I Have a Dream (ABBA song)
Encyclopedia
"I Have a Dream" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA
. The song was written by Benny Andersson
and Bjorn Ulvaeus
and was taken from the group's 1979 album, Voulez-Vous
. Anni-Frid Lyngstad
sang the lead vocals. It was released as a single in December 1979 with a live version of "Take a Chance on Me
" as the B-side. The recording is notable for being the only ABBA song to include vocalists other than the four band members; the final chorus features a children's choir from Stockholm. "I Have a Dream" is included on the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
album, as well as in the Mamma Mia!
musical.
. The inner gatefold was effectively an advert for ABBA's existing albums released in the UK, but the back cover featured a message from ABBA themselves regarding the Wembley concerts, together with their signatures. The front cover used the same live photo of ABBA as the worldwide release, but artwork and fonts were different. This was only Epic's 2nd picture sleeve for an ABBA single.
in 1975. Including B-sides, "I Have a Dream" was in fact the 7th of the 10 tracks from Voulez-Vous to be issued on single in the UK, and was released eight months after the Voulez-Vous album. Also, the track was not included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2 released just weeks before. It is therefore speculated that this single was an extra release to cash in on both the Christmas sales and the 1979 tour. Furthermore, ABBA did not film a promotional video for the track, even though they had done for the Spanish version, "Estoy Soñando". It was rare for ABBA not to film a video for an official single. The Spanish version was filmed in the Polar Music Studios
on the same day as the "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" video (and even featured ABBA wearing the same clothes). If "I Have a Dream" had been intended as a single at that point, then presumably they would have filmed that as well. As it stood, a live performance from the tour was used to promote the single, causing some confusion to record buyers who may have been disappointed to discover the studio-recorded version on the record itself.
issued in 1986. This is considered the inferior version as it contains overdubs added at the time of release (and not by ABBA themselves).
The song was sung by the olivers on the BBC tv show I'd Do Anything
". The release became the UK's Christmas number-one single of 1999, extending its peak into January 2000 and spending seventeen weeks in the UK chart. The song was the 26th best selling single of 1999 in the UK. In 2001, as part of a UNICEF fund-raising campaign, the song was re-recorded with additional vocals by Indonesian child singer, Sinna Sherina Munaf. The song has received a Platinum sales certification in the UK for over 650 000 copies sold.
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ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
. The song was written by Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and was taken from the group's 1979 album, Voulez-Vous
Voulez-Vous
-CD re-issues, bonus tracks:Voulez-Vous was remastered and reissued in 1997 with two bonus tracks:"Summer Night City" – 3:34 "Lovelight" – 3:18Voulez-Vous was remastered and reissued in 2001 with three other bonus tracks:...
. Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
sang the lead vocals. It was released as a single in December 1979 with a live version of "Take a Chance on Me
Take a Chance on Me
"Take a Chance on Me" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, simply called The Album. The song has been featured on a number of ABBA compilations such as ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits.-History:The working title of "Take a...
" as the B-side. The recording is notable for being the only ABBA song to include vocalists other than the four band members; the final chorus features a children's choir from Stockholm. "I Have a Dream" is included on the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
Gold: Greatest Hits is a compilation album of recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on September 21, 1992 through PolyGram, the first compilation to be released after the company had acquired Polar Music and thus the rights to the ABBA back catalogue. In 1998, PolyGram was in turn...
album, as well as in the Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
musical.
Sleeve
In the UK, the single was issued in a lavish gatefold sleeve, intended as a souvenir for UK fans who had attended the Wembley concerts (the live recording of "Take a Chance on Me" being from one of them). It was not a limited edition, however. The inner gatefold made use of the pyramid/mountain/iceberg designs similar to those used in the inner sleeve of Greatest Hits Vol. 2Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (ABBA album)
Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in October 1979 to coincide with their tour of North America and Europe...
. The inner gatefold was effectively an advert for ABBA's existing albums released in the UK, but the back cover featured a message from ABBA themselves regarding the Wembley concerts, together with their signatures. The front cover used the same live photo of ABBA as the worldwide release, but artwork and fonts were different. This was only Epic's 2nd picture sleeve for an ABBA single.
Single release
There is some speculation that "I Have a Dream" was never originally intended to be a single. There had already been 3 releases from the Voulez-Vous album and the only other album to have 4 singles released from it was ABBAABBA (album)
1975 Polar Music international AB, Stockholm, Sweden.Stig Anderson helped us with the lyrics on "Mamma Mia", "Tropical Loveland", "SOS", "Bang-A-Boomerang", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "I've Been Waiting for You".-CD re-issues, bonus tracks:...
in 1975. Including B-sides, "I Have a Dream" was in fact the 7th of the 10 tracks from Voulez-Vous to be issued on single in the UK, and was released eight months after the Voulez-Vous album. Also, the track was not included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2 released just weeks before. It is therefore speculated that this single was an extra release to cash in on both the Christmas sales and the 1979 tour. Furthermore, ABBA did not film a promotional video for the track, even though they had done for the Spanish version, "Estoy Soñando". It was rare for ABBA not to film a video for an official single. The Spanish version was filmed in the Polar Music Studios
Polar Studios
Polar Studios is one of the most famous recording studios in Scandinavia. Originally located in a former movie theater from 1934 at Sankt Eriksgatan 58-60 on Kungsholmen in Stockholm, Sweden, Polar Studios was founded by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA in 1977 and had its grand opening on...
on the same day as the "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" video (and even featured ABBA wearing the same clothes). If "I Have a Dream" had been intended as a single at that point, then presumably they would have filmed that as well. As it stood, a live performance from the tour was used to promote the single, causing some confusion to record buyers who may have been disappointed to discover the studio-recorded version on the record itself.
Versions
The live version of "Take a Chance on Me" on the B-side was one of three mixes of the same recording to be issued. Released soon after the concerts, this version is thought to be the genuine recording. A very slightly extended version, featuring spoken introductions from the group, was used as the B-side in Australia. This extended version has recently been released internationally on the deluxe edition of The Album. Finally, a 3rd mix was included on ABBA LiveABBA Live
ABBA Live is an album of live recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA, released by Polar Music in 1986 .A live album was something that many ABBA fans had demanded for several years. ABBA themselves had toyed with the idea on a couple of occasions, but always decided against it...
issued in 1986. This is considered the inferior version as it contains overdubs added at the time of release (and not by ABBA themselves).
Charts
| Chart (1979/1980) | Position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
2 |
Cover versions
- A recording by the dansbandDansbandDansband is a Swedish term for a band that plays dansbandsmusik . Dansbandsmusik is often danced to in pairs. Jitterbug and foxtrot music are often included in this category. The music is primarily inspired by swing, schlager, country, jazz, and rock...
StreaplersStreaplersStreaplers is a Swedish musical group, which was founded in 1959 in Kungälv as a pop group but later was developed into a dansband. Original members were Gert Lengstrand , Bjarne Lundquist, Göran Liljeblad, Håkan Liljeblad och Lars Larsson....
, with lyrics in Swedish by Ingela ForsmanIngela ForsmanIngela Birgitta "Pling" Forsman is a Swedish lyricist in popular music. 1981–2009, 33 of her songs have competed in the Swedish Melodifestivalen, three of them winners: Bra vibrationer , Se på mej and Kärleken är...
, "Jag har en dröm", was Number 1 on the Swedish SvensktoppenSvensktoppenSvensktoppen is a record chart at Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedish language. Svensktoppen has aired since 1962, except for the years 1982-1985. Svensktoppen airs once a week...
radio chart for 17 weeks from 31 May - 6 December 1987 - American country-gospel music singer, Cristy LaneCristy LaneEleanor Johnston, known by her professional name as Cristy Lane is an American country music and gospel music singer, best known for a number of major country hits in the late 70s and the early 1980s, including her cover version of the song, "One Day at a Time".Lane's career began to take shape in...
recorded a cover of the song and released it as a single to the Billboard Country Chart, peaking at Number 17 in 1981 - Greek singer Nana MouskouriNana MouskouriNana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
recorded a French cover of this song entitled "Chanter La Vie" for her 1983 album Quand on revient. She also recorded an English version, which was released as a single in 1986 and included on her 1990 album Alone - Local Hawaiian singers the Makaha Sons have covered this song on their 1994 album Ke Alaulau
- U.S. indie music artist Stueym covered the song, which was available for download on the Internet
- An electronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
cover version by H-Hustler can be found on the 2001 compilation The Electronic Tribute To ABBA - Swiss chef/singer Dan Daniell recorded a cover as a duet with original ABBA member Anni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
for his album Lieber Gott - Irish singer Daniel O'DonnellDaniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
has covered the song for his 2004 double album Songs of Inspiration/I Believe - Irish folk music duo Foster & AllenFoster & AllenFoster and Allen are a musical duo from Ireland consisting of Mick Foster and Tony Allen.-History:Foster and Allen began back in the 1970s when Foster and Allen were playing in country music bands around Ireland...
have covered the song for their 2005 album Sing The Number 1's - A duet version was recorded by German celebrity Barbara SchönebergerBarbara SchönebergerBarbara Schöneberger is a German actress, singer and TV host.-Early life:Schöneberger is the only child of Clarinet player Hans Schöneberger and his wife Annemarie.She studied sociology, art history and communication studies in Augsburg...
and American singer Sydney YoungbloodSydney YoungbloodSydney Youngblood is an American born German singer, who had several successful dance/funk hits during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Career:...
for the German 2005 ABBA Mania compilation, which coincided with a TV special - Italian-American singer Al MartinoAl MartinoAl Martino was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid 1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop crooners", and also became well known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The...
included a cover of the song for his 2006 album Come Share The Wine - German AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
tribute band Riff Raff recorded a cover in AC/DC style for their 2006 album Rock 'N' Roll Mutation Vol. 1: Riff Raff Performs ABBA - In 2007, Connie TalbotConnie TalbotConnie Talbot is an English child singer from Streetly, Aldridge, in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands. She rose to fame in 2007 when she reached the final of the television talent show Britain's Got Talent, where she was runner-up to Paul Potts...
covered the song on Over The RainbowOver the Rainbow (Connie Talbot album)Over the Rainbow is Connie Talbot's debut album, released 26 November 2007 by Rainbow Recording Company. It received poor reviews from critics and peaked at #35 on the British charts. Despite this, additional copies of the album had to be pressed after sales were higher than expected... - The song was covered in a jazz/lounge music style by American group BNB on their 2008 album Bossa Mia: Songs of ABBA
- The song is featured in the Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
musical as a recurring musical theme sung by the character of Sophie. It is also featured in the trailer for the film based on the musical. At the beginning of the musical, the context of the song is interpreted that Sophie dreams about her real father coming to the wedding when she sends the invitations, to her potential fathers, away. At the end of the musical, Sophie sings this song when her and Sky set off the Island to go around the world. The context of the song is used in this case as Sophie, now knowing what she really wants, hopes to achieve her dream as she goes around the world with Sky. The song is included on the 2008 Mamma Mia! movie soundtrack and is sung by actress Amanda SeyfriedAmanda SeyfriedAmanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
Live cover performances
- The song was featured on The X FactorThe X Factor (UK series 5)The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
when covered by all of the audition contestants from the last 5 years.
The song was sung by the olivers on the BBC tv show I'd Do Anything
Westlife version
Westlife released a cover of "I Have a Dream" in December 1999, twenty years after ABBA's original release. The song became the group's fourth UK #1 single. The release was a double-A-side, also featuring "Seasons in the SunSeasons in the Sun
Apart from the versions noted above, there have been numerous cover versions of the song. Generally, these use the same translation as the Terry Jacks version, and thus inherit that version's less harsh interpretation of the song's storyline....
". The release became the UK's Christmas number-one single of 1999, extending its peak into January 2000 and spending seventeen weeks in the UK chart. The song was the 26th best selling single of 1999 in the UK. In 2001, as part of a UNICEF fund-raising campaign, the song was re-recorded with additional vocals by Indonesian child singer, Sinna Sherina Munaf. The song has received a Platinum sales certification in the UK for over 650 000 copies sold.
Tracklisting
- "I Have A Dream" (Single Remix) - 4:06
- "Seasons In The Sun" (Single Remix) - 4:10
- "On The Wings Of Love" - 3:22
Chart performance
| Country/Chart | Peak position |
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End of year charts
| End of year chart (1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 26 |
External links
- "I Have a Dream" - Westlife music video