Tag: Lionel Richie

Monday 3/13/23 8pm ET: Feature LP: Lionel Richie (1982)

Lionel Richie is the debut solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on October 6, 1982, on Motown Records. Originally intended as a side project at the suggestion of Motown, it was recorded and released while Richie was still a member of the Commodores; he left the group shortly after the album’s release. The first single from the album, “Truly”, topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single “You Are” reached number four, and “My Love” reached number five. The album reached number one on the Cashbox albums chart on December 11, 1982.

In 2003, Lionel Richie was re-released as part of a remaster series that saw two additional tracks added: a solo version of “Endless Love” and an instrumental version of “You Are”. Eagles member Joe Walsh provided the guitar solo for the song “Wandering Stranger”.

  1. “Serves You Right” 5:14
  2. “Wandering Stranger” 5:38
  3. “Tell Me” 5:32
  4. “My Love” 4:08
  5. “Round and Round” 4:57
  6. “Truly” 3:26
  7. “You Are” 5:05
  8. “You Mean More to Me” 3:08
  9. “Just Put Some Love in Your Heart” 1:27

Lionel Richie – lead vocals, vocal arrangements, backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 5-8), acoustic piano (4, 6, 8), Fender Rhodes (7), rhythm arrangements (7)
Greg Phillinganes – Fender Rhodes (1), Roland Jupiter 8 (1), Minimoog (1), arrangements (1)
Clarence McDonald – Fender Rhodes (2)
Michael Lang – acoustic piano (2, 9), Fender Rhodes (9)
David Cochrane – Prophet-5 (3), electric guitar (3, 7), synthesizer bass (3, 7), backing vocals (3, 7), arrangements (3, 5), acoustic piano (5), bass guitar (5), saxophone solo (5)
Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (3, 5, 7), vocoder (3, 5, 7)
Bill Payne – Fender Rhodes (6)
Thomas Dolby [uncredited] – synthesizer programming (7), backing vocals (7)
Paul Jackson Jr. – electric guitar (1, 2, 6)
Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (2)
Joe Walsh – guitar solo (2)
Richie Zito – guitar solo (3)
Darrell Jones – electric guitar (4, 5, 7), acoustic guitar (8)
Tim May – acoustic guitar (6)
Nathan Watts – bass guitar (1)
Joe Chemay – bass guitar (2, 6, 8)
Nathan East – bass guitar (4)
John Robinson – drums (1, 5, 7)
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler – drums (2, 4)
Paul Leim – drums (3, 6, 8)
Lenny Castro – percussion (1)
Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 5, 7)
Rick Shlosser – percussion (5)
Gene Page – arrangements (2, 6, 9)
Harry Bluestone – concertmaster (2-9)
James Anthony Carmichael – arrangements (3, 4, 5, 8), string arrangements (3, 7), horn arrangements (7), rhythm arrangements (7), celeste (8)
Howard Kenney – backing vocals (1, 5, 7)
Richard Marx – backing vocals (1, 2, 7, 8)
Deborah Thomas – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7)
Jimmy Connors – backing vocals (3)
Kenny Rogers – backing vocals (4), BGV arrangement (4)
Kin Vassy – backing vocals (4)
Terry Williams – backing vocals (4)
Louise Di Tullo – flute (3, 6, 9)
Art Maebe – French horn (3, 4, 6, 8, 9)
Richard Perissi – French horn (3, 6, 9)
Henry Sigismonti – French horn (3, 6, 9)
Jim Atkinson – French horn (4, 8)
David Duke – French horn (4, 8)
Brian O’Connor – French horn (4, 8)
William Green – saxophone (5, 7)
Ernie Watts – saxophone (5, 7)
Lew McCreary – trombone (4, 5, 7, 8)
Bill Reichenbach, Jr. – trombone (4, 5, 7, 8)
Gary Grant – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Jerry Hey – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Walter Johnson – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Warren Luening – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Bob Findley – trumpet (5, 7)
Don Ashworth – woodwinds (4, 8)
Gene Cipriano – woodwinds (4, 8)
Gary Herbig – woodwinds (4, 8), saxophone (5, 7)
Larry Williams – woodwinds (4, 8)
Jesse Ehrlich – cello (2, 3, 6, 9)
Armand Kaproff – cello (2, 3, 6, 9)
Paula Hochhalter – cello (2, 6, 9)
Dennis Karmazyn – cello (2, 6, 9)
Arni Egilsson – double bass (2, 6, 9)
Buell Neidlinger – double bass (2, 6, 9)
Ray Brown – double bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
Morty Corb – double bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
Gayle Levant – harp (2, 4-9)
Alan DeVeritch – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Allan Harshman – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Virginia Majewski – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Gareth Nuttycombe – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Bonnie Douglas – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Assa Drori – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Endre Granat – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Joy Lyle – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Donald Palmer – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Henry Roth – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Sheldon Sanov – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Jack Shulman – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Paul Shure – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Mari Tsumura-Botnick – violin (2, 3, 6, 9), strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Charles Veal, Jr. – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Rollice Dale – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Henry Ferber – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Ronald Folsom – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
William Henderson – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
William Kurasch – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Erno Neufeld – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Nathan Ross – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Myron Sandler – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
David Schwartz – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Fred Seykora – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
David Speltz – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Tibor Zelig – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)

Monday 6/20/22 10:30am ET: Feature Artist: Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and television judge. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recording the hit singles “Easy”, “Sail On”, “Three Times a Lady” and “Still”, with the group before his departure. In 1980, he wrote and produced the US Billboard Hot 100 number one single “Lady” for Kenny Rogers. The following year, he wrote and produced the single “Endless Love”, which he recorded as a duet with Diana Ross; it remains among the top 20 bestselling singles of all time, and the biggest career hit for both artists. In 1982, he officially launched his solo career with the album Lionel Richie, which sold over four million copies and spawned the singles “You Are”, “My Love”, and the number one single “Truly”.

His second album, Can’t Slow Down (1983), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time; and spawned the number one singles “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello”. He then co-wrote the 1985 charity single “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies. His third album, Dancing on the Ceiling (1986), spawned the number one single “Say You, Say Me” (from the 1985 film White Nights) and the No. 2 hit title track. From 1986 to 1996, Richie took a break from recording; he has since then released seven studio albums. He has joined the singing competition American Idol to serve as a judge, starting from its sixteenth season.

During his solo career, Richie became one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s, and has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. He has won four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for “We Are the World”, and Album of the Year for Can’t Slow Down. “Endless Love” was nominated for an Academy Award; while “Say You, Say Me” won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song. In 2016, Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame and received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Friday 6/18/21 ET 12pm ET: Artist Countdown: Lionel Richie Top 30 Hits Twitter: @LionelRichie

Lionel Richie has released 10 studio albums, three live albums, and seven compilation albums. Formerly the lead vocalist of The Commodores, Richie began a solo career in the early 1980s and has released over 40 singles, five of which became number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Richie’s first three studio albums have all been certified “Multi-Platinum” by the Recording Industry Association of America. His second album, Can’t Slow Down, is his most successful, being certified 10× Platinum (i.e. Diamond) in the US. The album spent 59 consecutive weeks inside the Billboard Top 10 (including the entire year of 1984) and a total of 160 weeks (over three years) on the Billboard 200 chart. It became the third best-selling album of 1984, and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

In addition to multiple pop, R&B, and adult contemporary hit singles, two of his singles reached the Top 30 of the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart (now Hot Country Songs). “Deep River Woman”, which features country music group Alabama, was a Top 10 hit on the country music charts in 1987.

Richie’s tenth studio album, Tuskegee, was released in 2012 and peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, making it his third number one album on the chart.

1All Night Long (All Night)1983
2Say You, Say Me1985
3Stuck on You1984
4Hello1984
5Dancing on the Ceiling1986
6Running with the Night1983
7Do It to Me1992
8Penny Lover1984
9Endless Love (with Diana Ross)1981
10Ballerina Girl1986
11Don’t Wanna Lose You1996
12You Are1983
13I Call It Love2006
14Se La1987
15Angel2000
16Love Will Conquer All1986
17Truly1982
18Just for You2004
19My Destiny1992
20My Love1983
21Just Go2009
22Deep River Woman (with Alabama)1987
23Love, Oh Love1992
24Don’t Stop the Music2000
25Ordinary Girl1996
26Closest Thing to Heaven1998
27Still in Love1996
28Face in the Crowd (with Trijntje Oosterhuis)2008
29Cinderella2001
30All Around the World2007

Sunday 5/2/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Lionel Richie – Dancing On The Ceiling (1986)

Dancing on the Ceiling is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on August 5, 1986. The album was originally to be titled Say You, Say Me, after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it was renamed to a different track’s title after Richie rewrote several songs on the album. The album was released to generally positive reviews and it made No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 4 million copies. Following this album’s release, Richie went on a long hiatus, not releasing an album of entirely new material for another ten years.

  1. Dancing on the Ceiling” 4:30
  2. “Se La” 5:22
  3. “Ballerina Girl” 3:38
  4. “Don’t Stop” 7:43
  5. “Deep River Woman” 4:35
  6. “Love Will Conquer All” 5:40
  7. “Tonight Will Be Alright” 5:06
  8. “Say You, Say Me” 4:00
  9. “Night Train (Smooth Alligator)” 4:59
  10. “Dancing on the Ceiling” (12-inch version) 7:10

Lionel Richie – lead vocals (1–9), rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 3, 5–8), vocal arrangements (1–8), choir arrangements (2), arrangements (4), drum machine (6), keyboards (7, 8)
John Barnes – acoustic piano (1), synthesizers (4), Synclavier (4), arrangements (4)
Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (1, 2, 3, 5–9)
Carlos Rios – synthesizers (1), guitar (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 – guitar (3, 5, 7, 8)
Charles Fearing – guitar (4)
Louis Shelton – guitar (4)
Eric Clapton – guitar solo (7)
Steve Lukather – guitar (8)

Vernon “Ice” Black – guitar solo (9)
Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar (1)
Nathan East – bass guitar (2, 3)
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, 7, 8, 9)
Sheila E. – percussion (4)
James Anthony Carmichael – horn arrangements (1, 7), rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 3, 5–8), string arrangements (3, 5, 8)
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 Wendy 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

Wednesday 11/25/2020 4pm ET: Feature LP: Lionel Richie – Can’t Slow Down

Can’t Slow Down is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 11, 1983 by Motown Records. It has sold over 20 million copies, and is Richie’s best-selling album of all time. Five singles were released from Can’t Slow Down, all of which hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including two that reached No. 1: “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello”. The album also won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1985.

On May 6, 2003, a two-CD Deluxe Edition of the album was released in conjunction of the 20th anniversary of the album’s original release date. This version included several mixes originally included on various singles from the album at the end of the first CD, including instrumental versions of the 12-inch extended mixes of “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Running with the Night”. Disc 2 showcased demo or alternate versions of all tracks from the original album, plus additional unfinished songs from the same sessions, all previously unreleased.

1. “Can’t Slow Down” 4:43
2. “All Night Long (All Night)” 6:25
3. “Penny Lover” 5:34
4. “Stuck on You” 3:13
5. “Love Will Find a Way” 6:16
6. “The Only One” 4:21
7. “Running with the Night” 6:01
8. “Hello” 4:14
9. “All Night Long (All Night)” (12″ version) 6:42
10. “Penny Lover” (7″ single remix) 3:48
11. “All Night Long (All Night)” (12″ B-side instrumental version) 6:43
12. “Running with the Night” (12″ B-side instrumental version) 6:57

1. “Can’t Slow Down” (Alternate version) 4:55
2. “Ain’t No Sayin’ No” (Unfinished demo) R 4:57
3. “Tell Me” (Unfinished demo) 4:57
4. “All Night Long (All Night)” (Original demo version) 7:20
5. “Penny Lover” (Alternate version) 6:24
6. “Stuck on You” (Original demo version) 3:00
7. “Can’t Find Love” (Unfinished demo) 5:50
8. “Love Will Find a Way” (Original demo version) 6:35
9. “The Only One” (Original demo version) 4:28
10. “The Groove” (Instrumental interlude) 1:15
11. “Running with the Night” (Undubbed version) 6:14
12. “Hello” (Original demo version) 4:26
13. “Blues” (Outro) 1:12

Tuesday 6pm ET: Sounds of The 80s

This week we feature music from:  Kurtis Blow, Lionel Richie, Supertramp, Pat Benatar, Beastie Boys, Joe Jackson, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Michael Jackson, Van Halen, Blondie, David Lee Roth and more . . .

Tuesday 4pm ET: Sounds of The 80s

This week on the Sounds of The 80s we feature music from:  Bruce Willis, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band, Phil Collins, Daryl Hall and John Oates, John Fogerty, Van Halen, Lionel Richie, Journey, Corey Hart and many more . . . 

Tuesday 2pm: Sounds of The 80s

This week we feature music from:  Journey, Stray Cats, Juice Newton, Planet P Project, Peter Tosh, Elton John, Dicks, Toto, Huey Lewis and The News, Stevie Nicks, .38 Special, Lionel Richie, Robert Palmer and more . .  .

Feature LP: Barbra Streisand – Partners (2014) 9pm ET

Barbra_Streisand_Partners_Album_CoverPartners is the thirty-fourth studio album by Barbra Streisand, released in September 2014. The album features Streisand singing duets with an all-male lineup including John Legend, Michael Bublé, Andrea Bocelli, Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Elvis Presley. The collection also features Streisand’s first studio-recorded duet with her son, Jason Gould. The album release was preceded by a music video for “It Had to Be You” with Bublé.

While the recordings are new, most of the songs have a previous history as Streisand releases. Two classic Streisand duets are updated with new partners: “What Kind of Fool”, newly performed with John Legend (originally with Barry Gibb) and “Lost Inside of You”, newly performed with Babyface (originally with Kris Kristofferson). The deluxe edition features recordings from her 2002 Duets compilation with Frank Sinatra, Bryan Adams, Barry Manilow, and Barry Gibb. – Wikipedia

1 It Had to Be You   Michael Bublé 4:23
2 People   Stevie Wonder 4:14
3 Come Rain or Come Shine   John Mayer 4:11
4 Evergreen   Babyface 3:14
5 New York State of Mind   Billy Joel 4:47
6 I’d Want It to Be You   Blake Shelton 4:05
7 The Way We Were   Lionel Richie 4:29
8 I Still Can See Your Face   Andrea Bocelli 4:13
9 How Deep Is the Ocean   Jason Gould 4:18
10 What Kind of Fool   John Legend 4:43
11 Somewhere   Josh Groban 4:05
12 Love Me Tender   Elvis Presley 3:31

Artist Countdown: Lionel Richie Top 40 Hits 6pm ET @radiomax @LionelRichie

lRichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. From 1968, he was a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records. Richie made his solo debut in 1982 with the album Lionel Richie and number-one hit “Truly”.

Richie was raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, the son of Alberta R. (Foster) and Lionel Brockman Richie. Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. His grandfather’s house was across the street from the home of the president of the college. His family moved to Joliet, Illinois, where he graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, and graduated with a major in economics. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee, Richie briefly attended graduate school at Auburn University. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

As a student in Tuskegee, Richie formed a succession of R&B groups in the mid-1960s. In 1968 he became a singer and saxophonist with the Commodores. They signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record before moving on to Motown Records initially as a support act to The Jackson 5. The Commodores then became established as a popular soul group. Their first several albums had a danceable, funky sound, as in such tracks as “Machine Gun” and “Brick House.” Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Still,” and the tragic breakup ballad “Sail On.”

By the late 1970s he had begun to accept songwriting commissions from other artists. He composed “Lady” for Kenny Rogers, which hit #1 in 1980, and produced Rogers’s album Share Your Love the following year. Richie and Rogers maintained a strong friendship in later years. Latin jazz composer and salsa romantica pioneer La Palabra enjoyed international success with his cover of “Lady,” which was played at Latin dance clubs. Also in 1981 Richie sang the theme song for the film Endless Love, a duet with Diana Ross. Issued as a single, the song topped the UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and US pop music charts, and became one of Motown’s biggest hits (in the US it sold 2 million copies and became a platinum single record).[citation needed] Its success encouraged Richie to branch out into a full-fledged solo career in 1982. He was replaced as lead singer for The Commodores by Skyler Jett in 1983. His debut album, Lionel Richie, produced another chart-topping single, “Truly,” which continued the style of his ballads with the Commodores. (Source: Wikipedia)

1 All Night Long (All Night)
2 Say You, Say Me
3 Hello
4 Stuck on You
5 Dancing on the Ceiling
6 Running with the Night
7 Endless Love (with Diana Ross)
8 Do It to Me
9 Penny Lover
10 Ballerina Girl
11 You Are
12 Don’t Wanna Lose You
13 Se La
14 Truly
15 Angel
16 I Call It Love
17 Love Will Conquer All
18 Just for You
19 My Destiny
20 My Love
21 Just Go
22 Deep River Woman (with Alabama)
23 Love, Oh Love
24 Long Long Way to Go
25 Ordinary Girl
26 Don’t Stop the Music
27 To Love a Woman (with Enrique Iglesias)
28 Still in Love
29 Closest Thing to Heaven
30 Face in the Crowd (with Trijntje Oosterhuis)
31 All Around the World
32 Time
33 Endless Love (with Shania Twain)
34 Tender Heart
35 I Forgot
36 Cinderella
37 Climbing
38 What You Are
39 Deep River Woman (with Little Big Town)
40 I Still Believe