Theme for a Dream

Last updated

"Theme for a Dream"
Cliff Richard Theme for a Dream.jpg
Single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows
B-side "Mumblin' Mosie"
Released24 February 1961 (1961-02-24)
Recorded28 January 1961 [1]
Studio EMI Studios, London
Genre Pop
Length2:06
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard and the Shadows singles chronology
"Catch Me"
(1961)		"Theme for a Dream"
(1961)		"Gee Whizz It's You"
(1961)

"Theme for a Dream" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in February 1961. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales. [2] [3]

Contents

Release and reception

"Theme for a Dream" was the first song by Richard to feature a female chorus, sung by the Mike Sammes Singers. When Richard and the Shadows got the song they "liked it, but it wasn't really us … but we did it because we felt it was a change of direction as far as we were concerned". [1]

The single exceeded 200,000 advance sales in the UK. However, in Spain, it was banned because of its supposedly suggestive lyrics due to the Francoist censorship. [1]

The B-side, "Mumblin' Mosie", was written and originally recorded by American Johnny Otis in 1960 and had been a minor hit for him on the Billboard Hot 100. [4] Richard had previously recorded another of Otis' songs, "Willie and the Hand Jive", which he had released as the B-side to "Fall in Love with You". [5]

Richard also recorded a German-language version of "Theme for a Dream", titled "Schön wie ein Traum", in April 1961 with backing vocals by the Hansen Girls. It was released as a single in Germany in June 1961 with the B-side "Vreneli", which was an original German song. [6] [7]

Reviewing for Disc , Don Nicholl described "Theme for a Dream" as an "attractive tune and lyric married very well indeed. Gets into your head right from the start". [8]

The melody of the track "Pal Pal.... Har Pal" from the 2006 Bollywood film Lage Raho Munna Bhai was lifted from "Theme for a Dream" [9]

Track listing

7": Columbia / DB 4593

  1. "Theme for a Dream" – 2:06
  2. "Mumblin' Mosie" – 2:17

7": Columbia / C 21 843 (Germany)

  1. "Schön wie ein Traum" – 2:05
  2. "Vreneli" – 2:39

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1961)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [10] 22
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [11] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [12] 33
Denmark (Quans Musikbureau) [13] 6
India (The Voice, Calcutta)7
Ireland (Evening Herald) [14] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [15] 12
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [16] 3
UK Singles (OCC) [2] 3

German-language version

"Schön wie ein Traum"

Chart (1961)Peak
position
Germany (GfK) [17] 33

"Vreneli"

Chart (1961)Peak
position
Germany (GfK) [18] 50

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Theme for a Dream)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Cliff Richard: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. ↑ "Cliff wins eighth Silver Disc" (PDF). Disc . 8 April 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "Mumblin' Mosie (song by Johnny Otis) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". www.musicvf.com. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Mumblin' Mosie)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Schön wie ein Traum)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Disc Date" (PDF). Disc . 25 February 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Did You Know? These Bollywood Hits Have been Copied from Other Tracks and It's Shocking". News18. 26 December 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.
  11. ↑ "Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Theme for a Dream" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ↑ "Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Theme for a Dream" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 5 June 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Irish Top Ten". Evening Herald . 6 April 1961.
  15. ↑ "Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Theme for a Dream" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. ↑ "Lever Hit Parade". flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  17. ↑ "Cliff Richard – Bin verliebt" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  18. ↑ "Cliff Richard – Bin verliebt" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
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