The Lionel Richie Experience

Lionel Richie clay head Last year an anonymous person brought a copy of Lionel Richie’s live album Encore into work. In a brief resurrection of playing music out loud (rather than everyone plugged into their headphones), it became a regular part of the afternoon routine, a kind of half torture, half treat thing to accompany coding. The cheesy ad libs became great catchphrases within days.

But not everyone picked up on Lionel’s laid-back vibes (possibly due to traumatic clay head memories from childhood), and the commandment Don’t Stop The Music had to be broken — contractors were starting to mumble about charging ‘danger money’. Shortly afterwards the CD mysteriously vanished; foul play is strongly suspected.

The challenge is to get hold of a copy of Encore and play it every afternoon for a week or two (you’re permitted to skip the Enrique Doubleglazeas duet at the end of some versions). Does Lionel raise morale and improve productivity, or cause widespread distress and confusion? Report back here with any findings.

I’m currently trying another experiment which involves having Straight Outta Compton on loop in my headphones. I doubt it’ll noticeably improve productivity, but calling everyone punk muthafuckas should be fun.

Tue 19th Apr 2005, 8:38pm GMT

Filed under: Daftness, Music and Audio, Offline

Comments

I still can't hear Lionel Richie songs without flinching, although I think I could bear a mash up of Gangsta Gangsta with Penny Lover. Hmm... perhaps not, the horror could be too much.

— Paul, 24th Apr, 7:58pm

Hmm you didn't by any chance have a CD in your luggage the last time you left Leamington..?

— Matt Round, 24th Apr, 9:36pm

That's a terrible thought, for so many reasons. Besides, I couldn't have denied Morcs his Lionel Richie time, not when he's one of the few people in the world who could actually enjoy it.

— Paul, 28th Apr, 8:21pm

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