Dreaming (Blondie song)

"Dreaming" is a song by American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1979, the song was the opening track from their fourth album Eat to the Beat.[2] Written by guitarist Chris Stein and singer Debbie Harry, the song was inspired by ABBA's hit single "Dancing Queen." The song also features active drum performance by drummer Clem Burke, who did not expect the final recording to feature his busy drum track.

"Dreaming"
Single by Blondie
from the album Eat to the Beat
B-side
  • "Sound-A-Sleep"
  • "Living in the Real World"
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1979
GenrePower pop[1]
Length3:08
LabelChrysalis
Songwriter(s)Chris Stein, Debbie Harry
Producer(s)Mike Chapman
Blondie singles chronology
"One Way or Another"
(1979)		 "Dreaming"
(1979)		 "Union City Blue"
(1979)
Audio sample
Dreaming
  • file
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Music video
"Dreaming" on YouTube

"Dreaming" was released as the lead single from Eat to the Beat in September 1979, reaching number two on the UK singles chart and number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 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

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] Harry explained the process of writing the lyrics in an interview with Entertainment 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."[4]

Musically, "Dreaming" is a fast-paced new wave song. Stein has since claimed that "Dreaming" is "pretty much a cop" of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA; he continued, "I don't know if that was where we started, or if it ended just happening to sound like that."[3][4] Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock said the song "tak[es] a cue from Phil Spector's Wall of Sound."[5] Billboard Magazine described "Dreaming" as a "driving rocker that moves with rollercoaster intensity" and described Harry's lead vocals as "mesmerizing."[6]

According to the band's keyboardist Jimmy Destri, the song, like many from the Eat to the Beat album, was recorded live in the studio.[7] The song also features a frantic drum performance written by drummer Clem Burke.[8] 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. 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."[7]

Release

The song was released on September 14, 1979 as the first single from Eat 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 on Eat to the Beat. 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.[9]

"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."[7]

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 the Billboard Hot 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."[7]

"Dreaming" 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. Blondie re-recorded the song for the 2014 compilation album Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux.

In 2019 "Dreaming" was used as the opening credits theme song for the third and final season of the HBO drama The Deuce.[10]

Reception

Since its release, "Dreaming" has seen critical acclaim from music writers. Stewart Mason of AllMusic praised 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."[11] Debra Rae Cohen of Rolling Stone wrote that "'Dreaming' makes the keynote statement [of Eat to the Beat]."[12] Christian John Wikane of PopMatters praised 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.'"[13] Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter praised 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."[4]

Several critics have ranked "Dreaming" as one of Blondie's best songs. Billboard writers named "Dreaming" as the fourth best Blondie song, writing, "The feel-good, uplifting vibes of this power pop ballad still hold their influence today."[14] Ultimate Classic Rock named 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."[5] Far Out Magazine ranked 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."[15] uDiscoverMusic named the song as one of the top 20 Blondie songs.[16]

Live performances

"Dreaming" has become a staple of Blondie's live performances, being performed for a time as the second track in the band's setlist.[8] Blondie notably performed the song live on Saturday Night Live in 1979, a performance that ended with Burke jumping over his drumset toward the camera.[17] Burke later described the video of the performance as "awesome".[18]

Lead singer Debbie Harry performed a version of the song with the Dum Dum Girls at South by Southwest in 2014. Josh Terry of Consequence of Sound described the rendition as "woozy" and "upbeat".[19]

Cover versions

The Smashing Pumpkins released a cover of "Dreaming" on their 1996 single "Bullet With Butterfly Wings." The song was also covered by Yo La Tengo for the new wave tribute album Freedom of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits as Performed by Today's Stars.[20]

American rock band Green Day released 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.[21]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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

References
  1. Danyel Smith, ed. (2002). "Billboard 14 December 2002". Billboard. 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. Beviglia, Jim. "Behind the Song: Blondie, "Dreaming"". American Songwriter. ForASong Media, LLC. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  5. Gallucci, Michael. "Top 10 Blondie Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Townsquare Media. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  6. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. September 29, 1979. p. 71. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  7. Porter, Dick; Needs, Kris (February 13, 2017). Blondie: Parallel Lines. ISBN 9780857127808.
  8. Kramer, Barry L. "Clem Burke's interview with the fans". blondie.net. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  9. Cathy Che (1999), 'Deborah Harry: Platinum Blonde', MPG Books Ltd, Cornwall, p.96
  10. Murray, Noel. "The Deuce's final season kicks off with a trip to Vegas, deep into the '80s". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  11. Mason, Stewart. "Dreaming - Blondie | Song Info | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  12. Cohen, Debra Rae (November 30, 1983). "Eat To The Beat". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  13. Wikane, Christian John (June 28, 2007). "Blondie: Eat to the Beat". PopMatters. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  14. Zlatopolsky, Ashley (May 6, 2017). "Blondie's 10 Greatest Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  15. Whatley, Jack. "Debbie Harry and Blondie's 10 greatest songs of all time". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  16. Stavropoulos, Laura (January 5, 2020). "Blondie in 20 Songs | uDiscover". uDiscover Music. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  17. Tramel, Jimmie. "From Rock Hall to Hard Rock: Blondie drummer Clem Burke talks about band's past, present". Tulsa World. Gloria Fletcher. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  18. @clem_burke (March 30, 2018). "Check out this awesome video: Blondie - Dreaming - Live (Saturday Night Live) (1979) (HD) dai.ly/x21f8qu Have a Good Friday !" (Tweet). Retrieved March 23, 2019 – via Twitter.
  19. Terry, Josh. "Watch: Dum Dum Girls and Blondie's Debbie Harry play "Dreaming" at SXSW". Consequence of Sound. Consequence Holdings, LLC. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  20. Gettelman, Parry. "Freedom of Choice". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  21. Kohn, Daniel (May 22, 2020). "Green Day Cover Blondie's 'Dreaming'". Spin. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  22. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 37. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  23. "Austriancharts.at – Blondie – Dreaming" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  24. "Ultratop.be – Blondie – Dreaming" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  25. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6897a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  26. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  27. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dreaming". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  28. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Blondie" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  29. "Dutchcharts.nl – Blondie – Dreaming" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  30. "Charts.nz – Blondie – Dreaming". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  31. "Norwegiancharts.com – Blondie – Dreaming". VG-lista. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  32. "Swedishcharts.com – Blondie – Dreaming". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  33. "Blondie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  34. "Blondie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  35. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending December 8, 1979". Cash Box. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  36. "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. December 1, 1979. p. 25. ISSN 0034-1622 – via World Radio History.
  37. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blondie – Dreaming". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  38. "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32 no. 13. December 22, 1979. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  39. "Top Singles 1979". Music Week. London. December 22, 1979. p. 27. ISSN 0265-1548.
  40. "British single certifications – Blondie – Dreaming". British Phonographic Industry. September 1, 1979. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
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