Dancing Undercover is the third studio album by American glam metal band Ratt, released in 1986. The album was produced by Beau Hill and contains the hit single/video "Dance", which appeared in the Miami Vice episode "Down for the Count". Two other videos were made: "Body Talk", which was used on the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy film The Golden Child, and "Slip of the Lip". It charted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 chart and at No. 14 on Rolling Stones Album Chart. The album went platinum.

Music and release

The second single, "Body Talk", was released in January 1987 in Japan. The song was written by Pearcy, Croucier, and DeMartini. Ratt's guitarist Warren DeMartini had the song's opening riffs for years. However, no one was able to develop it into a song. Under a very tight deadline (one day to be exact), Ratt bassist Juan Croucier stepped in. He wrote all the vocal melodies and lyrics, adding additional chord progressions to the one riff that had been around for years. The song title was apparently conceived of by Ratt producer Beau Hill or vocalist Stephen Pearcy. It was featured on the compilation album Ratt & Roll 81-91. It was also used as a soundtrack for Eddie Murphy's film The Golden Child. The video was added on MTV in late '86, while "Dance" was still in heavy rotation.

Tour

Ratt's opening acts on the tour in support of the album included Poison, Cinderella, Cheap Trick, Queensrÿche, and Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Poison were kicked off as an opening act for Ratt, due to tensions with some of the members, which led to Queensrÿche replacing them for a few weeks. However, ticket sales dropped once Queensrÿche replaced Poison, with Poison eventually returning as an opening act. In a June 2001 interview, guitarist Robbin Crosby reflected on Queensrÿche being an opening act for Ratt, saying, "it was just a bad mix. Because we were like a party band, and they were like a dark thing. I liked them personally, [but] it just wasn't a good mix."

Track listing

Early pressings of the CD had "Slip of the Lip" and "Body Talk" errantly mastered into one track as track 4.

Personnel

1. Ratt

2. Stephen Pearcy – lead vocals

3. Robbin Crosby – lead guitar, backing vocals

4. Warren DeMartini – lead guitar, backing vocals

5. Juan Croucier – bass, backing vocals

6. Bobby Blotzer – drums, percussion

7. Production

8. Beau Hill – producer, engineer

9. Michael O'Reilly, Jim Faraci – engineers

10. Jimmy Hoyson – assistant engineer

11. Stephen Benben – digital editing and sequencing

12. Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City

Charts

Certifications

References