Tuesday Tunes 246: Dream

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I have played some dream songs in this series before, but as that was nearly five years ago and there are so many of them I thought I’d take it for another spin. Last time, it was in the very early days of Tuesday Tunes and I only played three songs: in my usual unimaginative way I’m playing two of those again today with three others. And I have loads more so this may well become one of my mini-series – don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Let’s get things going with a bit of a blast, shall we:

I’m sure you recognised The Eurythmics and Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This. It was the title track of their second album, which was released in January 1983 and reached #3 in the UK, #6 in Canada and #15 in the US. Three of its tracks were released as singles before the album came out, with fairly moderate success, but this was the fourth, following two weeks after the album, and was the one with which they hit the big time. It got to #1 in both the US and Canada, and #2 in the UK, selling more than 1.8m copies in the UK and 1m in the US. And I love the video, though I wouldn’t have wanted the job of cleaning the studio floor afterwards!

That was one of the two I played last time, and this is the other:

Dreaming was the lead single from Blondie’s fourth album, Eat To The Beat: both were released in September 1979. It continued their habit of doing better in the UK charts than in their native USA: the single reached #2 here, but only #27 over there, and the same was true for the album, which got to #1 here but only made #17 in the US. I’ve always found that pattern strange, but it wasn’t the first (or last) time that we’ve picked up on someone sooner. The same is true in reverse too, in many cases. Weird thing, taste, isn’t it?

A footnote to this is a comment on the wonderful drumming on this song by Clem Burke, whose death was announced today. It’s always a sad occasion when we lose a great musician.

Now for some that I didn’t play in the previous dream post. You probably knew both of the first two and I think you’ll probably know the remaining three as well. Like this one:

I have actually played The Mamas and Papas with this one for a different theme but it fits in well here too, so you’re getting it again! They were only together for a few years, from 1965 to 1968, and then again for a brief reunion in 1971. They made five albums and quite a few singles in that time, however. California Dreaming was a single in December 1965, and was later included on their debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears, which came out in February 1966. The single peaked at #4 in the US and #9 in the UK, while the album went to #1 in the US and #3 in the UK. They had several more big hits, including the follow up to this one: Monday Monday (US #1, UK #3). Their lives were complicated but their music wasn’t: beautiful melodies and harmonies were their trademark, and they are still good to hear today.

I have played several songs by The Lovin’ Spoonful before but, oddly enough, not this one, which was their biggest UK hit:

Daydream was released as a single in the US in February 1966, and in April in the UK, and peaked at #2 in both countries, though it got to #1 in Canada and also on the ‘other’ US chart, the Cashbox one. It was also the title track of the band’s second album, which came out in March 1966, reaching #10 in the US and #8 in the UK. It’s one I’ve always liked, and I loved the band much more than my fellow Brits seemed to do: they didn’t enjoy anywhere near the same level of success here that they did over there, but I had a couple of their albums and played them to bits. For some reason I never understood, their UK record company insisted on putting most of their music out on 4 track EPs, which I think must have harmed their chart chances. They must have had their reasons, but I don’t think they did the band any favours!

I’m closing today with another belter, and another that I have loved since I first bought the album all those years ago:

I’ve only ever played one Supertramp song before – Breakfast In America – so I think they are long overdue a second appearance. Dreamer was a track on their third album, Crime Of The Century, which was released in October 1974, reaching #4 in the UK and Canada, and #38 in the US. The song was released as a single in November 1974, and peaked at #13 in the UK and at #75 in Canada. In the US they flipped the single over to its B-side, which became the chart entry at #35 – when you have a song titled Bloody Well Right people tend to notice! The B-side also got a separate chart placing of its own in Canada, at #49. We had many of their albums, as they appealed to both my and my wife’s musical tastes: not something which often happened!

That’s all for today, though as I said at the outset I think you may be seeing this theme again: it is too good just to do once! I already have enough on my list for two more posts, but if anyone feels like adding to it suggestions are welcome in the comments. Have a good week, and if you have the same good weather that we are currently enjoying keep your fingers crossed that it lasts – I’ve just seen a news report that says that parts of the UK may be getting snow next week! White Easter, anyone?

I’ll see you again in a couple of days – it will be music (of course) but a slightly different angle. See you there? Take care 😊🎶

 

78 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 246: Dream”

  1. Pingback: That Was April | Take It Easy

  2. What a wonderful subject and great songs! I recognized them all except the last one and I can think of more Dream songs. I guess tomorrow I will get to hear more and see if we are thinking on the same wavelength. 😂

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  3. Pingback: Satura’s Theme Music – Michael Seidel, writer

  4. I like your Dream Five choice. Dream songs are a favorite personal category, because I dream and remember dreams. Like others, I would have added Dreamweaver (Wright)…and Dream On (Aerosmith), Dreams (Fleetwood Mac), Runnin’ Down A Dream (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Dream Police (Cheap Trick)…

    Never mind. Just dreaming aloud. Cheers, M

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    • I’m pleased you liked them, and thank you for the suggestions.

      Dreamweaver: I’d never heard of it before someone else suggested it. Not my thing at all!

      Dreams was in the previous set some years ago, but is still on my list, as are Tom and Aerosmith. I’ll check out the Cheap Trick one 👍

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  6. a rare event – I knew, and liked, all five of your songs! As I watched the Lovin’ Spoonful, I wonder if a band that looked and sounded like them could make it today…

    As for suggestions, I’m surprised no one has mentioned Dream On by Aerosmith. I consider it an all-time classic…

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  8. Clive, terrific selections. We heard John Sebastian in a small venue a few years ago. He took the time to give context to all his songs. As for Eurhythmics, anything Annie sings is marvelous. Keith

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  9. Well, I knew three of the five and thoroughly enjoyed hearing them tonight! The two I didn’t know, as you could probably guess, were the ones by Blondie and Supertramp, but that’s okay … I listened to both and … while they’re not likely to make my Top Ten list, they didn’t make me want to run for cover, either! Great post, Clive … lots of fun. Yes, do it again!!!

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    • Thank you, Maddie, I’m pleased you liked them. I guess the Supertramp one didn’t get played much over there, as the B-side was the charting song. It was their first hit here, distinctive for Roger Hodgson’s voice.

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  12. Funny how some songs remind you instantly of a time and place. ‘Dreamer’ from Supertramp takes me right back to my first job, at an estate agents in nearby St Helens. It was a hit at the time and there was a guy who worked there who had the pretend sports car and a line of chat to go with it. But he was okay actually. I never think of him until I hear that song, and I’m back there again listening to his confident chatter. Music and memories eh?

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    • That’s one of the reasons I love music so much. Just one song can bring back so much for us. My memory of this one is it being a hit in my final year at uni and us all trying to reach the notes when it came on the radio in the kitchen.

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      • It depended on the time of day. We gathered there at lunchtime, which was fairly sedate, and also late evening after the pub closed, for a session of cheese on toast and darts. It was much more raucous late in the day 🤣

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  13. I know all these songs well. Lots of fun to guess what your choices will be once I see the theme. Quite a few choices for this theme. Here’s one from Gary Wright>

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    • There are many for this, so you’ll be having fun with the guessing! I didn’t expect there to be any surprises in this set – one of my more mainstream weeks.

      I don’t know the Gary Wright one. I looked it up and it seems to have been a big hit there but did nothing here. I only knew of him from his brief stay in the band Spooky Tooth.

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  15. So many great songs regarding “dreams”. And for once, I even know all of them. I loved having a reunions with “Daydream” again. I haven’t heard that song in quite a while. When I saw the topic for today, I instantly thought of the song “Reality” of Richard Sanderson. It is connected with memories when I was 11 and just beginning to see life through my own mind/eyes. Still the song makes me dream. Just listening to it…

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    • I deliberately went for a set that I thought people would know, though I don’t always do that! I’m pleased you knew them all and enjoyed hearing some.

      I’ve never heard of Richard Sanderson or that song, but as I choose on words in the title I wouldn’t have gone for it anyway. I’ll seek it out, though.

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  18. Nice choices especially The Eurythmics. The one dream song I have always enjoyed is Dream a Little Dream of Me and love the Mama Cass version. I am also a fan of all the dream song Roy Orbison sang.

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    • Thank you, Marina, I’m pleased you did. As I said in the post, Blondie fared much less well in the States than they did here. When you hear something as good as this it makes you wonder why, doesn’t it!

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  28. Nice choices. Personal comment; One of those rare instances when I preferred the 1970s selection to the 1960s. That said, still nice songs; in my early teens when California Dreaming came out, one of the reasons why in the 1960s I turned to USA music rather than homegrown (aside from Kinks & Yardbirds)

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      • It was my 1960s ‘thing’. By the turn of the decade I had broadened out.
        My wife Sheila had brought to my attention what the Moody Blues had been creating, I had picked up on UK folk music, discovered Hawkwind (in at the first album!) and for a reason I never quite figured out Led Zepplin .
        That’s what I love about music. You never know just what you will get drawn into at any given time or place. Always an adventure.

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  29. Hi Clive. I enjoyed every one of those. All evoke a distinct memory for me. I’m going out in the garden now to do some hedge trimming and to enjoy the sunshine. I’m definitely not dreaming of a white Easter!!

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