The Dream Weavers
Encyclopedia
The Dream Weavers was an American
popular music
, vocal group, famous in the 1950s, formed at the University of Florida
by Gene Adkinson (baritone
and ukelele) and Wade Buff (lead vocals).
s in their respective high school
s (Adkinson at Miami Edison Senior High School, Buff at Coral Gables High School
) when both were members of The Greater Miami
Boys' Drum and Bugle Corps, a 100-piece band and drill team. They became friends and composed a number of song
s while still in high school. They both went on to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville
, where they performed in a freshman talent show before 5,000 students and won. As a result, they were given a twice-weekly half-hour program slot,
radio station
, WRUF
in 1955. With the program ending at 10:30pm, they felt it appropriate to sign off with a song they had composed
in high school in 1953, "It's Almost Tomorrow
" (words
by Buff, music
by Adkinson). Buff served as the lead singer, and the third part was sung by various female singers (Sally Sanborn, Mary Carr, Mary Rude, and others).
The announcer of the show, Chuck Murdock, thought of running a contest on the show to name the group, and the contest winner stated that because the song they wrote was dreamy, they were weavers of dreams, thus "The Dream Weavers."
After making a recording of "It's Almost Tomorrow" in Jacksonville
, the song got played on the radio
in Miami
, and this led to recognition by Milt Gabler
at Decca Records
. As a result, Decca cut a new recording
of the song. It charted in 1956, reaching the Top Ten in the United States of America
, It entered the Billboard 100 on November 12, 1955, having a chart life of 21 weeks and a top placing of #7. It was released by Brunswick Records
in the United Kingdom
, where it hit the chart
on February 10, 1956 and reached number one on March 16, holding the top spot for 2 weeks, before being displaced by "The Rock And Roll Waltz" by Kay Starr
, only to return the following week for a further one week stay at the top. In total the song was in the UK charts for 18 weeks. However, it was the only chart appearance by the group in the UK
, thus condemning The Dreamweavers to the one hit wonder
tag.
The group had one subsequent minor hit in America. "A Little Love Can Go A Long Way", taken from the TV
play
"Joey", made the Billboard 100 at #33 for just one week on May 19, 1956.
The Dream Weavers recorded two further singles, but neither charted. Unless one counts the one week at #33 for "A Little Love Can Go A Long Way" they remain to this day, archetypal one-hit wonder
s.
In March 1956, Buff married Mary Rude, who was a fellow 1952 graduate of Edison High and had sung with the group. After their honeymoon
, he rejoined the group to travel, but after a short while decided that travelling on the road was not compatible with a good marriage. He let Adkinson have full control of the group, and as a result of auditions in New York
, Lee Raymond replaced Buff. When Adkinson got drafted into the United States Army
however, the duo ended its short existence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, vocal group, famous in the 1950s, formed at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
by Gene Adkinson (baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and ukelele) and Wade Buff (lead vocals).
Career
The Dream Weavers consisted primarily of Gene Adkinson and Wade Buff. Other members included Lee Turner, Eddie Newson, Sally Sanborn, Mary Carr & Mary Rude at various times. The two met as sophomoreStudent
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s in their respective high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s (Adkinson at Miami Edison Senior High School, Buff at Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables Senior High School is a secondary school located at 450 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida, USA.Coral Gables SHS opened its doors in 1950; its architectural design reflects a Spanish influence with its open courtyards adorned with water fountains...
) when both were members of The Greater Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
Boys' Drum and Bugle Corps, a 100-piece band and drill team. They became friends and composed a number of song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s while still in high school. They both went on to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where they performed in a freshman talent show before 5,000 students and won. As a result, they were given a twice-weekly half-hour program slot,
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, WRUF
WRUF
WRUF is a radio station that operates from the University of Florida's main campus in Gainesville, broadcasting at 850 kHz. WRUF is a news/talk/sports station...
in 1955. With the program ending at 10:30pm, they felt it appropriate to sign off with a song they had composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
in high school in 1953, "It's Almost Tomorrow
It's Almost Tomorrow
"It's Almost Tomorrow" is a 1955 popular song with music by Gene Adkinson and lyrics by Wade Buff. The song was actually written in 1953, when Adkinson and Buff were in high school...
" (words
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Buff, music
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
by Adkinson). Buff served as the lead singer, and the third part was sung by various female singers (Sally Sanborn, Mary Carr, Mary Rude, and others).
The announcer of the show, Chuck Murdock, thought of running a contest on the show to name the group, and the contest winner stated that because the song they wrote was dreamy, they were weavers of dreams, thus "The Dream Weavers."
After making a recording of "It's Almost Tomorrow" in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, the song got played on the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, and this led to recognition by Milt Gabler
Milt Gabler
Milton Gabler was an American record producer, responsible for many innovations in the recording industry of the 20th century.-Early life:...
at Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. As a result, Decca cut a new recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of the song. It charted in 1956, reaching the Top Ten in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, It entered the Billboard 100 on November 12, 1955, having a chart life of 21 weeks and a top placing of #7. It was released by Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it hit the chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on February 10, 1956 and reached number one on March 16, holding the top spot for 2 weeks, before being displaced by "The Rock And Roll Waltz" by Kay Starr
Kay Starr
Kay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
, only to return the following week for a further one week stay at the top. In total the song was in the UK charts for 18 weeks. However, it was the only chart appearance by the group in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, thus condemning The Dreamweavers to the one hit wonder
One-hit wonders in the UK
This is a list of artists who have achieved one #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart and no other entry whatsoever on the chart. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles uses this definition of "one-hit wonder", which is a controversial term with various other proposed definitions.-Methodology:A hit is...
tag.
The group had one subsequent minor hit in America. "A Little Love Can Go A Long Way", taken from the TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
"Joey", made the Billboard 100 at #33 for just one week on May 19, 1956.
The Dream Weavers recorded two further singles, but neither charted. Unless one counts the one week at #33 for "A Little Love Can Go A Long Way" they remain to this day, archetypal one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
s.
In March 1956, Buff married Mary Rude, who was a fellow 1952 graduate of Edison High and had sung with the group. After their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
, he rejoined the group to travel, but after a short while decided that travelling on the road was not compatible with a good marriage. He let Adkinson have full control of the group, and as a result of auditions in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Lee Raymond replaced Buff. When Adkinson got drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
however, the duo ended its short existence.