Dance Naked is the 13th album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 and musician John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...

 released in 1994. The album was released in response to the record company's accusations that Mellencamp's previous album, Human Wheels

Human Wheels

Human Wheels is the 12th album released by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp in 1993. Released on Mercury Records, it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The single "What If I Came Knocking" was Mellencamp's last No...

, didn't "fit the format." Mellencamp was irritated with this remark, feeling that none of his albums ever fit the format. As a result, he wrote several purposely radio-friendly songs and recorded them within the span of 14 days at the Belmont Mall Studio in Indiana, intending to show the lack of effort required to produce the type of album they were asking for.

Although Mellencamp claims that Dance Naked was merely an easy output to give the company what it wanted, the album was still well received. The most notable accomplishment was the largely successful single "Wild Night

Wild Night

"Wild Night" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the opening track on his fifth studio album Tupelo Honey. It was released as a single in 1971 and reached number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....

," a cover of the 1971 song by Van Morrison

Van Morrison

Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...

. The song featured Me'shell Ndegeocello

Me'shell Ndegeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy...

 on a duet with Mellencamp as well as the prominent bass lead. The single reached #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and charted at #1 on the Adult Contemporary List for 8 weeks. The album itself reached #13 on the Billboard 200 and produced several music videos: two versions for "Wild Night," another for the title track "Dance Naked," and two unreleased videos for "L.U.V." and "Another Sunny Day 12/25."

Dance Naked was re-mastered and re-released on July 19, 2005, along with three other Mellencamp albums. The re-mastered edition includes an acoustic version of "Wild Night" as a bonus track.

Spin Magazine named Dance Naked the 20th best album of 1994.

Track listing

All songs written by John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...

, except where noted.

1. "Dance Naked" – 3:00
2. "Brothers" – 3:14
3. "When Margaret Comes To Town" – 3:20
4. "Wild Night
   Wild Night
   "Wild Night" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the opening track on his fifth studio album Tupelo Honey. It was released as a single in 1971 and reached number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
   
   " (Van Morrison
   Van Morrison
   Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
   
   )– 3:27
5. "L.U.V." – 3:01
6. "Another Sunny Day 12/25" (Mellencamp, George M. Green
   George Green (songwriter)
   George Michael Green was an American songwriter. His compositions included the Top 10 Billboard hits "Crumblin' Down" and "Hurts So Good" , as well as another Canadian Number 1 hit in "Key West Intermezzo ".- Biography :Green was John Mellencamp's long-time writing...
   
   ) – 3:02
7. "Too Much To Think About" – 3:02
8. "The Big Jack" (Mellencamp, George M. Green) – 3:23
9. "The Breakout" (Mellencamp, George M. Green) – 3:37
10. "Wild Night" (2005 re-issue bonus track) - 3:19

Personnel

• John Mellencamp - vocal, guitar
• Kenny Aronoff
  Kenny Aronoff
  Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
  
   - drums, percussion
• Toby Myers - bass
• Mike Wanchic - guitars, organ, backing vocals
• Andy York - guitars, organ, bass, percussion

With

• Mike "Spud" Dupke - drums and percussion on "L.U.V."
• Lisa Germano
  Lisa Germano
  Lisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...
  
   - backing vocals on "L.U.V."
• Missy - backing vocals on "Dance Naked"
• Me'shell Ndegeocello
  Me'shell Ndegeocello
  Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy...
  
   - bass and vocals on "Wild Night" and "The Big Jack"
• Pat Peterson - backing vocals on "L.U.V."
• Jimmy Ryser - acoustic guitar on "L.U.V."

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
July 9, 1994	The Billboard 200	13

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1994	"Wild Night"	The Billboard Hot 100	3
1994	"Wild Night"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	17
1994	"Junior"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	35
1994	"Dance Naked"	The Billboard Hot 100	41
1994	"Dance Naked"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	21

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