Dreamer (Supertramp song)

"Dreamer"
Single by Supertramp
from the album Crime of the Century
B-side	"Bloody Well Right"
Released	1974
Format	7" single
Recorded	1974
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	3:33
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson
Producer(s)	Supertramp, Ken Scott
Supertramp singles chronology
"Land Ho" (1974) "Dreamer" (1974) "Bloody Well Right" (1974)
Crime of the Century track listing "School" "Bloody Well Right" "Hide In Your Shell" "Asylum" "Dreamer" "Rudy" "If Everyone Was Listening" "Crime of the Century"

"Dreamer"
Live version
Single by Supertramp
from the album Paris
B-side	"You Started Laughing" (Live) "From Now On" (Live)
Released	1980
Format	7" single
Recorded	November 1979 Pavillon de Paris
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	3:15
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson
Producer(s)	Peter Henderson, Russel Pope
Supertramp singles chronology
"Take the Long Way Home" (1979) "Dreamer" (Live) (1980) "Breakfast in America" (Live) (1980)

"Dreamer" is a hit single from Supertramp's 1974 album Crime of the Century. It peaked at number 13 on the UK singles chart in February 1975.^[1] In 1980, it appeared on their live album Paris. This live version was also released as a single and hit number 15 on the US charts,^[2] number 36 in the Dutch Top 40,^[3] and number 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart.^[4]

Background

"Dreamer" was composed by Roger Hodgson on his Wurlitzer piano at his mother's house when he was 19 years old. At that time he recorded a demo of the song using vocals, Wurlitzer, and banging cardboard boxes for percussion. Hodgson recalled, "I was excited – it was the first time I laid hands on a Wurlitzer."^[5] Supertramp cut their own recording of the song in imitation of this early demo.^[6]

The band performed the song on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test show in 1974, during which John Helliwell can be seen playing the rim of a wine glass on top of his keyboard to achieve a certain sound effect.^[7]

The song was used in the films The Parole Officer, Wild Thing and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, as well as its trailer.

Track listings

All songs were written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson.

1975: 7" vinyl single

Side one

1. "Dreamer" – 3:33

Side two

1. "Bloody Well Right" – 4:26

1980: 7" vinyl single

US version

Side one

1. "Dreamer" (Live) – 3:15

Side two

1. "From Now On" (Live) – 6:44

European version

Side one

1. "Dreamer" (Live) – 3:15

Side two

1. "You Started Laughing" (Live) – 3:50

Personnel

• Roger Hodgson: Wurlitzer electric piano, lead vocal
• Rick Davies: Wurlitzer electric piano, hammond organ, lead vocal
• John Helliwell: samplers, backing vocals
• Bob Siebenberg: drums, percussion
• Dougie Thomson: bass guitar

Cover versions

The Italian singer Renato Zero released a cover of this song called "Sgualdrina" on his 1977 album Zerofobia.

References

1. "everyhit.com search results". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
2. "Billboard charts at Allmusic". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
3. "Media Markt top 40". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
4. "Top Singles - Volume 34, No. 5, December 06 1980". RPM. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
5. Crime of the Century (sleeve notes). Universal Music Enterprises. 2014.
6. "Breakfast in Detroit: Tales from a Dreamer!". annecarlini.com. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
7. The Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 3 (DVD). BBC Video. 2006.

External links

• "Dreamer" at Discogs (list of releases)
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics