Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.
As kids we slung vinyl boxes to transport our tapes from home to the beach and back again. Truthfully they were just cardboard with a handle but somehow that translated into the cinematic intrigue of an attaché case. For a young Mike Cowgill they were also the necessary McGuffin to unlock a full world of pop influence. So flip that cassette and fast forward a bit so we can discuss Lionel Richie's “Tonight Will Be Alright.”
You can listen to today’s guest MIKE COWGILL on his podcast BATTLE OF THE NETWORK SHOWS currently streaming at www.battleofthenetworkshows.com.
POP NOTES
“Tonight Will Be Alright” is the seventh song off Lionel Richie’s third solo album DANCING ON THE CEILING. Released on August 5th 1986 (three days before theatrical opening of THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE) the album sold over 4 million copies and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200
DANCING ON THE CEILING has the distinction of being the first album to be simultaneously certified silver, gold, platinum and double platinum.
The album’s closing track “Say You, Say Me” had actually been released as a single 7 months prior. As the main theme to the feature film WHITE NIGHTS, it won the 1986 Academy award for Best Song. However it was not featured on the film’s official soundtrack release per request of Richie’s recording label, Motown Records. They, instead, wished to feature the song on the eventual release of Dancing On The Ceiling.
With an original release date set for December 1985, Richie wound up scrapping many of his original compositions. Having composed “We Are The World” to aid with issues of starvation in Africa, Richie felt he wanted to compose album music that was more socially aware and impactive. By rescheduling the release date to the summer he was able to achieve this goal.
Lionel Richie and his song “Dancing On The Ceiling” were pivotal to the 1984 pilot episode of KIDD VIDEO. As a Saturday morning cartoon, this NBC program utilized top 40 hits for both background music and transitional clips. Lionel Richie has the distinction of being the one musician actually mentioned by show characters and (through recycled footage from the Dancing On The Ceiling video) be an actual plot point to the story.
After the successful release and subsequent tour for the album, Richie took a nearly 6 year absence from recording. He returned in 1992 with BACK TO FRONT, a greatest hits compilation that encompassed both his solo work and time with the Commodores and featured three new compositions.
Tune back on Friday to celebrate Life Day with Mike’s own tattered copy of THE WOOKIE STORYBOOK.
This episode of MÉNAGE Á POP was recorded by CAST, an online audio platform that lets you create and record a multi-guest podcast straight from your web-browser. It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service. Check out both sights for trial and subscription information.
MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
“Three Ways To Do That” (opening theme) composed and performed by The Madeline Prior. All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.
Subscribe to MÉNAGE Á POP on APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY, STITCHER and ANDROID or stream it at www.nahpods.com.
Follow Tim Blevins on TWITTER @subcultist and on INSTAGRAM @subcultist.
Try to understand the present while living in the past with Tim’s weekly podcast 20TH CENTURY POP! at www.nahpods.com/20popcast
For questions, queries or, by random chance, press contact Tim Blevins at subcultist@gmail.com.