2)
Alfie Silas (Tracks 1, 2)
Phyllis St. James (Tracks 1, 2)
Stephanie Taylor (Tracks 1, 2)
Deborah Thomas (Tracks 1, 2, 7)
Carmen Twillie (Tracks 1, 2)
Julia Waters Tillman (Tracks 1, 2, 7)
Maxine Waters Willard (Tracks 1, 2, 7)
Leslie Smith (Track 2)
Lionel Richie (Track 4)
Suzee Ikeda (Track 4)
Marva King (Tracks 4, 6, 9)
Alabama (Track 5)
Richard Marx (Track 7)
Kitty Beethoven (Track 9)
Jennifer Hall (Track 9)

Hoopa Hollers on "Dancing on the Ceiling":

James Anthony Carmichael
David Egerton
Wayne Hargrave
Linda Jenner
Steve MacMillan
Greg Phillinganes
Kathi Pogoda
Cheryl Pyle
Carlos Rios
Maximo Rios
Dave Rosen
Kelly Ryan
Wibert Terrell

Production

Producers – Lionel Richie (all tracks); James Anthony Carmichael (all tracks); Narada Michael Walden (Track 9).

Production Assistant – Brenda Harvey-Richie
Production Direction – Suzee Wendy Ikeda

Engineers – Calvin Harris (Tracks 1–8); David Frazer and Gordon Lyon (Track 9).

Additional Recording on Tracks 1-8 – David Egerton and Fred Law
Assistant Recording on Tracks 1-8– David Egerton

Assistant Engineers – Karen Siegel and Mark Smith (all tracks); Dana Jon Chappelle and Stuart Hirotsu (Track 9).

Dimensional recording by Spherical Sound, Inc. on Track #1.

Mixed by Calvin Harris
Mix Assistants – Fred Law and Steve MacMillan

Mastered by Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).

Art Direction – Johnny Lee
Photography – Aaron Rapoport