Street of Dreams (Rainbow song)
Encyclopedia
Street of Dreams is a song by the English
hard rock band Rainbow
. The song was the first single from the bands Bent Out of Shape
album, on which the band tried to repeat their previous success with their album Straight Between the Eyes
and the single "Stone Cold". As a result Bent Out of Shape and "Street of Dreams" are usually considered to be more in the album-oriented rock style, instead of the hard rock sound of earlier Rainbow albums. The album was particularly aimed at the US market.
Ritchie Blackmore
has stated that "Street of Dreams" is one of his favourite Rainbow songs.
. The video opens with a woman being gagged, strapped to a chair and being locked in a closet by a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist closes the closet door, before he takes the woman's boyfriend, named Mark, in as patient. Mark tells the psychiatrist about a dream he's been having. In the dream there's a street full of beds, and a rock n' roll band plays a song in a basement, while Mark is by a lake, seeing his girlfriend being kidnapped, as in real life. The evil psychiatrist suggests that he'd hypnotise Mark. Mark agrees and he soon falls a sleep and the song starts playing while we see everything that Mark described come true. Soon Mark starts waking up by the sound of his girlfriend kicking the closet door. Mark pushes the psychiatrist aside and frees his girlfriend. As the two flee, the psychiatrist tries to stop them, but Mark knocks him out, and in the last scene we see the psychiatrist falling to the same lake as in Mark's dream.
According to Blackmore's biography on his official website, the music video for "Street of Dreams" was banned by MTV
for its supposedly controversial hypnotic video clip. However, Dr. Thomas Radecki of the National Coalition on Television Violence criticized MTV for airing the video, which would contradict Blackmore's claim.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
hard rock band Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
. The song was the first single from the bands Bent Out of Shape
Bent Out of Shape
Bent Out Of Shape was the seventh studio album released by Rainbow. It was originally released in 1983 as an LP and cassette. The cassette featured several longer edits compared to the vinyl version. It was recorded in Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen in about 7 weeks.A remastered CD reissue was...
album, on which the band tried to repeat their previous success with their album Straight Between the Eyes
Straight Between the Eyes
Straight Between the Eyes is the sixth studio album by Rainbow, released in 1982. A remastered CD reissue, with packaging duplicating the original vinyl release, was released in May 1999....
and the single "Stone Cold". As a result Bent Out of Shape and "Street of Dreams" are usually considered to be more in the album-oriented rock style, instead of the hard rock sound of earlier Rainbow albums. The album was particularly aimed at the US market.
Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
has stated that "Street of Dreams" is one of his favourite Rainbow songs.
Music video
A music video was also made for the song and was directed by Storm ThorgersonStorm Thorgerson
Storm Thorgerson is an English graphic designer, known for his work for rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, 10cc, Dream Theater, The Mars Volta, Muse, The Cranberries, and Biffy Clyro.-Biography:...
. The video opens with a woman being gagged, strapped to a chair and being locked in a closet by a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist closes the closet door, before he takes the woman's boyfriend, named Mark, in as patient. Mark tells the psychiatrist about a dream he's been having. In the dream there's a street full of beds, and a rock n' roll band plays a song in a basement, while Mark is by a lake, seeing his girlfriend being kidnapped, as in real life. The evil psychiatrist suggests that he'd hypnotise Mark. Mark agrees and he soon falls a sleep and the song starts playing while we see everything that Mark described come true. Soon Mark starts waking up by the sound of his girlfriend kicking the closet door. Mark pushes the psychiatrist aside and frees his girlfriend. As the two flee, the psychiatrist tries to stop them, but Mark knocks him out, and in the last scene we see the psychiatrist falling to the same lake as in Mark's dream.
According to Blackmore's biography on his official website, the music video for "Street of Dreams" was banned by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
for its supposedly controversial hypnotic video clip. However, Dr. Thomas Radecki of the National Coalition on Television Violence criticized MTV for airing the video, which would contradict Blackmore's claim.
Personnel
- Ritchie BlackmoreRitchie BlackmoreRichard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - David RosenthalDavid Rosenthal (musician)David Rosenthal is an American keyboardist, music producer, and songwriter mostly known for working with the English hard rock band Rainbow and Billy Joel...
- keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Roger GloverRoger GloverRoger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, percussion - Chuck BurgiChuck BurgiChuck Burgi is an American drummer and session musician. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, he is the brother of actor Richard Burgi....
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Joe Lynn TurnerJoe Lynn TurnerJoe Lynn Turner , is an American rock singer, known for his works with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Deep Purple. From the late 1990s, he continued to perform in a large number of solo albums and other studio projects...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...