Sweet Dreams (La Bouche Song)

"Sweet Dreams (Ola Ola E)" is a song recorded by German Eurodance duo La Bouche. It was originally released in March 1994 as the lead single from their debut album of the same name (1995). In North America, the song was released in November 1995.

"Sweet Dreams" received favorable reviews from music critics and was a global commercial success, reaching number one in both Italy and on the Canadian ''RPM'' Dance/Urban chart, while peaking at number 17 on the Eurochart Hot 100. In the United States, it reached number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number three on the Hot Dance Club Play chart and number eight on the '' Cash Box'' Top 100 Pop Singles chart, while in Australia, it also peaked at number eight.

In 2017, '' BuzzFeed'' ranked "Sweet Dreams" at number 53 in their list of the "101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s".

Background and recording

American singer Melanie Thornton began pursuing her dream of being a professional singer while singing in a band called Danger Zone. After two years with the band, she was looking to move on. Her sister then urged Thornton to come overseas, where the sister's family had contacts in the music industry. Thornton arrived in Germany in 1992 with $15 in her pocketFindlay, Prentiss (17 March 1996). "Pleasant singer is past salad days". ''The Post and Courier''. and found work with some small-time record producers who needed a vocalist for demo tracks. She then discovered she could make more money in studio sessions than performing live gigs.

Thornton came to German producer Frank Farian's attention just accidentally. She was working as a studio session vocalist, recording "Sweet Dreams", a song she had co-written. It was recorded as her fifth or sixth song, when Farian heard it. Thornton told in an interview, "I wasn't actually looking for a record deal. He (Farian) loved it and wanted to release it on his label." Farian liked the song but wanted a rapper to perform on it also. Thornton then suggested American rapper Lane McCray, which she had met three weeks earlier, while working with a cover band when he filled in as a replacement vocalist. McCray, a North Carolina native, was stationed in Germany while in the U.S. Air Force. Thornton told in the same interview, "He was still in the Air Force at the time, but he agreed to do it. The next thing you know we're released and shooting up the charts in Italy."

Composition

"Sweet Dreams" was written by Gerd Amir Saraf, Mehmet Sönmez, Melanie Thornton and Robert Haynes, and produced by Ulli Brenner, Saraf and Frank Farian. The song has a tempo of 134 beats per minute and is written in the key of B minor. It follows a chord progression of Bm7GA, and the vocals span from A₃ to B₄.

The song's bridge samples American funk band Ripple's 1973 song "I Don't Know What It Is, but It Sure Is Funky".

Reception

Critical response

An editor from ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' described "Sweet Dreams" as a " high-energy hit". Michael Saunders from ''The Boston Globe'' declared it as "glorious" and "effervescent". Gil L. Robertson IV from '' Cash Box'' magazine named it a "standout track" of the '' Sweet Dreams'' album. A '' Los Angeles Daily News'' reviewer called it "energetic". Pan-European magazine '' Music & Media'' remarked that the added value of this "throbbing piece of Euro dance is Melanie Thornton's massive vocals, which definitely set the track apart from most of her competition." An editor, María Jímenez, described it as "a high energy track with a pumped up familiar German techno sound and a little club hysteria," adding that it is "a prime candidate for crossing over."

Alan Jones from ''Music Week'' declared the song as "pulsating pop/hi-NRG with some refreshing bursts of guitar" and "yet another Euro-invader that is sure to score here." On the 1996 UK re-release, he added that its "throbbing, melodic Eurodance not too far removed from some of Snap's early work, it is hugely commercial. You have been warned." James Hamilton from ''Record Mirror'' deemed it a "routine Snap/Culture Beat-type (and Eurythmics influenced) Euro hit". ''People'' magazine noted that the track "underscore buoyant vocals with dark minor-key arrangements". A reviewer from '' Richmond Times-Dispatch'' commented, "I am insanely jealous of the lead female vocal, Melanie Thornton. She has a wonderful, flexible voice."

Airplay

"Sweet Dreams" entered the European airplay chart ''Border Breakers'' at number 19 on 25 June 1994 due to crossover airplay in Southern Europe. It peaked at number five on 3 September 1994.

Commercial performance

"Sweet Dreams" was a major hit single in several markets across the globe. In Europe, it peaked at number one in Italy in July 1994, as well as on the European Dance Radio Chart in September 1994. The single was also a top 10 hit in Austria (#3), Switzerland (#5), Spain (#6) and Germany (#8), a top 20 hit in Finland (#15), Iceland (#15), Ireland (#16) and on the Eurochart Hot 100 (#17). In the United Kingdom, "Sweet Dreams" had two runs on the UK Singles Chart, in 1994 and 1996. Its best position was at number 44 on 1 September 1996. Elsewhere, it reached number three in Israel, number five in Japan and number eight in Australia, being awarded a Gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for sales of 35,000 copies.

It was also successful in North America. In the United States, "Sweet Dreams" peaked at number 13 on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100, number three on the Hot Dance Club Play chart and number eight the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Pop Singles chart. In Canada, the single reached number one on the ''RPM'' Dance/Urban chart in 1994, and peaked at number 28 on the ''RPM'' Top Singles chart in 1996.

Music videos

Two different music videos were made for "Sweet Dreams", one for the European market and one for the North American. The North American version was directed by Zack Ove and was released at the beginning of the year, in 1996 . The European version was directed by Nigel Simpkiss and features Thornton and McCray performing the song in a surrounding of candlelights, candelabrums, red curtains, a bonfire and several back-up dancers. Soap bubbles appears in the air. Some scenes shows Thornton singing while lying in an iron bed with bedding in leopard and cow print. Other scenes sees her sitting in a golden chair. Throughout the video, McCray performs dancing with the other dancers. Towards the end, the duo performs in front of a fountain. It was released on August 22 and A-listed on Germany's VIVA TV channel in October 1994. The video was later published by Vevo on YouTube in 2016 and had generated more than 14 million views as of March 2023.

Legacy and impact

In 2017, American entertainment company '' BuzzFeed'' ranked "Sweet Dreams" at number 53 in their list of the "101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo stated that "the "hola, hola, eh" makes this a multilingual smash!" James Arena, writer of ''Stars of '90s Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers'' said that the song and its follow-up, " Be My Lover", "are widely regarded today as indispensable classics of the decade."

Track listing and formats

* 12-inch vinyl single
:A1. "Sweet Dreams" (Club Mix) – 4:55
:A2. "Sweet Dreams" (House Mix) – 6:38
:B1. "Sweet Dreams" (Oriental Mix) – 5:17
:B2. "Sweet Dreams" (Hola Mix) – 5:10

* CD single
# "Sweet Dreams" ( Radio Version) – 3:23
# "Sweet Dreams" (House Mix) – 6:38

* CD maxi-single
# "Sweet Dreams" (Radio Version) – 3:23
# "Sweet Dreams" (Club Mix) – 4:55
# "Sweet Dreams" (House Mix) – 6:38
# "Sweet Dreams" (Oriental Mix) – 5:17
# "Sweet Dreams" (Hola Mix) – 5:10

* CD maxi-single ( Remixes)
# "Sweet Dreams" (Airplay Edit) – 3:58
# "Sweet Dreams" (Loveland UK Mix) – 7:00
# "Sweet Dreams" (Italian No. 1 Mix) – 5:09
# "Sweet Dreams" (French 'hit des clubs' Mix) – 5:35
# "Sweet Dreams" (House Mix) – 6:38

Charts

Weekly charts

Original release (1994)

Re-release (1996)

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

External links

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{{La Bouche

1994 debut singles
1994 songs
English-language German songs
La Bouche songs
Number-one singles in Italy
Song recordings produced by Frank Farian
Songs about dreams
Songs written by Melanie Thornton