"Dream a Little Dream of Me" is a 1931 song with music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt and lyrics by Gus Kahn.[1] It was first recorded in February 1931 by Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra, soon followed by Wayne King and His Orchestra with vocals by Ernie Birchill. A popular standard, it has seen well over 400 recorded versions.[2]
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" was recorded by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra, with vocals by Nelson, on February 16, 1931, for Brunswick Records. Two days later, Wayne King and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ernie Birchill, recorded the song for Victor Records. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was also an early signature tune of Kate Smith.
Gus Kahn's sentimental, bucolic lyrics citing "birds singing in the sycamore tree", "stars shining" and "night breezes" are a lullaby, specifically a romantic one of parting lovers: "Say nighty-night and kiss me, just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me", "Still craving your kiss" and "Now I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear."
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" was recorded for the Mamas & the Papas April 1968 album release The Papas & the Mamas with lead vocals by Cass Elliot. The group had often sung the song for fun, having been familiarized with it by member Michelle Phillips, whose father had been friends with the song's co-writer, Fabian Andre, in Mexico City where Michelle Phillips' family had resided when she was a young girl. "Mama" Cass Elliot suggested to group leader John Phillips that the group record "Dream a Little Dream of Me". According to him, she was unhappy while recording the song, objecting to its 'campiness'. However, Elliot herself would later tell Melody Maker: "I tried to sing it like it was 1943 and somebody had just come in and said, 'Here's a new song.' I tried to sing it as if it were the first time."
In the album version, recorded with the Mamas & the Papas, Mama Cass is heard in the song's introduction speaking in the background behind the acoustic guitar, mentioning a drink; and then Papa John Phillips is heard speaking an intro: "And now, to sing this lovely ballad, here is Mama Cass". Also, Cass is heard clearing her throat right before she sings. Only the last part was heard on the single version of the song. Cass did her own whistling, which is heard before the song's fade.
By the time of the album's release, there were strong indications that the Mamas & the Papas were set to disband, a perception strengthened by the failure of their recent single, "Safe in My Garden". Having an opportunity to promote the group's best-known member as a soloist, Dunhill Records gave a June 1968 single release to the "Dream a Little Dream of Me" track with the credit reading - to John Phillips' displeasure -[4] "Mama Cass with the Mamas & the Papas"; in its UK release the artist credit simply read "Mama Cass". Promoted in the US press and on billboards with a photograph of a discreetly but obviously nude Elliot lying in a bed of daisies,[5] "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was their last major hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 that August (its Cash Box peak was #10 and in Record World it reached #8). The BillboardEasy Listening chart ranked the single as high as #2.[6]
In the UK, "Dream a Little Dream of Me" reached #11 that September; the track also afforded Mama Cass a hit in Ireland (#13) and South Africa (#8). In Australia the Go-Set Top 40 chart ranked "Dream a Little Dream of Me" at #1 for the weeks of 4 & 11 September 1968,[7][8] and was the 16th biggest hit of 1968.[9]
A slightly different version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was included on Elliot's solo debut album, Dream a Little Dream.[5]
Following a fashion retailers' TV commercial, "Dream a Little Dream" was released as a single in Europe in 1992 – credited to the Mamas & the Papas and featuring that group's #1 hit "Monday, Monday" as the B-side – to reach #5 in Germany and #22 in Switzerland.
Chart performance
1968 weekly chart performance for "Dream a Little Dream of Me"
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Anita Harris version
Anita Harris' version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me", recorded at Olympic Studios in a session produced by Mike Margolis with Alan Tew as musical director, was released 26 July 1968, the week prior to the US Top 40 debut of the Cass Elliot version. Harris would deny deliberately covering Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream of Me": (Anita Harris quote:)"I [loved] the song on the Mamas & Papas album...so I decided to record it...There were [then] no plans to release the other version [in the UK]. It was rushed out [here] when it was known that my version was coming out." (Cass Elliot herself would deny any awareness of the UK single release of Harris' version.)[22]
Elliot's version had its UK release the week subsequent to Harris', with both versions debuting in the UK Top 50 dated 10 August 1968, Harris' version at #46 ahead of the Cass Elliot version at #49. However, the Elliot version would vault into the Top 30 and then Top 20 over the next two weeks while the Harris version would never reach the Top 30, although Harris's version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" would maintain a lower chart presence throughout the ascendancy of the Elliot version, with Harris's single peaking at #33 the week after Cass's peak at #11.[23]
In 1990, "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was covered in French-language with new lyrics by singer Enzo Enzo [fr] under the title "Les Yeux ouverts" (transl. French for "With Eyes Open"). Adapted from the original version by Brice Homs and Kurin Ternovtzeff, it was released in the first quarter of 1991 as the first single from the debut album Enzo Enzo, on which it is the third track, and became the well-known adaptation of the original song in this language.[24]
Reception
A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media praised the song stating: "Keep your eyes wide open, sings this French singer. Better keep your ears wide open, too, listening to cool jazz of this high calibre".[25] Retrospectively, in 2021, Nathalie Lacube of French magazine La Croix wrote that "the singer's caressing voice and intimate phrasing worked wonders" on this song.[26]
In France, the single debuted at number 49 on the SNEP chart edition of 23 March 1991, reached number 18 eleven weeks later and stayed in the top 50 for a total of 15 weeks.[27] It charted for five non-consecutive weeks on the pan-European Hot 100 Singles compiled by Music & Media, peaking at number 87 on 8 June 1991.[28] It was a moderate hit in Quebec, peaking at number 44 with a three-week chart run.[29]
English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams recorded "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (retitled "Dream a Little Dream") for his tenth studio and second swing album, Swings Both Ways (2013). While the album version is a duet with Lily Allen, she was omitted from the single version, which was released on 13 December 2013 as the album's second single.
Music video
The video features Williams singing the song whilst presenting a Christmas show in the style of The Dean Martin Show.
^Melody Maker 31 August 1968 "Mama Cass: covering 'Dream a Little Dream' is just like covering 'God Save the Queen' by Tony Wilson/ "Anita Harris: I wasn't doing the dirty on Mama Cass" by Alan Walsh p.11
