I Can Dream About You
"I Can Dream About You" is a song written and performed by American singer Dan Hartman on the soundtrack album of the film Streets of Fire. Released in 1984 as a single from the soundtrack, and included on Hartman's album I Can Dream About You, it reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
For the album, see I Can Dream About You (album)."I Can Dream About You"
Album release and promotion[edit]
Both Hartman and Iovine worked on his 1984, same-titled solo album I Can Dream About You, following the song's use in the film. The album would spawn two other Top 40 charting singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 – "We Are the Young" and "Second Nature".[4] A tour was also organized to promote the I Can Dream About You album and its singles, and Hartman toured alongside Toto in 1985. It was his first tour in a decade but also his last. The song was performed on this tour.[4]
Music videos and promotion[edit]
Two music videos accompanied the song. One does not feature Hartman and consists of scenes from Streets of Fire, intercut with footage of the fictional Sorels miming the song as part of a live performance. In the second video, filmed at the Hard Rock in London, Hartman appears as a bartender trying to charm a young woman (played by Joyce Hyser), singing to her as the Sorels' performance plays on a TV set hanging above the bar. In a 2010 interview with Hyser for the blog Old School: Back to the 80s, she was asked how she came to feature in the video. She replied, "I knew Dan's manager and he asked me if I would do it. We shot at the Hard Rock in London. I honestly remember very little about it, but Dan was very nice and I absolutely love that song."[15] While recording a mimed TV performance of the song, Hartman explained why one music video featured actors: "The producers and directors of Streets of Fire wanted the best of everything, so they hired the best singers, the best dancers and best actors to play the parts in the film. So the singers in 'I Can Dream About You' who are the Sorels are actually actors, and I wrote and sang this song."[16]
Aside from the two music videos which accompanied the song, Hartman appeared on various American and European TV shows to perform the song once it was released as a single. On the musical variety show Soul Train, during December 1984, Hartman dubbed the song with his touring band, along with "We are the Young",[17][18] and later appeared on the show solo in May 1985 to perform both "I Can Dream About You" and "Second Nature" alone, but with live vocal.[19][20][21] He also dubbed the song on the music-performance program American Bandstand in December 1984, with his touring band.[22] "Second Nature" was also performed, and both performances aired on the January 12, 1985, episode of the show.[23][24] In November 1984, Hartman and his band performed the song on Late Night with David Letterman, along with "We Are the Young".[25][26][27] It was also dubbed on the American syndicated half hour television show This Week's Music, where his name was incorrectly spelled as 'Harkman'.[28]
Within the UK, Hartman performed the song on Top of the Pops, dated August 29, 1985.[29][30] He also dubbed the song on Cheggers Plays Pop, dated October 31, 1985.[31]
Critical reception[edit]
Alex Henderson of Allmusic reviewed the I Can Dream About You album and stated "This excellent album finds Hartman showing his enthusiasm for R&B on pop/rock gems that range from the hit title song and the anthemic 'We Are the Young' to the Motown-tinged 'Name of the Game' and the new wave-ish 'Electricity'."[32]
In the Billboard magazine of November 3, 1984, another review of the album was published in the Pop Picks section, which meant that Billboard predicted the album to hit the top half of the chart. The review stated "The title track survived the failure of the 'Streets of Fire' motion picture to become a recent top 10 smash. Hartman follows it with an album reflecting the same broad-based pop/rock appeal."[33]