"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" is a song by American hip-hop group P.M. Dawn, released in August 1991 as the second single from their debut album, '' Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience'' (1991). It is built around samples of

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...

's "

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

", the Soul Searchers' " Ashley's Roachclip", and the Bob James version of Paul Simon's " Take Me to the Mardi Gras", with the remainder of the song written by P.M. Dawn vocalist Attrell "Prince Be" Cordes. Only Prince Be and "True" writer Gary Kemp were credited for writing the track. The song was P.M. Dawn's first and only number-one hit on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it was the first number-one song after the debut of the

Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

system, which monitored airplay and sales more closely than before, when ''Billboard'' had to rely on manual sales reports and airplay data. According to the test charts of the SoundScan system, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" was at number one for at least three weeks but officially has a one-week reign at number one. Worldwide, it reached number one in New Zealand, number three in the United Kingdom and number seven in Australia. It was ranked number 81 on

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

's ''100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop''. And ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

'' ranked it at number 94 in their list of ''Greatest Songs Since You Were Born'' in 2005.

Critical reception

Justin Chadwick from Albumism called the song "unforgettable" and "pure pop perfection". He added, "Regardless of where you ultimately netted out with respect to your overall opinion of P.M. Dawn, if you're like me, you were hooked the first time you heard the pop-infused brilliance of "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss"." Steve Huey from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

described it as a "shimmering"

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

. Another editor, Hal Horowitz said it is an "amazingly mature debut tune". Dave Sholin from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The ...

'' wrote, "Hypnotic rap from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

brothers Prince Be and

DJ Minutemix P.M. Dawn was an American hip hop and R&B act that formed in 1988 by the brothers Attrell Cordes (known by his stage name Prince Be, sometimes credited as Prince Be the Nocturnal) and Jarrett Cordes (known as DJ Minutemix) in Jersey City, New J ...

set to

's 1983 smash "

" not only brings back a memory or two, it's sure to create new ones. It has fresh production elements and a chorus with all the relaxing, calming qualities of a nice long massage. A massive hit overseas, it's set to become just as big in North America thanks to early airplay at key crossover outlets." Alan Jones from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' commented, "A brilliant soundscape starts with some nice vocal work, followed by the drum track from

Dennis Edwards Dennis Edwards Jr. (February 3, 1943 – February 1, 2018) was an American soul and R&B singer who was best known as the frontman in The Temptations, on Motown Records. Edwards joined the Temptations in 1968, replacing David Ruffin and sang ...

Don't Look Any Further "Don't Look Any Further" is a 1984 song by American singer Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett, and is written by Franne Golde, Dennis Lambert and Duane Hitchings. It is taken from the singer's debut album by the same name and peaked at N ...

before Spandau Ballet's True leads into a mellow rap. A serene summer smash." A reviewer from '' Newcastle Evening Chronicle'' described it as a "dreamy rap song". Johnny Dee from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

'' called it the "dreamiest, most laid-back record ever invented." He added, "Quite what lyrics like "rubber bands expand in a frustrating sigh" mean is a total mystery, but if ever a record could be described as — aherm — like being massaged by a bag of marshmallows, then this is it. Melt city!" While reviewing '' Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience'', the magazine's Gary Kipper stated that the song "is, of course, one of the most summery records ever made".

Impact and legacy

"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" was ranked number 81 on

's ''100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop''. In 2005, ''

'' ranked it at number 94 in their list of ''Greatest Songs Since You Were Born''. In 2020, Cleveland.com listed the song at number 27 in their ranking of the best ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Hot 100 No. 1 song of the 1990s, calling it "one of the most unlikely No. 1 hits on this list and maybe the most complex." They added, "Somehow it all amounts to four minutes of hip hop, well, bliss."

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

for the song premiered in August 1991 and was directed by American film director

Mark Pellington Mark Pellington (born March 17, 1962) is an American film director, writer, and producer. Life and career Pellington was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Bill Pellington, an All-Pro linebacker who played football with the Baltimore Colts ...

lead singer Tony Hadley appears toward the end of the video.mvdbase.com - PM Dawn - "Set adrift on memory bliss"
/ref>

Track listings

* 7-inch single # "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (radio mix) – 3:57 # "For the Love of Peace" – 3:29 * 12-inch single :A1. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (extended mix) – 6:04 :A2. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (radio mix) – 3:57 :B1. "

A Watcher's Point of View (Don't 'Cha Think) "A Watcher's Point of View (Don't 'Cha Think)" is a song by American musical group P.M. Dawn, released in May 1991 as a single from their debut album, '' Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience'' (1991). The song peake ...

" (Youth extended mix) – 6:05 :B2. "A Watcher's Point of View (Don't 'Cha Think)" (Youth radio mix) – 3:58 * CD maxi # "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (radio mix) – 3:58 # "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (extended mix) – 6:03 # "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (LP version) – 4:12 # "For the Love of Peace" – 3:29

Charts and sales

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1990s ballads 1991 singles 1991 songs 1992 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Island Records singles Music videos directed by Mark Pellington Music Week number-one dance singles Number-one singles in New Zealand P.M. Dawn songs Songs written by Attrell Cordes Songs written by Gary Kemp