Standing in the Spotlight

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.

Contents

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• Track listing
• Personnel
• Songs
• References

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, 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.

Dee Dee was struggling with sobriety at this time, and was accompanied on the album by the newly sober drummer Marky Ramone. 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.

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