HEART - THESE DREAMS

Llançament: gener de 1986  

Llistes: EUA: #1 (1 setmana) | Regne Unit: #8  

"These Dreams" és una cançó de Heart del seu àlbum homònim de 1985 que es va publicar com a single el gener de 1986. Va esdevenir la primera cançó de Heart a assolir el número 1 al Billboard Hot 100. Fins a aquest àlbum, Heart principalment havia escrit el seu propi material, però després de signar amb Columbia Records, van començar a col·laborar amb compositors externs. "These Dreams" va ser escrita per Bernie Taupin, lletrista d'Elton John, i Martin Page, en una de les contribucions destacades de Taupin fora de la seva feina amb John.

Nancy Wilson va prendre el paper de vocalista principal, cosa poc habitual, ja que normalment era la seva germana Ann qui liderava. La banda va considerar que el to de la cançó s'ajustava millor a la veu de Nancy. Durant la gravació inicial, Nancy tenia un refredat, fet que li va donar una qualitat ronca que va agradar al productor Ron Nevison. Quan va regravar la cançó després de recuperar-se, va intentar imitar el so ronc de les primeres preses, barrejant el seu to natural amb la textura única d'aquella gravació inicial.

Inicialment, "These Dreams" es va oferir a Stevie Nicks, que la va rebutjar. Després es va presentar a Kim Carnes, qui havia enregistrat altres cançons de Martin Page com "Invisible Hands" i "I Pretend". Tot i agradar-li la cançó, Carnes es va sentir incòmoda amb el seu rang vocal i també va declinar l'oferta. Finalment, la cançó va arribar a Heart a través del músic i productor Peter Wolf que va treballar en l'àlbum de Heart. Wolf, que havia col·laborat en "We Built This City" de Starship, va compartir la demo de "These Dreams" amb les germanes Wilson, que van decidir gravar-la.

Martin Page, que va escriure la música de "These Dreams," va descriure la seva inspiració com una mena d'"himne elèctric", combinant elements de "Candle in the Wind" d'Elton John amb un estil experimental influenciat per Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). Page volia que la demo evoqués un sentiment coral modern amb un toc de "Enola Gay". Tot i que la seva demo original era més complexa i experimental, Heart la va simplificar, un canvi que Page creu que va contribuir al seu èxit.

"These Dreams" va ser dedicada a Sharon Hess, una amiga íntima de Nancy Wilson que va morir de leucèmia. Sharon, una fan devota, havia fet construir una guitarra acústica blava personalitzada per a Nancy i va expressar el desig de conèixer-la abans de morir. El seu desig es va complir, i va passar temps a l'estudi amb Heart mentre treballaven en l'àlbum. Sharon i Nancy es van fer molt amigues, i Nancy la va descriure com la seva "ànima bessona del mar". Durant la seva visita, Nancy i el tècnic de guitarra Scotty Olson van portar Sharon a l'hospital quan es va trobar massa malalta per quedar-se a l'hotel. Nancy la va visitar a l'hospital i la va consolar, dormint al seu costat. Aquest suport va animar Sharon, que va poder tornar a casa seva, on va morir poc després, coincidint amb l'aniversari de Nancy. Nancy va decidir dedicar-li "These Dreams," ja que era l'única cançó de l'àlbum en què cantava com a vocalista principal.

El videoclip, dirigit per Jeff Stein i publicat per Capitol Records, mostra la versió més curta de la cançó, que elimina una estrofa. Es va emetre molt a MTV, cosa que va contribuir al seu èxit com un dels quatre senzills de Heart que van entrar al Top 10 als Estats Units. En el vídeo, Nancy Wilson apareix cantant davant d'un estany, tocant una guitarra Dean i una guitarra elèctrica amb forma de vela dissenyada pel luthier David Petschulat. Ann Wilson s'uneix cantant des de l'ombra, mentre altres membres de la banda fan breus aparicions tocant.

HEART - THESE DREAMS

Released: January 1986

Charts:  US: #1 (1 week)  UK: #8 

"These Dreams" is a song by Heart from their 1985 self-titled album and was released as a single in January 1986. It became Heart's first song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Up until this album, Heart had primarily written their own material, but after signing with Columbia Records, they collaborated with external songwriters. "These Dreams" was written by Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s longtime lyricist, and Martin Page, marking one of Taupin's notable projects outside of his work with John.

Nancy Wilson took the lead vocals on this track, a departure from Heart's usual setup where her sister Ann typically sang lead. The band felt the song’s tone matched Nancy's voice well. Nancy had a cold during her initial recording, creating a raspy quality that producer Ron Nevison found appealing. When she re-recorded after recovering, Nancy tried to replicate the raspy sound Nevison had liked, blending her natural tone with the unique texture of the earlier takes.

"These Dreams" was initially offered to Stevie Nicks, who declined. It then went to Kim Carnes, known for recording other Martin Page songs like "Invisible Hands" and "I Pretend." Although she liked "These Dreams," she felt uncomfortable with its vocal range and also passed. The song ultimately reached Heart through musician/producer Peter Wolf (not to be confused with the J. Geils Band singer), who played on Heart's self-titled album. Having worked on Starship's "We Built This City," Wolf shared the "These Dreams" demo with the Wilson sisters, who decided to record it.

Martin Page, who composed the music for "These Dreams," described his inspiration as aiming for an electric hymn feel, blending elements of Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" with an experimental, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)-influenced style. He wanted the demo to evoke a sense of modern choral music with a touch of OMD’s "Enola Gay." Although his original demo was more complex and experimental, Heart simplified it, which Page believes contributed to its success. 

"These Dreams" was dedicated to Sharon Hess, a close friend of Nancy Wilson's who passed away from leukemia. Sharon, a devoted fan, had a custom blue acoustic guitar made for Nancy and wished to meet her before she died. Her wish was fulfilled, and she spent time in the recording studio with Heart as they worked on the album. Sharon and Nancy became very close, with Nancy describing Sharon as her "soulmate of the sea." During Sharon’s visit, Nancy and her guitar tech, Scotty Olson, took her to the hospital when she became too ill to stay in her hotel. Nancy later visited Sharon in the hospital, comforting her by lying next to her as she slept. This support lifted Sharon’s spirits and allowed her to make the journey back home, where she passed away shortly after on Nancy's birthday. Nancy chose to dedicate "These Dreams" to Sharon, as it was the only song on the album with her lead vocals.

The music video was directed by Jeff Stein and released by Capitol Records, featuring the shorter single version of the song that omits a verse. It gained significant exposure on MTV, contributing to the track’s success as one of four Top 10 singles from Heart in the U.S. In the video, Nancy Wilson performs while looking over a reflective pool of water, playing both a Dean guitar and a unique sail-shaped electric guitar crafted by luthier David Petschulat. Ann Wilson joins in singing from the shadows, while other band members make brief appearances performing.

 

PETER GABRIEL - RED RAIN

Released: June 29, 1987

Charts:  UK: #46 

“Red Rain” is the opening track on Peter Gabriel’s 1986 album So. Initially released as a promotional single in the U.S., it reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. A year later, it was commercially released in Europe, Australia, and the U.S., peaking at No. 46 on the UK Singles Chart. A live version also charted in both the U.S. and UK in 1994.

“Red Rain” was inspired by a recurring dream Peter Gabriel had, where he swam in a vast sea of red and white liquid. He described vivid, surreal imagery of glass-like figures filling with blood and transferring it across a sand-like surface. The dream left a deep impression on him, shaping the song’s haunting tone. Gabriel saw the imagery as a metaphor for suppressed pain, believing that unexpressed emotions can grow stronger and manifest in the external world. The track features The Police’s Stewart Copeland on percussion.

“Red Rain” was originally conceived as part of Peter Gabriel’s abandoned Mozo project, a planned movie or play about a mysterious character who changes the lives of those he meets. The song was meant to accompany a dramatic opening sequence where a village suffers a catastrophic flood of red rain. While Gabriel never completed the Mozo project, Red Rain evolved into a powerful standalone track. Though not a major hit, it remains a staple of his live performances and one of his most evocative songs.

 

PETER GABRIEL - INTRUDER

Released: May 30, 1980

Album: Peter Gabriel (Melt)

“Intruder" is a song written and performed by Peter Gabriel released as the opening track on his third self-titled album known as “Melt”. The song introduced the gated reverb drum sound, created by engineer Hugh Padgham and drummer Phil Collins. This production technique, which gave drums a powerful, punchy, and isolated sound, became a defining feature of 1980s music, later popularised in Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”.

Gabriel pushed for an intense, minimalist drum pattern, instructing Collins to play without cymbals and even removing metal elements from the kit. This forced Collins to adapt, leading to the song’s distinctive, percussive power. Musically, “Intruder” is unsettling, with eerie guitar effects and Gabriel’s disturbing lyrics, sung from the perspective of a home invader, possibly with sinister intentions. 

“Intruder” is about a burglar who breaks into a woman’s house and is never caught. Peter Gabriel wanted to create a “sense of urgency” and made the track intentionally eerie, drawing inspiration from the suspenseful works of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and composer Bernard Herrmann.

In his own words, “Intruder” is one of Gabriel's favorite songs to perform live.

PETER GABRIEL - WE DO WHAT WE’RE TOLD (MILGRAM’S 37)

Released: May 19, 1986

Album: So

“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” is a song by Peter Gabriel that explores themes of obedience and authority. Although he began performing it live in 1980, the track was not officially released until it appeared on his 1986 album “So”. 

This song is based on Stanley Milgram’s infamous obedience experiments, conducted at Yale in 1961. In these studies, participants were instructed to administer what they believed were increasingly painful electric shocks to a person who answered questions incorrectly. Although the shocks were fake, the participants were unaware, and most followed orders despite the apparent suffering of the recipient. The song’s title references one variation of the experiment, where 37 out of 40 participants obeyed authority and delivered the highest voltage. Peter Gabriel saw the results as both disturbing and revealing, highlighting human tendencies toward blind obedience but also admiring the few who resisted. Gabriel summarized the results of Milgram's experiments with the phrase, "We do what we're told," which is repeated throughout the song. 

Peter Gabriel performed “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” live for years before its official release, with early versions appearing on bootlegs. During concerts, he encouraged audiences to chant the song’s refrain, unknowingly replicating the experiment’s theme of obedience. Despite Gabriel’s interest in incorporating footage of Milgram’s experiments into his stage shows or music videos, Milgram declined, unwilling to have his research used for entertainment purposes.

“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” was one of 15 songs Peter Gabriel worked on for his 1980 self-titled album but was ultimately left off. Originally titled “Milgram’s 37,” it was considered for release as a single or inclusion on a later album. Though also considered for his 1982 album, the song remained unreleased until So in 1986.

Gabriel began work on it again during the So sessions in 1985, using previously recorded backing tracks from 1980. He employed synthesizers to process his voice and instruments, creating an eerie, disjointed atmosphere that reflected the psychological themes of Milgram’s experiments. Drummer Jerry Marotta contributed, along with L. Shankar on violin, enhancing the song’s unsettling tone.

PETER GABRIEL - PANOPTICOM

Released: January 6, 2023

Album: I/O

“Panopticom” is a song by Peter Gabriel, released in January 2023 as the first single from “I/O”, his first album of original material since 2002’s “Up”. Three versions were released: the Bright Side Mix (mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent), the Dark Side Mix (mixed by Tchad Blake), and the In-Side Mix (mixed by Hans-Martin Buff). 

“Panopticom” was released on the first full moon of 2023, with Gabriel planning to release future “I/O” tracks on full moons as well. He explained that much of his writing for the album focuses on humanity’s destruction of the planet and the need to reconnect with nature. The song’s title refers to a proposed data globe concept, allowing limitless accumulation and accessibility of information—contrasting with the Panopticon, a metaphor for surveillance and lack of privacy. 

Recorded at Real World Studios and The Beehive, the track features longtime collaborators Tony Levin (bass), David Rhodes (guitar), Manu Katché (drums), and Real World Studios engineer Katie May (acoustic guitar). Brian Eno contributes atmospheric electronics, while Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath provides backing vocals. Gabriel wrote and produced the track himself.

Peter Gabriel released a video for Panopticom (Dark-Side Mix) on September 13, 2023, created by Vietnamese AI artist Lamson, the winner of the Peter Gabriel / Stability AI competition. The video depicts Panopticon Prison, a dystopian city where corruption and technology merge, creating a monstrous cyborg that consumes information and transforms all living beings into surveillance cyborgs.

Lamson described his artistic process as deeply personal, shaped by his feelings and experiences, and noted that the song perfectly expressed his feeling of being constantly watched in the age of social media.

Gabriel had previously released another video for Panopticom, created by competition runner-up Vnderworld.

The cover artwork for the single features Red Gravity by David Spriggs, a 2021 piece created with acrylic paint on layered plexiglass. The artwork depicts a red vortex with a black hole at its center, symbolizing themes of surveillance that align with the song’s lyrics. Gabriel was drawn to this visual representation and sought Spriggs’ permission to use it as the cover art. Red Gravity was also used as a backdrop for performances of “Panopticom” during Gabriel’s i/o tour.

 

 

PETER GABRIEL - STEAM

Released: January 4, 1993

Charts:  US: #32   UK: #10 

Steam was one of Peter Gabriel’s most commercially successful singles from “Us”, following the massive success of “So”. The song featured a funky, horn-driven arrangement similar to “Sledgehammer”, leading many to compare the two. It showcased Gabriel’s continued exploration of groove-based rock with influences from soul and R&B. The track was particularly well received in North America, hitting #1 on the RPM 100 chart in Canada, where it replaced Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You after its ten-week reign. In the U.S., it topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Steam” was Peter Gabriel’s last major hit in both the UK and the US.

Gabriel described the song’s theme as a relationship dynamic where the woman is sophisticated and knowledgeable about everything, while the man knows little—except for his deep understanding of her, something she herself lacks. This echoes the dynamic of Sledgehammer, both musically and lyrically, with its overt sexual references and high-energy funk elements. The song was co-produced with Daniel Lanois, continuing their successful partnership from “So”, and featured a polished, danceable rhythm.

The music video, directed by Stephen R. Johnson, followed the same visually ambitious and surreal style as his previous work on “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”. Johnson aimed to pack the video with as many eye-catching elements as possible, resulting in a visually chaotic but highly engaging spectacle. The video featured extensive digital imagery and motion capture effects, created by Homer & Associates, the same team that worked on the 1992 film “The Lawnmower Man”. Gabriel spent two days performing movements that were then digitized and incorporated into the video’s surreal animations. 

The video won the Grammy Award for Best Short-Form Music Video in 1994, marking Gabriel’s second consecutive win in that category—he had won the previous year for “Digging in the Dirt”. “Steam” was also included in the 1994 Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0.

At the 1993 Grammy Awards, Gabriel opened the ceremony with a performance of “Steam”, featuring the cast of Cirque du Soleil.