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Dreaming (Blondie song)

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"Dreaming"
SinglebyBlondie
from the albumEat to the Beat
B-side
  • "Sound-A-Sleep"
  • "Living in the Real World"
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1979
Genre
Length3:08
LabelChrysalis
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Chapman
Blondiesingles chronology
"One Way or Another"
(1979) 		"Dreaming"
(1979) 		"Union City Blue"
(1979)
Audio sample
Dreaming
Music video
"Dreaming"onYouTube

"Dreaming"is a song by Americannew wavebandBlondie.Released in 1979, the song was the opening track from their fourth albumEat to the Beat.[3]Written by guitaristChris Steinand singerDebbie Harryand partially inspired byABBA's "Dancing Queen,"the song also features an active drum performance by drummerClem Burke,who did not expect the final recording to feature his busy drum track.

"Dreaming" was released as the lead single fromEat to the Beatin September 1979, reaching number two on theUK singles chartand number 27 on the USBillboardHot 100.The band saw this as a disappointing performance, though the song remained one of the band's highest charting singles to that point. The song's single release was also accompanied by a music video.

The song has since become one of Blondie's most famous tracks, appearing on several compilation albums and becoming a mainstay of the band's live setlist. It has since seen critical acclaim and several music writers have named the song as one of the band's best.

Background

[edit]

The lyrics for "Dreaming" originated from the line "dreaming is free", which band memberChris Steinthought of.[4]After hearing the music for the song that Stein wrote,Debbie Harrywrote the rest of the lyrics.[4]Harry explained the process of writing the lyrics in an interview withEntertainment Weekly,saying "Sometimes Chris will come up with a track or a feel and pass it on to me, and he'll say, 'I was thinking 'Dreaming/Dreaming is free',' and then I'll fill it out with a story line or some more phrases. A lot of times it's the rhythm track that suggests what the lyric is going to be. I like working like that."[5]

Musically, "Dreaming" is a fast-paced new wave song. Stein has since claimed that "Dreaming" is "pretty much a cop" of "Dancing Queen"byABBA;he continued, "I don't know if that was where we started, or if it ended just happening to sound like that."[4][5]Michael Gallucci ofUltimate Classic Rocksaid the song "tak[es] a cue fromPhil Spector'sWall of Sound."[6]Billboard Magazinedescribed "Dreaming" as a "driving rocker that moves withrollercoasterintensity "and described Harry's lead vocals as" mesmerizing. "[7]

According to the band's keyboardistJimmy Destri,the song, like many from theEat to the Beatalbum, was recorded live in the studio.[8]The song also features a frantic drum performance written by drummerClem Burke.[9]Burke said of his drumming on the song:

The reason why 'Dreaming' came out the way it did is because [producerMike Chapman] really gave me free rein and it was really a surprise. That take of 'Dreaming' was just me kind of blowing through the song. It's not like I expected that to be the take. I was consciously overplaying just for the sake of it because it was a run-through. "[8]

Release

[edit]

The song was released on September 14, 1979 as the first single fromEat to the Beat.While the US release of the single had "Living in the Real World" as the B-side, the British version used "Sound-A-Sleep" instead. Both of those songs likewise feature onEat to the Beat.A music video was produced to promote the single featuring Debbie Harry wearing a solid blueunitardand matching sheer blouse designed byStephen Sprouse.[10]

"Dreaming" was most successful as a single in the UK, peaking at number two on the singles chart. Burke later expressed disappointment at the song's inability to reach number one in Britain unlike other Blondie singles, saying, "English audiences are notoriously fickle. They go off on people after a while. It's been done before. We're so spoiled by having all those number ones."[8]

The single was also successful in Ireland as well as in Canada, reaching number three and number four respectively. In the US, it peaked at number 27 on theBillboardHot 100, becoming Blondie's third Top 40 hit there (after "Heart of Glass"(number one) and"One Way or Another"(number 24) earlier in the year). Clem Burke attributed the song's relatively lower chart position to his drumming, saying" I always say 'Dreaming' would have been a bigger hit had I not played like that. It was Top 40, but it was never a huge hit. "[8]

"Dreaming" has since been featured on multiple compilation albums, such asThe Best of Blondie,The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie,Atomic: The Very Best of Blondie,andGreatest Hits Deluxe Redux.Blondie re-recorded the song for the 2014 compilation albumGreatest Hits Deluxe Redux.

In 2019 "Dreaming" was used as the opening credits theme song for the third and final season of theHBOdramaThe Deuce.[11]

Reception

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Since its release, "Dreaming" has seen critical acclaim from music writers. Stewart Mason ofAllMusicpraised Stein's guitarwork and Burke's drumming on the song, writing of the latter, "It's an amazing performance, possibly the most over-the-top effort by a rock & roll drummer in the entire 1970s, and a must to hear."[12]Debra Rae Cohen ofRolling Stonewrote that"'Dreaming' makes the keynote statement [ofEat to the Beat]. "[13]Christian John Wikane ofPopMatterspraised Harry's vocals on the song, writing, "She sings with a vocal power unknown to audiences, at the time, who were only familiar with the synthetic thrills on 'Heart of Glass.'"[14]Jim Beviglia ofAmerican Songwriterpraised the song's "poignancy" and stated, "Blondie's songs tend to be so much fun that's it's easy to overlook their depth and the craft behind them. Don't make that mistake with 'Dreaming,' or you might miss the hurting yet ultimately hopeful heart beating inside that pristine pop shell."[5]Cash Boxsaid it has "a pounding, chugging rhythm and Harry's distinctive 'girl-group' vocals" and more "pop power" thanthe Knack.[15]Billboardcalled it a "a driving rocker that moves at rollercoaster intensity" and praised Debbie Harry's lead vocals as "clear and mesmerizing."[16]

Several critics have ranked "Dreaming" as one of Blondie's best songs.Billboardwriters named "Dreaming" as the fourth best Blondie song, writing, "The feel-good, uplifting vibes of this power pop ballad still hold their influence today."[17]Ultimate Classic Rocknamed it the band's fifth best song, stating,"'Dreaming' wraps everything Blondie did so well—girl-group bounce, big pop hook, the meshing of styles and eras—in the thickest battalion of drums and backing vocals they ever recorded. "[6]Far Out Magazineranked the song as the band's sixth best, calling it "undeniably one of the band’s most underrated songs" and writing, "Harry and co. delivered a song which is a distillation of everything that made them great."[18]uDiscoverMusic named the song as one of the top 20 Blondie songs.[19]In 2021, it was listed at No. 414 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021.[20]

Live performances

[edit]

"Dreaming" has become a staple of Blondie's live performances, being performed for a time as the second track in the band's setlist.[9]Blondie notably performed the song live onSaturday Night Livein 1979, a performance that ended with Burke jumping over his drumset toward the camera.[21]Burke later described the video of the performance as "awesome".[22]

Lead singer Debbie Harry performed a version of the song with theDum Dum GirlsatSouth by Southwestin 2014. Josh Terry ofConsequence of Sounddescribed the rendition as "woozy" and "upbeat".[23]

Cover versions

[edit]

TheSmashing Pumpkinsreleased a cover of "Dreaming" on their 1996 single "Bullet With Butterfly Wings."The song was also covered byYo La Tengofor thenew wavetribute albumFreedom of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits as Performed by Today's Stars.[24]

American rock bandGreen Dayreleased a cover of "Dreaming" on May 22, 2020. The music video features the band reminiscing of days gone by, featuring footage from previous tours of the band on the road and performing live.[25]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 250,000^

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]

UK 7 "(CHS 2359, September 1979)

  1. "Dreaming" (Deborah Harry,Chris Stein) — 3:08
  2. "Sound-A-Sleep" (Harry, Stein) — 4:18


US 7 "(CHS 2379, September 1979)

  1. "Dreaming" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) — 3:08
  2. "Living in the Real World" (Jimmy Destri) — 2:53


US 12 "Promo (CHS14-PDJ, September 1979)

  1. "Dreaming" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) — 3:08
  2. "Dreaming" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) — 3:08

References

[edit]
  1. ^Danyel Smith, ed. (2002). "Billboard 14 December 2002".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc.ISSN0006-2510."The near-capacity crowd (...) then went wild when they heard Burke's unmistakable drum roll intro to" Dreaming, "perhaps the band's definitive power-pop single."
  2. ^abPitchfork Staff (August 22, 2016)."The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s".Pitchfork.RetrievedOctober 13,2022.The third is the workaday wistfulness (the real mark of ABBA) that underlies the best power-pop and pop-punk tracks.
  3. ^Rae Cohen, Debra (November 30, 1983)."Eat to the Beat".Rolling Stone.
  4. ^abc"Dreaming".songfacts.com.
  5. ^abcBeviglia, Jim."Behind the Song: Blondie," Dreaming "".American Songwriter.ForASong Media, LLC.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  6. ^abGallucci, Michael (July 2015)."Top 10 Blondie Songs".Ultimate Classic Rock.Townsquare Media.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  7. ^"Top Single Picks"(PDF).Billboard Magazine.September 29, 1979. p. 71.RetrievedJuly 7,2020.
  8. ^abcdPorter, Dick; Needs, Kris (February 13, 2017).Blondie: Parallel Lines.Omnibus Press.ISBN9780857127808.
  9. ^abKramer, Barry L."Clem Burke's interview with the fans".blondie.net.Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2020.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  10. ^Cathy Che (1999), 'Deborah Harry: Platinum Blonde', MPG Books Ltd, Cornwall, p.96
  11. ^Murray, Noel (September 10, 2019)."The Deuce's final season kicks off with a trip to Vegas, deep into the '80s".The A.V. Club.RetrievedMay 24,2020.
  12. ^Mason, Stewart."Dreaming - Blondie | Song Info | AllMusic".AllMusic.RetrievedSeptember 22,2020.
  13. ^Cohen, Debra Rae (November 30, 1983)."Eat To The Beat".Rolling Stone.RetrievedSeptember 22,2020.
  14. ^Wikane, Christian John (June 28, 2007)."Blondie: Eat to the Beat".PopMatters.RetrievedSeptember 22,2020.
  15. ^"CashBox Singles Reviews"(PDF).Cash Box.September 29, 1979. p. 18.RetrievedJanuary 1,2022.
  16. ^"Top Single Picks"(PDF).Billboard.September 29, 1979. p. 71.RetrievedJune 13,2022.
  17. ^Zlatopolsky, Ashley (May 6, 2017)."Blondie's 10 Greatest Songs: Critic's Picks".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 22,2020.
  18. ^Whatley, Jack (July 2020)."Debbie Harry and Blondie's 10 greatest songs of all time".Far Out Magazine.RetrievedSeptember 22,2020.
  19. ^Stavropoulos, Laura (January 5, 2020)."Blondie in 20 Songs | uDiscover".uDiscover Music.RetrievedSeptember 22,2020.
  20. ^"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".Rolling Stone.September 15, 2021.RetrievedJuly 4,2022.
  21. ^Tramel, Jimmie (August 5, 2018)."From Rock Hall to Hard Rock: Blondie drummer Clem Burke talks about band's past, present".Tulsa World.Gloria Fletcher.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  22. ^@clem_burke (March 30, 2018)."Check out this awesome video: Blondie - Dreaming - Live (Saturday Night Live) (1979) (HD) http://dai.ly/x21f8qu Have a Good Friday!"(Tweet).RetrievedMarch 23,2019– viaTwitter.
  23. ^Terry, Josh (March 14, 2014)."Watch: Dum Dum Girls and Blondie's Debbie Harry play" Dreaming "at SXSW".Consequence of Sound.Consequence Holdings, LLC.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  24. ^Gettelman, Parry (February 12, 1993)."Freedom of Choice".OrlandoSentinel.com.RetrievedSeptember 21,2020.
  25. ^Kohn, Daniel (May 22, 2020)."Green Day Cover Blondie's 'Dreaming'".Spin.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  26. ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 37.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
  27. ^"Blondie – Dreaming "(in German).Ö3 Austria Top 40.Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  28. ^"Blondie – Dreaming "(in Dutch).Ultratop 50.Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  29. ^"Top RPM Singles: Issue 6897a."RPM.Library and Archives Canada.Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  30. ^Pennanen, Timo (2006).Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972(in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki:Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
  31. ^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dreaming ".Irish Singles Chart.Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  32. ^"Nederlandse Top 40 – Blondie "(in Dutch).Dutch Top 40.Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  33. ^"Blondie – Dreaming "(in Dutch).Single Top 100.Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  34. ^"Blondie – Dreaming ".Top 40 Singles.Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  35. ^"Blondie – Dreaming ".VG-lista.Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  36. ^"Blondie – Dreaming ".Singles Top 100.Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  37. ^"Blondie: Artist Chart History".Official Charts Company.Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  38. ^"Blondie Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  39. ^"Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending December 8, 1979".Cash Box.Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 1,2015.
  40. ^"Record World Singles"(PDF).Record World.December 1, 1979. p. 25.ISSN0034-1622– via World Radio History.
  41. ^"Offiziellecharts.de – Blondie – Dreaming "(in German).GfK Entertainment charts.Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  42. ^"1979 Top 200 Singles".RPM.Vol. 32, no. 13. December 22, 1979.ISSN0315-5994– via Library and Archives Canada.
  43. ^"Top Singles 1979".Music Week.London. December 22, 1979. p. 27.ISSN0265-1548.
  44. ^"British single certifications – Blondie – Dreaming".British Phonographic Industry.September 1, 1979.RetrievedDecember 25,2020.
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