Standing in the Spotlight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007) |
| Standing in the Spotlight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by Dee Dee King | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Old school hip hop | |||
| Length | 31:46 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. Records | |||
| Producer | Daniel Rey | |||
| Professional reviews | ||||
| Dee Dee King chronology | ||||
|
||||
Standing in the Spotlight is the album by Dee Dee Ramone, under the rap moniker Dee Dee King, released in 1989. The album is sometimes considered to be one of the biggest failures in recording history, while others argue the whole affair was tongue-in-cheek. It also gave Dee Dee Ramone the distinction of being one of the first white rappers.
This album was released after Dee Dee left the Ramones and marks a radical shift from the guitar-based punk rock music he was widely known for. There are many rumors as to how this recording came to be, one being that he spent time in drug rehabilitation with people who turned him on to rap music. Prior to this album, he had recorded a single called "Funky Man"; this was not included on the album. Joey Ramone wanted this album to be well received, as it would help kickstart his own solo career. Dee Dee would show up to Ramones gigs in full rap regalia, and it was very frustrating for his bandmates.[citation needed]
Despite his frequent boasting about his rapping abilities (especially in relation to other rappers), the album is lacking on many levels. Although considered a strong songwriter with the Ramones (e.g., "53rd & 3rd", "Chinese Rocks", "Psycho Therapy"), the lyrics on the album vary from the mundane to the silly. There are many instances where a line seems put in simply to create a rhyme. His rapping style has no signature rhythm (or "flow") and he seems to be trying to make his voice sound deeper than it naturally is; all of this adds to the unintentional humor people derive from the album.
Musically, the songs vary from old school hip-hop (e.g., "Mashed Potato Time", "Commotion In The Ocean") to rock and roll (e.g., "Baby Doll"). The backing music is made up of original recordings, as opposed to the practice of sampling, which was common for rap music at the time.
Marky Ramone, newly sober, played drums on this album according to Vera Ramone-King's book, "Poison Heart". Dee Dee was also struggling with his sobriety, so they became friends and Marky played drums for Dee Dee at gigs as well. Debbie Harry sings backup vocals on "Mashed Potato Time" and "German Kid". "German Kid" also features Dee Dee rapping in both English and German (Dee Dee spent a lot of his youth in Germany). "Baby Doll" was a ballad he wrote for Vera, his wife. according to her book "Poison Heart" when he played it for her, they both cried.
"The Crusher" was re-recorded by the Ramones and released in 1995 on the ¡Adios Amigos! album.
[edit] Track listing
- "Mashed Potato Time" (feat. Debbie Harry) – 3:15
- "2 Much 2 Drink" – 3:32
- "Baby Doll" – 4:41
- "Poor Little Rich Girl" – 2:31
- "Commotion In The Ocean" – 3:23
- "German Kid" – 4:05
- "Brooklyn Babe" – 3:27
- "Emergency" – 3:23
- "The Crusher" – 3:29
- "I Want What I Want When I Want It" – 4:31
