Dreamin' (Cliff Richard song)

"Dreamin'" ("Dreaming" in US) is a song recorded by Cliff Richard from his 1980 album, I'm No Hero. The track was the first of three singles released and was the biggest hit from the album, becoming a top-ten hit in numerous countries including the UK and the US where it became his third and last top ten hit.^[3][4]

"Dreamin'"
Single by Cliff Richard
from the album I'm No Hero
B-side	"Dynamite"
Released	8 August 1980 (1980-08-08)
Recorded	12 May – 27 June 1980[1]
Studio	Riverside Studios, London
Genre	Pop rock[2] glam rock[2]
Length	3:38
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Alan Tarney Leo Sayer
Producer(s)	Alan Tarney
Cliff Richard singles chronology
"Carrie" (1979) "Dreamin'" (1980) "Suddenly" (1980)
Music video
"Dreamin'" on YouTube

Release and reception

"Dreamin'" was composed by Alan Tarney with lyrics by Leo Sayer, whose own hit, a cover of "More Than I Can Say", was on the charts concurrently with "Dreaming" during the last four months of 1980. When recording the song, Richard was concerned that it was pitched too high for his range. However, Tarney told him "it was fantastic and asked [him] to try to sing it in this key".^[5]

It was released with the B-side being a re-recording of "Dynamite", a song Richard had originally recorded with the Shadows in 1959 and released as the B-side to their number-one hit "Travellin' Light". The re-recording was later included on Richard's 1984 album The Rock Connection due to a lack of material for that album.^[6]

Reviewing for Record Mirror, Robin Smith wrote "Golden toed and tonsilled Cliff takes a snort of Ginseng and mounts yet another winner. Smooth as a koala bear's bum in summer and with the same listenable capacity as 'We Don't Talk Anymore', The man who makes the EMI accounts department very happy, looks set for another decade".^[7]

The release of the follow-up single from Richard's I'm No Hero album, "A Little in Love" was delayed by the release of his duet with Olivia Newton-John "Suddenly", from the Xanadu soundtrack.

Track listing

7": EMI / EMI 5095

1. "Dreamin'" – 3:38
2. "Dynamite" – 3:12

Personnel

• Cliff Richard – vocals, backing vocals
• Alan Tarney – bass, backing vocals
• Michael Boddicker – synthesiser
• Nick Glennie-Smith – synthesiser
• Trevor Spencer – drums

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1980–81) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[8][9] 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 9 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[13] 10 Canada (CHUM Radio Networks)[14] 7 Denmark (IFPI)[15] 1 Finland (IFPI Finland)[16] 9 Germany (GfK)[17] 5 Ireland (IRMA)[18] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 12 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 15 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 12 Portugal (Música & Som)[22] 2 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[23] 12 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 14 UK Singles (OCC)[3] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[4] 10 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[26] 21 US Cash Box Top 100[27] 9 Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[28] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1980) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[9][29] 36 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[30] 29 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[31] 83 Denmark (IFPI) 13 UK Singles (OCC)[32] 80 US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[33] 74 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Silver 250,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.