"Dancing on the Ceiling" is a song by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

recording artist

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recor ...

. 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. 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 Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

. It peaked at number two on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in September 1986.

Reception

"This ense of swaggerisn't entirely a good thing, since it means he indulges in silliness .. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

. In the early 21st century, ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

'' magazine published a list of the "50 worst songs of all time", with "Dancing on the Ceiling" listed at No. 20. Despite some negative views expressed since its release, the song remains a regular addition to '80s music nights at clubs and bars.

Personnel

– lead vocals, rhythm and vocal arrangements * John Barnes – acoustic piano *

Michael Boddicker Michael Lehmann Boddicker (born January 19, 1953) is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. He is a three times National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (N.A.R.A.S.) Most Valuable Player "Synthe ...

– synthesizers * Carlos Rios – synthesizers, guitars, rhythm arrangements * Steve MacMillan – door creek effects *

Ken Caillat Kenneth Douglas Caillat ( ) is an American record producer. He is best known for engineering the Fleetwood Mac albums '' Rumours'', ''Tusk'', ''Mirage'', ''Live'', and '' The Chain Box Set''. Life and career Caillat was the president of 5.1 Ent ...

– sound effects * Tom Jones – sound effects *

Neil Stubenhaus Neil Stubenhaus is an American bass guitarist. Career He started his musical training playing drums and switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. He studied at the Berklee College of Music where he graduated in 1975. After graduation, he was re ...

– bass guitar *

John Robinson John Robinson may refer to: Academics *John Thomas Romney Robinson (1792–1882), Irish astronomer and physicist * John J. Robinson (1918–1996), historian and author of ''Born in Blood'' * John Talbot Robinson (1923–2001), paleontologist *Joh ...

– drums *

James Anthony Carmichael James Anthony Carmichael (born September 14, 1941) is an American Grammy-winning musician, arranger, and record producer. At first he started off in Los Angeles as an arranger and producer for Motown acts like The Temptations and the Jackson 5. ...

– horn and rhythm arrangements * 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 and Maxine Waters Willard – backing vocals * James Anthony Carmichael, David Egerton, Wayne Hargrave, Linda Jenner, Steve MacMillan,

Greg Phillinganes Gregory Arthur Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and musical director based in Los Angeles, California. A prolific session musician, Phillinganes has contributed the role of keyboards to numerous alb ...

, Kathi Pogoda, Cheryl Pyle, Carlos Rios, Maximo Rios, Dave Rosen, Kelly Ryan and Wibert Terrell – hoopa hollers

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "Dancing on the Ceiling" was directed by

Stanley Donen Stanley Donen ( ; April 13, 1924 – February 21, 2019) was an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are '' On the Town,'' (1949) and ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), both of which he co-directed with Gene Kell ...

who also co-produced it with Glenn Goodwin through Glenn Goodwin & Associates. Michael Peters choreographed and

Daniel Pearl Daniel Pearl (October 10, 1963 – February 1, 2002) was an American journalist who worked for ''The Wall Street Journal.'' He was kidnapped and later decapitated by terrorists in Pakistan.' Pearl was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and rais ...

was the director of photography. Shooting took place during three days at Laird Studios in

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and one day on location at the LeMondrian Hotel in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

. The video reportedly cost somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000 (or around $400,000), making it the most expensive short form music video production at the time. In the video, which premiered on September 8, 1986, Richie and friends attend a party and dance on the ceiling reminiscent of

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

's routine in Donen's 1951 film ''

Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess Eli ...

''. 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''. There is also a reference in the video to ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with George Axelrod from the 1952 three-act play. The film stars Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, who reprised his stage rol ...

'' when air blows a woman's skirt over her head. At the end

Rodney Dangerfield Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-line joke, one-liner humor, his c ...

and

Cheech Marin :''The surname'' Marin ''is of Spanish language origin. In Spanish, it is spelled'' Marín'', with an acute accent on the'' í. Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American actor, musician, comedian, and activist who gain ...

make cameo appearances. The video also features dancer Diane Alexander, who would later become Richie's second wife.The Joy and Pain of Celebrity Marriage
/ref> 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 LaserDisc by Lorimar Home Video, and later as a hidden extra on Richie's '' The Definitive Collection'' DVD.

Track listings

* 7" single # "Dancing on the Ceiling" - 4:20 # "Love Will Find a Way" - 6:10 * 12" single # "Dancing on the Ceiling" - 7:10 # "Love Will Find a Way" - 6:14

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dancing On The Ceiling (Lionel Richie Song) 1986 songs 1986 singles Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in South Africa Lionel Richie songs Songs written by Lionel Richie Song recordings produced by James Anthony Carmichael Songs about dancing