Dancing on the Ceiling: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An audio cassette of Lionel Richie "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986).

2015.263.7a: An audio cassette tape. The cassette is plastic with black type on each side. Both sides have headers reading: [Dancing On The Ceiling - Se La - Ballerina Girl - Don't Stop] on Side 1, and [Deep River Woman - Love Will Conquer All - Tonight Will be Alright -./Say You, Say Me - Night Train (Smooth Alligator)] on Side 2. The Motown Record logo, copyright information, and the cassette number [6158MC / C134541] are featured on both sides.

2015.263.7b: An audio cassette paper jacket. The jacket is portrait orientation and features a color image of Lionel Richie in a white top. White type above the image reads: [LIONEL RICHIE] and type in multiple colors on the side of the image reads: [DANCING / ON THE / CEILING]. Black type at the bottom has the cassette number and production information. The back of the jacket has a black background with white type that lists the tracks along with additional production and manufacturing information.

2015.263.7c: An audio cassette tape case made of clear plastic on the front and black plastic on the back. An off-white sticker with blue handwriting on the front of the case reads: [Scherr]. A white sticker with blue handwriting on the bottom of the case reads: [L. Richie / Dancin On the Ceiling]. The case has interior holders to insert an audio cassette jacket.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1986
• Recorded by: Lionel Richie, American, born 1949
• Produced by: James Anthony Carmichael, American, born 1941
• Published by: Motown Record Corporation, American, founded 1959
• Type: audio cassettes
• Medium: plastic , magnetic tape , ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W x D (cassette): 2 1/2 × 4 × 1/2 in. (6.4 × 10.2 × 1.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (jacket): 4 × 5 1/2 in. (10.2 × 14 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (case): 2 3/4 × 4 5/16 × 11/16 in. (7 × 11 × 1.7 cm)
• Place depicted: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Popular music
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Soul (Music)
• Object number: 2015.263.7abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Timothy Anne Burnside
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © 1986 Motown Record Corporation Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.