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User:FrostFairBlade/sandbox/You Make My Dreams

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Background

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It sounds trite, but after all this stadium rock and Spinal Tap production sludge we realized we had to get back to our roots. The stuff that turned us on as teenagers was what we wanted to do anyway, so we retooled our entire performance and writing approach to reflect the intimacy of our singing. Our vocal mesh became the star again, and our songs became the show.

Daryl Hall, July 1988 interview with SPIN[1]

  • Following the release of Bigger Than Both of Us (1976), which contained the No. 1 hit "Rich Girl", Hall and Oates struggled with maintaining their success[2]
  • Their following albums, Beauty on a Back Street (1977) and Along the Red Ledge (1978), did not yield any hit singles[3]
  • In his memoir, Oates recalled that after producer David Foster mentioned that the duo didn't need him during the recording sessions for X-Static (1979), both he and Hall realized that they should produce their own albums[4]: 220 
  • Oates said in an interview with Wax Poetics that they began taking more control over their albums' production during Along the Red Ledge, which was produced by Foster[5]
  • Hall and Oates were tired of recording in Los Angeles because they lived in New York, so for the X-Static album, they recorded it with their band in New York; this helped them define their future sound that they would take with them into recording Voices (1980)[5]
  • Hall and Oates were allowed to produce their own songs[6]
  • Hall recalled writing most of the song himself after liking a piano riff he was playing[7]
  • Oates recalled: "Daryl had this great piano groove that you hear when you hear the record. It's really the heart and soul of that record. It had this positive, upbeat type of feel to it. It was a very simple idea saying you make my dreams come true. We were king of laughing saying that this was too simple to be anything."[5]
  • In an Songfacts interview in 2011, Oates said: "The record of 'You Make My Dreams Come True' represents a vibe, it represents a collaboration between myself and Daryl and the band in the studio in the '80s. That's what the record represents. The song is a great song. Its simplicity and directness is where the charm lies in that song."[8]
  • According to Oates, the pair's manager, Tommy Mottola, disliked the first verse's candle metaphors for being too flowery, saying, "Who the hell do you guys think you are, Wordsworth?"[7][9]
  • Hall recalled that the song was one of the last ones he recorded for Voices (1980)[10]

Lyrics and music

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  • The lyrics are written by Hall, Oates, and fellow songwriter Sara Allen, who was Hall's girlfriend[11][12]
  • The distinctive electric piano riff was played on a Yamaha CP-30 by Hall[7]
  • Oates: "When we wrote the words, we were really concentrating on writing some interesting words because the chorus was so simple. We thought the verses needed to have some meat and potatoes to support the simplicity of that chorus."[5]
  • In the first verse, Hall alludes to Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" when he sings: "What I want, you've got / But it might be hard to handle / Like the flame that burns the candle / The candle feeds the flame"[13]

Release and commercial performance

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  • It was never released as a single in the United Kingdom[7]

Critical reception

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  • Record World praised the song's "vocal and musical inspiration"; described it as "lively, mass appeal music"[14]

Accolades and impact

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  • By October 2020, the song was streamed over one billion times[6][7]

Live performances and other versions

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  • Following the release of the song, Hall and Oates went on a college tour in the spring of 1981[15]
  • The duo performed the song live on an episode of Saturday Night Live that aired on February 27, 1982[16]
  • Usage in film
    • The song was used in The Wedding Singer (1998) in a montage detailing a character's wedding preparations[17][18]
    • The song was prominently featured in 500 Days of Summer (2009), where Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character breaks out into a spontaneous dance number while walking down the street[19]
    • Originally, Daryl Hall and John Oates themselves were originally going to be included in this scene[20]
    • Variety reported that its inclusion in 500 Days of Summer helped proliferate the song's usage in other films and television shows, in particular commercials[21]
    • Jonathan Palmer, an executive at BMG Rights Management, the publisher that handles synchronization rights of many of Hall and Oates' songs, said: "We can make a killing with that song every day of the week. The appetite for it and using it in mainstream looks doesn’t seem to diminish [...]"[21]
  • Usage on television shows
  • Usage in commercials
  • Usage in sports

Credits and personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[39] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[40] Gold 45,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[41] Gold 20,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Hall & Oates: Our 1988 Interview". SPIN. 2019-08-31. Archived from the original on 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Daryl Hall & John Oates Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  3. ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (1985-01-17). "Hall and Oates: The Self-Righteous Brothers". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  4. ^ Oates, John; Epting, Chris (2017). Change of Seasons: A Memoir. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-250-08265-7. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  5. ^ a b c d Williams, Chris (2014-05-28). "John Oates discusses 1980's Voices by Hall and Oates". Wax Poetics. No. 54. Archived from the original on 2020-08-02. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  6. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (2021-06-11). "Daryl Hall & John Oates: 'We had a lethal ability to experiment'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  7. ^ a b c d e Savage, Mark (2021-06-09). "Hall and Oates: How You Make My Dreams became a streaming colossus". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  8. ^ MacIntosh, Dan (2011-04-07). "John Oates". Songfacts. Archived from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  9. ^ Brown, Helen (2020-10-02). "Daryl Hall & John Oates: 'Michael Jackson told me at Live AId that I Can't Go For That had inspired Billie Jean'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  10. ^ Richards, Owen (2021-03-08). "theartsdesk Q&A: Daryl Hall". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  11. ^ Zollo, Paul (2016). More Songwriters on Songwriting. Hachette Books. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-306-82244-5. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  12. ^ Keleman, Matt (2019-03-15). "The Power of Two". Las Vegas Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  13. ^ Vettese, John (2019-02-08). "The Essential Love Songs of Philadelphia: 'You Make My Dreams' by Hall & Oates". WXPN. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  14. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 1981-05-02. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  15. ^ Kozak, Roman (1981-04-18). "It's Act Guidance From Now On, Mottola Declares" (PDF). Billboard. p. 84. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  16. ^ Cader, Michael, ed. (1994). Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-395-70895-8. Retrieved 2023-05-06.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Ihnat, Gwen (2015-11-03). "Hall & Oates scored an '80s montage for a '90s movie". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  18. ^ Tremml, Brian (2012-09-28). "The Five Best Uses of Hall & Oates' 'You Make My Dreams'". Paste. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  19. ^ Donahue, Ann (2009-10-31). "Behind the Music Placements". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 43. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-05-01.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Sollosi, Mary (2019-02-11). "The untold story of the (500) Days of Summer dance sequence". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  21. ^ a b Hampp, Andrew (2020-04-17). "Songs For Screens: Hall & Oates' Synch Bonanza Continues With ABC's 'The Goldbergs'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  22. ^ West, Abby (2011-11-16). "Glee recap: 'Mash-Off'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  23. ^ Flandez, Raymund (2011-11-15). "'Glee' Season 3, Episode 6, 'Mash Off': TV Recap". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  24. ^ Beer, Jeff (2020-07-30). "As the NBA returns, Michelob Ultra finds a way to put branded content into the game". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  25. ^ Powell, Shaun (2020-08-30). "Q&A: Jimmy Butler opens up on 'best decision ever'". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  26. ^ Millar, Will (2022-11-04). "Boots unveils its Joy For All Christmas advert 2022 starring It's a Sin's Lydia West". Edinburgh Evening News. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  27. ^ Daly, Helen (2022-11-04). "It's a Sin's Lydia West stars in Boots Christmas advert 2022". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  28. ^ Fox, Luke (2018-10-05). "Auston Matthews among fans of Leafs new Hall & Oates goal song". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  29. ^ Knight, Joey (2022-05-11). "Thanks, Leafs. Now we can't get Hall & Oates out of our heads". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  30. ^ Fox, Luke (2023-10-11). "Maple Leafs unveil new goal song at home opener". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  31. ^ "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  32. ^ "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  33. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 18, 1981". Archived from the original on September 17, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Cash Box magazine.
  34. ^ "Hall + Oates". Wweb.uta.edu.
  35. ^ "You make my dreams come true". Wweb.uta.edu.
  36. ^ "Top 100 Songs of 1981". Oldtimemusic.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  38. ^ "Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. December 26, 1981. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  39. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  40. ^ "Danish single certifications – Daryl Hall & John Oates – You Make My Dreams (Come True)". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  41. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Daryl Hall & John Oates – You Make My Dreams" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  42. ^ "British single certifications – Daryl Hall & John Oates – You Make My Dreams". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
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