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Theme for a Dream

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"Theme for a Dream"
Single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows
B-side"Mumblin' Mosie"
Released24 February 1961 (1961-02-24)
Recorded28 January 1961[1]
StudioEMI Studios, London
GenrePop
Length2:06
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard and the Shadows singles chronology
"Catch Me"
(1961) 		"Theme for a Dream"
(1961) 		"Gee Whizz It's You"
(1961)

"Theme for a Dream" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in February 1961. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.[2][3]

Release and reception

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"Theme for a Dream" was the first song by Richard to feature a female chorus, sung by the Mike Sammes Singers. When Richard and the Shadows got the song they "liked it, but it wasn't really us … but we did it because we felt it was a change of direction as far as we were concerned".[1]

The single exceeded 200,000 advance sales in the UK. However, in Spain, it was banned because of its supposedly suggestive lyrics due to the Francoist censorship.[1]

The B-side, "Mumblin' Mosie", was written and originally recorded by American Johnny Otis in 1960 and had been a minor hit for him on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] Richard had previously recorded another of Otis' songs, "Willie and the Hand Jive", which he had released as the B-side to "Fall in Love with You".[5]

Richard also recorded a German-language version of "Theme for a Dream", titled "Schön wie ein Traum", in April 1961 with backing vocals by the Hansen Girls. It was released as a single in Germany in June 1961 with the B-side "Vreneli", which was an original German song.[6][7]

Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl described "Theme for a Dream" as an "attractive tune and lyric married very well indeed. Gets into your head right from the start".[8]

The melody of the track "Pal Pal.... Har Pal" from the 2006 Bollywood film Lage Raho Munna Bhai was lifted from "Theme for a Dream"[9]

Track listing

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7": Columbia / DB 4593

  1. "Theme for a Dream" – 2:06
  2. "Mumblin' Mosie" – 2:17

7": Columbia / C 21 843 (Germany)

  1. "Schön wie ein Traum" – 2:05
  2. "Vreneli" – 2:39

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1961) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 22
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 33
Denmark (Quans Musikbureau)[13] 6
India (The Voice, Calcutta) 7
Ireland (Evening Herald)[14] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 12
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[16] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 3

German-language version

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"Schön wie ein Traum"

Chart (1961) Peak
position
Germany (GfK)[17] 33

"Vreneli"

Chart (1961) Peak
position
Germany (GfK)[18] 50

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Theme for a Dream)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Cliff Richard: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. ^ "Cliff wins eighth Silver Disc" (PDF). Disc. 8 April 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Mumblin' Mosie (song by Johnny Otis) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". www.musicvf.com. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Mumblin' Mosie)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Schön wie ein Traum)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Disc Date" (PDF). Disc. 25 February 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Did You Know? These Bollywood Hits Have been Copied from Other Tracks and It's Shocking". News18. 26 December 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  11. ^ "Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Theme for a Dream" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ^ "Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Theme for a Dream" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  13. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 5 June 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Irish Top Ten". Evening Herald. 6 April 1961.
  15. ^ "Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Theme for a Dream" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. ^ "Lever Hit Parade". flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Cliff Richard – Bin verliebt" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  18. ^ "Cliff Richard – Bin verliebt" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
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