Dreaming (Blondie song)

"Dreaming"
Single by Blondie
from the album Eat to the Beat
B-side	"Sound-A-Sleep" "Living in the Real World"
Released	September 14, 1979
Format	7" single
Genre	Power pop,[1] new wave
Length	3:08
Label	Chrysalis
Writer(s)	Chris Stein, Debbie Harry
Producer(s)	Mike Chapman
Certification	Silver (UK)
Blondie singles chronology
"One Way or Another" (1979) "Dreaming" (1979) "Union City Blue" (1979)
Music sample Dreaming

"Dreaming" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1979, it was the lead single from their fourth album Eat to the Beat.^[2] It peaked at #2 in the British singles chart and at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Background

The lyrics for "Dreaming" originated from the line, "dreaming is free," which band member Chris Stein thought of.^[3] After hearing the music for the song that Stein wrote, Debbie Harry wrote the rest of the lyrics.^[3] Musically, the song is a fast paced new wave song. Stein has since claimed that the song is "pretty much a copy" of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA.^[3]

According to the band's guitarist Jimmy Destri, the song, like many from the Eat to the Beat album, was recorded live in the studio.^[4] The song also features a frantic drum performance by drummer Clem Burke. Burke said of his drumming on the song, "The reason why 'Dreaming' came out the way it did is because [producer Mike Chapman] really gave me free rein and it was really a surprise."^[4]

"Dreaming" was released on September 14, 1979 as the first single from Eat to the Beat. Backed with its fellow Eat to the Beat tracks "Sound-A-Sleep" in the UK and "Living in the Real World" in the US, the song was a chart hit, reaching #2 in the Britain and at #27 in America, as well as #3 in Ireland and #4 in Canada. It has since been featured on multiple compilation albums, such as The Best of Blondie, The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie, Atomic: The Very Best of Blondie, and Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux.

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single featuring Debbie Harry wearing a solid blue unitard and matching sheer blouse designed by Stephen Sprouse.^[5]

Release history

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

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts Chart (1979) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 53 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 18 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 16 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[9] 14 Canada (RPM 100 Singles)[10] 4 France (SNEP)[11] 33 Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 26 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 18 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 12 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 9 Norway (VG-lista)[17] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 19 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[20] 27 US Cash Box Top 100[21] 20

Year-end charts Chart (1979) Rank Canadian RPM 1979 Top 100 Singles[22] 60 Sales and certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000 ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Cover versions and appearances in other media

• The Smashing Pumpkins covered the song on their 1996 The Aeroplane Flies High box-set.^[24] Bassist D'arcy Wretzky and singer Billy Corgan shared vocal duties on the track. The cover had a different beat, which was very slow and reminiscent of trip hop.
• The Posies covered it during a live radio performance. Their version appears on the 2000 box set At Least At Last.^[25]
• Yo La Tengo covered it on the 1992 various-artists album entitled Freedom Of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits As Performed By Today's Stars.
• Amy Speace performs a country cover of this song on her 2006 album Songs for Bright Street.
• Jeff Tweedy of Wilco covered it on October 21, 1999.
• Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles recorded a version which appears on the deluxe edition of their 2009 album Under the Covers, Vol. 2.^[26]
• Was featured in the 2008 film Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
• Pop punk band The Backseat Virgins covered it on their album Carl.
• It was also featured in the 1998 film SLC Punk!.
• The Australian band Brooke Russell and The Mean Reds covered it on their album Poor Virginia.
• Blondie re-recorded the song for the 2014 compilation album Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux. The compilation was part of a 2-disc set called Blondie 4(0) Ever which included their 10th studio album Ghosts of Download and marked the 40th anniversary of the forming of the band.
• In 2015, the song was featured in the "Lipsync For Your Life" segment on the fourth episode of RuPaul's Drag Race (season 7).

References

1. Danyel Smith, ed. (2002). "Billboard 14 december 2002". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. "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. Rae Cohen, Debra (November 30, 1983). "Eat to the Beat". Rolling Stone.
3. "Dreaming". songfacts.com.
4. Porter, Dick; Needs, Kris. Blondie: Parallel Lines.
5. Cathy Che (1999), 'Deborah Harry: Platinum Blonde', MPG Books Ltd, Cornwall, p.96
6. bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
7. "Austriancharts.at – Blondie – Dreaming" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
8. "Ultratop.be – Blondie – Dreaming" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
9. "Dreaming - BLONDIE". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved July 28, 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 14
10. "Top Singles - Volume 32, No. 11, December 08 1979". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
11. "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste". Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc (in French). InfoDisc.fr. June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Blondie"
12. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blondie – Dreaming". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
13. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. Retrieved July 28, 2013. 4th result when searching "Dreaming"
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Blondie - Dreaming search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Blondie – Dreaming" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
16. "Charts.org.nz – Blondie – Dreaming". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
17. "Norwegiancharts.com – Blondie – Dreaming". VG-lista. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
18. "Swedishcharts.com – Blondie – Dreaming". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
19. "Archive Chart: 1979-10-06" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
20. "Eat to the Beat awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
21. http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/19791208.html
22. "Canadian 1979 Top 100 Singles". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
23. "British single certifications – Blondie – Dreaming". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 March 2012. Enter Dreaming in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
24. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Aeroplane Flies High review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
25. Jason Damas. "At Least, At Last review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
26. "Digital Release: Under the Covers Vol. 2 - Deluxe Edition". Second Hand Songs. Retrieved July 28, 2013.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics