Dreamlover (song)

"Dreamlover"
Single by Mariah Carey
From the album Music Box
Released	1993
Format	CD single CD maxi single Cassette single Cassette maxi single]] 7" single 12" single
Genre	Pop
Length	3:53
Label	Sony
Writers	Mariah Carey Dave Hall David Porter
Producers	Mariah Carey Dave Hall Walter Afanasieff
Director	Diane Martel
Certification	Platinum
Chart positions	#1 (USA) #9 (UK) #1 (CAN) #7 (AU)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"If It's Over" 1992	"Dreamlover" 1993	"Hero" 1993

"Dreamlover" was the first single released from Mariah Carey's fourth album, Music Box in the third quarter of 1993 both in the United States and internationally. "Dreamlover" was nominated for the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, but it did not win. It gained a BMI pop award, which every single with the exception of "I'll Be There" had won.

Song information

The single was co-written by Carey and Dave Hall, and co-produced by Carey, Dave, and Walter Afanasieff. (Originally only Carey and Hall produced the track, but Afanasieff was brought on by Sony to tone the song down, as the company felt the original production had been too rough and mellow.) "Dreamlover" is built around a sample of the Emotions song "Blind Alley", which was written by David Porter, and it also utilizes a Hammond B-3 organ. A summer pop anthem, and one of Carey's signature songs, it has her picturing an ideal man, her dream lover, as she exclaims: "dreamlover, come rescue me, take me up, take me down, take me anywhere you want to baby, now."

Years later stablemate Bruce Springsteen apparently used "Dreamlover" as one of the foundations for his song "Let's Be Friends", on his album The Rising.

Chart performance

"Dreamlover" became Carey's seventh number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and was easily her biggest hit in the U.S. to date. It became another international hit for Carey, following the global success of "I'll Be There", and was the first in a series of singles from Music Box that slowly made Carey a worldwide superstar. "Dreamlover" was responsible for bridging the gap between her success being largely limited to the U.S. (as was the case with her first two albums Mariah Carey and Emotions) to gaining global fame (as became the case with all her album releases through the rest of the 1990s).

After debuting at number forty on the Hot 100, it spent six weeks climbing up the charts when it eventually reached the summit, becoming her quickest climb to the top, although not her highest debut. It stayed at the top for eight weeks, the longest stay for a Carey single at this point in her career. It spent a total of twenty-nine weeks on the Hot 100, which was the longest stay for a Carey single, and twenty-six of these weeks were spent in the top forty. It was ranked number three on the Hot 100 year-end charts of 1993, making it not only one of the biggest hits of the year and decade but also her highest peak on this chart.

"Dreamlover" was very successful across the various Billboard formats. Although it was not able to top all the Billboard charts on which it was eligible to chart (as "Vision of Love" and "Love Takes Time" were able to), it did top eight Billboard charts, one more than the two aforementioned singles managed. It was at number one on the Hot 100 Airplay Chart for a staggering eleven weeks, becoming her longest stay at the top on that chart at this point. It gained such large amounts of airplay that together with the other hits from Music Box it made Carey one of the most played artists across 1993 and 1994. Although selling enough to become her first single to achieve platinum certification, it only achieved a peak of number two on the Hot 100 Singles Sales. The song's airplay was not just limited to pop stations (although it was very successful in these formats, topping the Mainstream Top 40 for eight weeks); "Dreamlover" received wide airplay on dance and R&B radio stations, topping both the respective airplay charts. It was quite successful as an R&B single, topping the single sales component also, but failing to top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, stalling at number two. It became her first chart topper on the Rhythmic Top 40, spending six weeks at the summit and confirming its right as a major airplay hit.

"Dreamlover" was a huge success internationally, becoming her fourth consecutive number one single in Canada. It became another top ten hit for Carey in the United Kingdom and Australia; however, it only just made the top ten in the former country, not matching the number two peak set by "I'll Be There", though it was more successful in the latter. It was only moderately successful in Continental European markets, not achieving the peaks "I'll Be There" had managed, though still making the top twenty in almost all cases.

Music video

The music video for "Dreamlover" was one of her first over which Carey was given more creative control (but she was still not allowed to direct it). Directed by Diane Martel, it shows Carey frolicking around fields in upstate New York on a nice summer day. The video also includes Carey flying away in a hot air balloon as a legion of half-naked male hip hop dancers dance on, as well as the first appearance of Carey's dog Jack.

The music video was first released to consumers on the Here Is Mariah Carey video, and was later included on the DVD/video version of #1's.

Remixes

"Dreamlover" marked the first time Carey got creative control over the creation of her remixes. She enlisted David Morales to create the "Dreamlover (Def Club mix)"; it was the first of Carey's remixes to use re-sung vocals. This remix helped make Morales a superstar remixer, helped bridge the gap between pop and house music, and also started a trend of having superstar remixers redo singles sung by pop divas. Even today, the Def Club mix of "Dreamlover" is considered a breakthrough record in the house music industry.

Besides the dubs, edits, and other variations of the Def Club Mix, other remixes using the original vocals from the song's original album version also exist, as created by Brian Morgan of Bam Jam Productions: "Dreamlover (Theo's Club Joint Mix)" and "Dreamlover (Bam Jam Soul)". Finally, an officially released live version of "Dreamlover" as performed on the Here Is Mariah Carey television special/video is also available.

Track listings of major single-releases

U.S. CD single (cassette single/7" single)

1. "Dreamlover" (album version)
2. "Do You Think of Me" (album version)

U.S. CD maxi single (cassette maxi single)

1. "Dreamlover" (album version)
2. "Dreamlover" (Def club mix)
3. "Dreamlover" (Def instrumental)
4. "Dreamlover" (USA Love dub)
5. "Dreamlover" (Eclipse dub)
6. "Dreamlover" (Def tribal mix)

U.K. cassette single

1. "Dreamlover" (album version)
2. "Do You Think of Me" (album version)

U.K. CD maxi single (12" vinyl single)

1. "Dreamlover" (Def club mix)
2. "Dreamlover" (Def instrumental)
3. "Dreamlover" (USA Love dub)
4. "Dreamlover" (Eclipse dub)
5. "Dreamlover" (Def tribal mix)

Comprehensive charts

USA

Year	Single	Chart	Position	Number of chart topper
1993	"Dreamlover”	ARC Weekly Top 40	#1 (8 weeks)
1993	"Dreamlover”	Billboard Hot 100	#1 (8 weeks)	7th
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales	#2	-
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	#1 (11 weeks)	7th
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	#2	-
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales	#1 (4 weeks)	4th
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay	#1 (1 week)	4th
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#3
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#1 (1 week)	3rd
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Mainstream Top 40	#1 (8 weeks)	1st
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Rhythmic Top 40	#1 (6 weeks)	1st
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Adult Contemporary	#2	-

Chart trajectory

Billboard Hot 100 Chart trajectory — "Dreamlover"
Week	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
Chart position	40	13	9	3	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	5	6	10	13	16	17	19	26	30	30	26	32	37	46	48	49

International

Year	Single	Chart	Position	Number of chart topper
1993	"Dreamlover"	UK Singles Chart	#9	-
1993	"Dreamlover"	Billboard Canadian Singles Chart	#1 (3 weeks)	4th
1993	"Dreamlover"	ARIA Singles Chart	#7	-
1993	"Dreamlover"	Germany Singles Chart	#42	-
1993	"Dreamlover"	France Top 100 Singles	#49	-
1993	"Dreamlover"	Switzerland Top 100 Singles	#13	-

Official remixes/versions list

• "Dreamlover (album version)
• "Dreamlover (live) (edited performance from Here Is Mariah Carey)
• "Dreamlover (Def club mix)
• "Dreamlover (Def club mix edit)
• "Dreamlover (Def instrumental)
• "Dreamlover (Def tribal mix)
• "Dreamlover (USA Love dub)
• "Dreamlover (Eclipse dub)
• "Dreamlover (Bam Jam Soul)
• "Dreamlover (Theo's Club Joint) or (Club Joint mix)

See also

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1993 (USA)
• 1993 in music

External links

• "Dreamlover" lyrics — lyrics for the album version of "Dreamlover"