Dancin' on the Ceiling
Dancin' on the Ceiling was a studio album by The Beck Family, an R&B vocal group from Philadelphia. It made the Billboard Soul LPs chart in 1979. It contained the hit song, "Can't Shake the Feeling" which registered on four USA charts and charted in Canada. Another song, "Words and Music" was a popular song for the UK dancefloors.
Dancin' on the Ceiling | |
---|---|
Studio album by | |
Released | 1979 |
Studio | Secret Sound recording studio |
Label | LeJoint LEJ 17001 |
Producer | T. Life |
Background
The February 10 issue of Billboard mentioned that The Beck Family were getting ready for the first release on the LeJoint label. The intended release was to be called The Beck Family.[1] However, when the album was released, it was called Dancin' on the Ceiling.[2] It was released in the UK on London SHE 8534.[3] It was there in the UK that an album track, "Words and Music" became a popular dancefloor song.[4][5]
Phyllis Hyman was one of the backing vocalists on the album.[6]
On the week of May 5, the album was a "breakout" at The Soul Shack in Washington.[7]
The hit single, "Can't Shake the Feeling" got to no. 43 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart,[8][9] no. 37 on the Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary singles chart,[10][11] no. 47 on the Record World Black Oriented Singles chart,[12][13] and no. 137 on the Record World Singles 101 - 150 chart.[14][15][16][17] It also made it to no. 25 on the RPM Weekly Disco Playlist chart.[18]
The follow-up single, "Falling in Love Again" was released on LeJoint 5N34005. It was a recommended soul single in Billboards Top Single Picks for August 4, 1979.[19]
At the end of 1979, two of the album tracks were being played in Italy.[20][21][22] On December 11, 1979, "Dancin' on the Ceiling" was getting played on Canale 5, on the Musica leggera in stereofonia program in Italy.[23] On December 14, "Can't Shake the Feeling" was being played on the same program.[24]
Reviews
Billboard
It was reviewed in the March 17 issue of Billboard. It had a positive review, with the picks being, "Can't Shake the Feeling", Dancin' on the Ceiling" and "Falling in Love Again". The review said it had pop crossover potential, and it would get r&b and disco airplay.[25]
Cash Box
Their album was also reviewed in the March 24, 1979 issue of Cash Box. The review said that the T. Life produced album had potential for chart action and airplay, and R&B, disco and pop interest.[26]
Music Week
It was reviewed in the June 23 issue of Music Week. The reviewer called it was somewhere between pop and r&b. The reviewer also called it light and infectious and that it could pick up airplay.[27]
Chart
On the week of May 12, 1979, the album entered the Billboard Soul LPs chart at no. 72.[28] It held that position for another week.[29][30]
Track listing
No. | Track | Composer | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
A1 | "Can't Shake the Feeling" | B. Greene; T. Life; G. Sokolow; G. Smith | 4:50 | |
A2 | "Dancin' On the Ceiling" | M. Bailey | 3:46 | |
A3 | "Words and Music" | M. Bailey | 5:09 | |
A4 | "Nobody But You" | J. Fitch; R. Cross; B. Greene; T. Life* | 3:25 | |
B1 | "Falling in Love Again" | T. Life; B. Greene; C. Cotton | 4:24 | |
B2 | "Can You Feel It" | A. Beck; A. Destoutet, | 4:36 | |
B3 | " Butterflies" | B. Greene; B. Dunbar; G.Sokolow | 3:35 | |
B4 | " Love-A-Thon" | K. Lewis | 3:11 | |
References
- Billboard, February 10, 1979 - Page 36 Radio Challenging Pools * continued from page 35
- Billboard, March 17, 1979 - Page 98 Billboard's Top Album Picks, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 3/17/79, First Time Around
- Music Week, June 23, 1979 - Page 40 ALBUM REVIEWS, BECK FAMILY
- Soulwalking - the beck family
- Both Sides Now Publications - LEJOINT ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY
- music-was-my-first-love.com - Phyllis Hyman, The Beck Family, Dancin' On The Ceiling
- Cash Box, May 5, 1979 - Page 28 MERCHANDISING, ALBUM BREAKOUTS, Soul Shack Washington
- Billboard, May 19, 1979 - Page 40 Billboard Hot Soul Singles, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 5/19/79
- Billboard, May 26, 1979 - Page 69 Billboard Hot Soul Singles, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 5/26/79
- Cash Box, May 26, 1979 - Page 38 CASH BOX TOP 100 May 26, 1979
- Cash Box, June 2, 1979 - Page 42 CASH BOX TOP 100 June 2, 1979
- Record World, May 12, 1979 - Page 56 Record World Black Oriented Singles MAY 12, 1979
- Record World, May 19, 1979 - Page 82 Record World Black Oriented Singles MAY 19, 1979
- Record World, May 5, 1979 - Page 28 Record World Singles 101-150 MAY 5, 1979
- Record World, May 19, 1979 - Page 31 Record World Singles 101-150 MAY 19, 1979
- Record World, May 26, 1979 - Record World Singles 101-150 MAY 26, 1979
- Record World, June 2, 1979 - Page 35 Record World Singles 101-150 JUNE 2, 1979
- RPM Weekly, Volume 31 No. 3 April 14, 1979 - Page 41 DISCO PLAYLIST
- Billboard, August 4, 1979 - Page 55 Billboard's Top Single Picks, Billboard SPECIAL SURUEY For Week Ending 8/4/79
- Both Sides Now Publications - LEJOINT ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY
- Radiocorriere TV, Anno LVI - Numero 20 9/15 Dicembre 1979 - 11 dicembre V CANALE Musica leggera, 22/24 MUSICA LEGGERA IN STEREOFONIA
- Radiocorriere TV, Anno LVI - Numero 20 9/15 Dicembre 1979 - 14 dicembre V CANALE Musica leggera, 22/24 MUSICA LEGGERA IN STEREOFONIA
- Radiocorriere TV, Anno LVI - Numero 20 9/15 Dicembre 1979 - 11 dicembre V CANALE Musica leggera, 22/24 MUSICA LEGGERA IN STEREOFONIA
- Radiocorriere TV, Anno LVI - Numero 20 9/15 Dicembre 1979 - 14 dicembre V CANALE Musica leggera, 22/24 MUSICA LEGGERA IN STEREOFONIA
- Billboard, March 17, 1979 - Page 98 Billboard's Top Album Picks, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY Fa Week Ending 3/17/79, First Time Around
- Cash Box, March 24, 1979 - Page 22 REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS
- Music Week, June 23, 1979 - Page 40 ALBUM REVIEWS, BECK FAMILY
- Billboard, May 12, 1979 - Page 41 Billboard Soul LPs, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY for Week Ending 5/12/79
- Billboard, May 19, 1979 - Page 42 Billboard Soul LPs, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY for Week Ending 5/19/79
- Joel Whitburn's Top R & B albums, 1965-1998 - Page 12 Beck Family, The
- soulandfunkmusic.com, The Ultimate Soul And Funk Website - The Beck Family Albums Dancin' On The Ceiling
- Discogs - The Beck Family – Dancin' On The Ceiling
- Both Sides Now Publications - LeJoint Album Discography