Standing in the Spotlight

Standing in the Spotlight
Studio album by Dee Dee King
Released	1989
Recorded	1989; Chung King, N.Y.C.
Genre	Old school hip hop, punk rock
Length	31:46
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Daniel Rey
Dee Dee Ramone chronology
"Funky Man" (1987) Standing in the Spotlight (1989) I Hate Freaks Like You (1993)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Punknews.org	[2]

Standing in the Spotlight is the first solo studio album by Dee Dee Ramone released in 1989, under the rap moniker Dee Dee King. The album is sometimes considered to be one of the biggest failures in recording history.

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") to doo-wop.

This album was released in spring 1989 a few months before Dee Dee left the Ramones. The album marks a radical shift from the Ramones guitar-based punk rock. Dee Dee learnt about rap music during drug rehabilitation,^[3] which led to record the boastful "Funky Man" in 1987, although that song did not end up on the album. Prior to leaving the group, Dee Dee would show up to Ramones gigs in full rap regalia, which frustrated his bandmates.^[4]

Dee Dee was struggling with sobriety at this time, and was accompanied on the album by the newly sober drummer Marky Ramone.^[5] Despite the departure from the band's music, Joey Ramone wanted "Standing..." to be well received, to help kickstart his own solo career. Debbie Harry sings backup vocals on "Mashed Potato Time" and "German Kid". "German Kid" also features Dee Dee rapping in both English and German, the latter of which Dee Dee had learned as an army brat. "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. With the departure from the Ramones Dee Dee also stopped doing rap songs and formed the punk rock band Spikey Tops.^[6]

"The Crusher" was re-recorded by the Ramones and released in 1995 on the ¡Adios Amigos! album.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Dee Dee King and Daniel Rey; except where indicated

1. "Mashed Potato Time" (Eddie Holland, Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Robert Bateman, Freddie Gorman) – 3:15
2. "2 Much 2 Drink" – 3:32
3. "Baby Doll" – 4:41
4. "Poor Little Rich Girl" – 2:31
5. "Commotion In The Ocean" – 3:23
6. "German Kid" – 4:05
7. "Brooklyn Babe" – 3:27
8. "Emergency" – 3:23
9. "The Crusher" – 3:29
10. "I Want What I Want When I Want It" – 4:31

Personnel

• Dee Dee King - vocals
• Debbie Harry – background vocals on "Mashed Potato Time" and "German Kid"
• Chris Stein – guitar on "German Kid"
• Marky Ramone – drums
• Spyder Mittleman – saxophone on "Mashed Potato Time"

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Punknews.org review
3. "Dee Dee Ramone". Markprindle.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
5. Vera Ramone-King - "Poison Heart"
6. "Spikey Tops Bootleg, November 1989". Retrieved 2013-11-02.