Dream a Little Dream of Me

Last updated
"Dream a Little Dream of Me"
Song
Published1931 by Davis, Coots & Engel
Genre
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Gus Kahn

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" is a 1931 song with music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt and lyrics by Gus Kahn. [1] It was first recorded in February 1931 by Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra, soon followed by Wayne King and His Orchestra with vocals by Ernie Birchill. A popular standard, it has seen well over 400 recorded versions. [2]

Contents

The song enjoyed its highest-charting success when it was covered in 1968 by Cass Elliot with the Mamas & the Papas, and followed the same year with a recording by Anita Harris. More than 40 other versions followed, including by the Mills Brothers, Sylvie Vartan, Henry Mancini, the Beautiful South, Blind Guardian, Anne Murray, Ella Fitzgerald, Erasure, Michael Bublé, Tony DeSare, Eddie Vedder, MonaLisa Twins and Italian vocal group Blue Penguin.

While published in 1931, the song's earliest copyright was registered on December 29, 1930, and will enter the public domain on January 1, 2026. [a]

Early recordings

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" was recorded by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra, with vocals by Nelson, on February 16, 1931, for Brunswick Records. Two days later, Wayne King and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ernie Birchill, recorded the song for Victor Records. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was also an early signature tune of Kate Smith. Gus Kahn's sentimental, bucolic lyrics citing "birds singing in the sycamore tree", "stars shining" and "night breezes" are a lullaby, specifically a romantic one of parting lovers: "Say nighty-night and kiss me, just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me", "Still craving your kiss" and "Now I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear."

In the summer of 1950, seven recordings of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" were in release, with the versions by Frankie Laine and Jack Owens reaching the US top 20 at respectively numbers 18 and 14: the other versions were by Cathy Mastice, Ella Fitzgerald with trumpet backing by Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan, Vaughn Monroe, Dinah Shore and a duet by Bob Crosby and Georgia Gibbs. Other traditional pop acts to record "Dream a Little Dream of Me" include Louis Armstrong, Barbara Carroll, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Joni James, and Dean Martin.

The Mamas & the Papas version

"Dream a Little Dream of Me"
Dream a little dream of me mama cass mamas papas US single variant A.png
One of side-A labels of the US single
Single by the Mamas & the Papas
from the album The Papas & the Mamas
B-side "Midnight Voyage"
ReleasedJune 1968
Genre Pop [3]
Length3:14
Label Dunhill
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Gus Kahn
Producer(s) Lou Adler
The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology
"Safe in My Garden"
(1968)
"Dream a Little Dream of Me"
(1968)
"For the Love of Ivy"
(1968)
Audio
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Mama Cass with The Mamas & The Papas on YouTube

Certifications

Certifications for "Dream a Little Dream of Me"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [21] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Anita Harris version

Anita Harris' version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me", recorded at Olympic Studios in a session produced by Mike Margolis with Alan Tew as musical director, was released 26 July 1968, the week prior to the US Top 40 debut of the Cass Elliot version. Harris would deny deliberately covering Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream of Me": (Anita Harris quote:)"I [loved] the song on the Mamas & Papas album...so I decided to record it...There were [then] no plans to release the other version [in the UK]. It was rushed out [here] when it was known that my version was coming out." (Cass Elliot herself would deny any awareness of the UK single release of Harris' version.) [22]

Elliot's version had its UK release the week subsequent to Harris', with both versions debuting in the UK Top 50 dated 10 August 1968, Harris' version at #46 ahead of the Cass Elliot version at #49. However, the Elliot version would vault into the Top 30 and then Top 20 over the next two weeks while the Harris version would never reach the Top 30, although Harris's version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" would maintain a lower chart presence throughout the ascendancy of the Elliot version, with Harris's single peaking at #33 the week after Cass's peak at #11. [23]

Enzo Enzo version

"Les Yeux ouverts"
Les Yeux ouverts.jpg
Single by Enzo Enzo
from the album Enzo Enzo
B-side "Chanson confidentielle"
Released1991
Recorded1990
Genre
Length3:23
Label Ariola
Enzo Enzo singles chronology
"Pacifico"
(1988)
"Les Yeux ouverts"
(1991)
"Deux minutes de soleil en plus"
(1991)
Audio
"Les yeux ouverts" by Enzo Enzo on YouTube

In 1990, "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was covered in French-language with new lyrics by singer Enzo Enzo  [ fr ] under the title "Les Yeux ouverts" (transl.French for "With Eyes Open"). Adapted from the original version by Brice Homs and Kurin Ternovtzeff, it was released in the first quarter of 1991 as the first single from the debut album Enzo Enzo, on which it is the third track, and became the well-known adaptation of the original song in this language. [24]

Reception

A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media praised the song stating: "Keep your eyes wide open, sings this French singer. Better keep your ears wide open, too, listening to cool jazz of this high calibre". [25] Retrospectively, in 2021, Nathalie Lacube of French magazine La Croix wrote that "the singer's caressing voice and intimate phrasing worked wonders" on this song. [26]

In France, the single debuted at number 49 on the SNEP chart edition of 23 March 1991, reached number 18 eleven weeks later and stayed in the top 50 for a total of 15 weeks. [27] It charted for five non-consecutive weeks on the pan-European Hot 100 Singles compiled by Music & Media , peaking at number 87 on 8 June 1991. [28] It was a moderate hit in Quebec, peaking at number 44 with a three-week chart run. [29]

Track listings

  1. "Les Yeux ouverts" – 3:23
  2. "Chanson confidentielle" – 3:42
  1. "Les Yeux ouverts" – 3:23
  2. "Chanson confidentielle" – 3:42
  3. "14e étage" – 3:16

Charts

Chart performance for "Les Yeux ouverts"
Chart (1991)Peak
position
Europe (European Hot 100) [28] 87
France (Airplay Chart [AM Stations]) [34] 4
France (SNEP) [27] 18
Quebec (Francophone chart) [29] 44

Robbie Williams version

"Dream a Little Dream"
Robbie Williams - Dream a Little Dream.png
Single by Robbie Williams
from the album Swings Both Ways
Released13 December 2013 (2013-12-13)
Genre
Length3:33
Label Island
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Gus Kahn
Producer(s) Guy Chambers
Music video
"Dream A Little Dream" by Robbie Williams on YouTube

English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams recorded "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (retitled "Dream a Little Dream") for his tenth studio and second swing album, Swings Both Ways (2013). While the album version is a duet with Lily Allen, she was omitted from the single version, which was released on 13 December 2013 as the album's second single.

Music video

The video features Williams singing the song whilst presenting a Christmas show in the style of The Dean Martin Show .

Track listings

  1. "Dream a Little Dream" – 3:10
  1. "Dream a Little Dream" (single version) – 3:11
  2. "You Got Old" – 3:43
  3. "Puttin' on the Ritz" (remix) – 2:18

Charts

Chart performance for "Dream a Little Dream"
Chart (2013)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [37] 16
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [38] 34
Denmark (Tracklisten) [39] 18
France (SNEP) [40] 160
Germany (GfK) [41] 88
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [42] 67
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [43] 144

Release history

Release history and formats for "Dream a Little Dream"
RegionDateFormatLabel
Ireland [35] 13 December 2013 Digital download Island
Austria
Germany
Switzerland

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References

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