Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (album)

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) is the second studio album by British new wave duo Eurythmics. It was released on 4 January 1983 by RCA Records. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[9]

For the single, see Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Studio album by
Eurythmics
Released4 January 1983
Recorded1982
StudioEurythmics' 8-track studio and The Church, London
Genre
Length42:00
LabelRCA
ProducerDavid A. Stewart
Eurythmics chronology
In the Garden
(1981)		 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
(1983)		 Touch
(1983)
Singles from
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
  1. "This Is the House"
    Released: 2 April 1982
  2. "The Walk"
    Released: 18 June 1982
  3. "Love Is a Stranger"
    Released: 8 November 1982
  4. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
    Released: 21 January 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Rolling Stone[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Slant Magazine[6]
Smash Hits6/10[7]
Uncut[8]

Background and release

Release and popularity

After a year and a half of initial commercial failure for Eurythmics, this album became a commercial breakthrough for the duo on both sides of the Atlantic. The title track became particularly popular and remains one of Eurythmics' most recognisable songs. Its music video, popular on MTV in the United States, is memorable for Annie Lennox's gender-bending imagery. In the wake of this success, the single "Love Is a Stranger", previously a flop, was re-released and became a hit as well. It too was accompanied by a striking video that featured Lennox dressed both as a man and a woman.

The album was re-released in 2005 with all the Eurythmics' studio catalogue except the 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) album, to which Virgin Records holds the rights. The recordings were remastered and several bonus tracks added to each of eight albums. In this release, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) acquired six bonus tracks.

Releases

Early Australian, German and US CD releases (printed in Japan) and the 2005 reissue version of this album have a slightly longer version of "This City Never Sleeps". The length of 6:41 is due to some mixed sound effects and a backmasked message by David A. Stewart saying, "I enjoyed making that there record. Very good, very good" that total 21 seconds. This message also appears on original UK vinyl pressings.

If the song is downloaded on certain video editing programs, strangely the audio backmasked is played FORWARD.

During 1982 Eurythmics recorded many tracks that ended up as B-sides of singles or as alternative versions of other songs. Tracks such as "Step on the Beast", "Invisible Hands", "Dr. Trash", or the alternative versions of "The Walk" have not been released on CD yet and any future plans for re-release are unknown at this time. However, these tracks can now be heard through YouTube.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, except "Wrap It Up" by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and "Satellite of Love" by Lou Reed.

No.TitleLength
1."Love Is a Stranger"3:43
2."I've Got an Angel"2:45
3."Wrap It Up" (featuring Green Gartside)3:33
4."I Could Give You (A Mirror)"3:51
5."The Walk"4:40
6."Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"3:36
7."Jennifer"5:06
8."This Is the House"4:56
9."Somebody Told Me"3:29
10."This City Never Sleeps"6:33
2005 Special edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Home Is Where the Heart Is"3:03
12."Monkey Monkey"5:19
13."Baby's Gone Blue"4:17
14."Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (Hot Remix)5:19
15."Love Is a Stranger" (Coldcut Remix)7:17
16."Satellite of Love"4:36

Personnel

Sweet Dreams: The Video Album
Sweet Dreams: The Video Album
Video by
Eurythmics
Released1983
Recorded1982–1983
GenreMusic Video Album
Length63 mins
LabelBMG Video
DirectorDerek Burbidge
ProducerKate Burbidge, Maurice Bacon
Eurythmics chronology
Sweet Dreams: The Video Album
(1983)		 Eurythmics Live
(1987)

Eurythmics simultaneously released a video album for Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) featuring in-concert performances, promotional videos and narrative animation highlighting the duo's international hits "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", "Love Is a Stranger" and other songs from the album.

The live concert performances, taped at the Heaven nightclub in London, features a selection of songs from Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), as well as two songs from their 1981 debut album In the Garden, "Never Gonna Cry Again" and "Take Me to Your Heart".

The video album was directed by Derek Burbidge, with the exception of the promos for "Love Is a Stranger" (directed by Mike Brady), "Who's That Girl?" (directed by Duncan Gibbins) and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (directed by Chris Ashbrook).

Information
  • Director: Derek Burbidge
  • Producers: Kate Burbidge, Maurice Bacon
  • Executive producer: Mickey Shapiro
  • Animation: Bura and Hardwick Animation
  • VHS release: 1983
  • DVD release: 1998

Track listing
  1. "Prologue" (introduction montage) 1:46
  2. "This Is the House" (live version) 4:48
  3. "Never Gonna Cry Again" (live version) 4:21
  4. "Take Me to Your Heart" (live version) 4:08
  5. "I've Got an Angel" (live version) 3:41
  6. "Satellite of Love" (live version) 5:01
  7. "Love Is a Stranger" (promo) 3:26
  8. "Who's That Girl?" (promo) 3:40
  9. "This City Never Sleeps" (live version) 5:12
  10. "Jennifer" (live version) 4:39
  11. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (promo) 3:36
  12. "I Could Give You (A Mirror)" (live version) 3:47
  13. "Somebody Told Me" (live version) 3:25
  14. "Wrap It Up" (live version) 3:20
  15. "Tous les garçons et les filles" (live version) 3:40
  16. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (live version) 3:40

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Germany (BVMI)[29] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[31] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Gallucci, Michael. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Eurythmics". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1990). "Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams Are Made of This". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  4. Fricke, David (23 June 1983). "Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  5. Considine, J. D. (2004). "Eurythmics". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 283–84. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. Cinquemani, Sal (5 January 2008). "Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  7. Hepworth, David (20 January – 3 February 1983). "Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Smash Hits. p. 17.
  8. "Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Uncut. p. 124. Loaded with iconic MTV imagery and brilliant synth-pop...
  9. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  10. "Chartifacts". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4334a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  12. "Dutchcharts.nl – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  14. Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  15. "Charts.nz – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  16. "Swedishcharts.com – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  17. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  18. "Eurythmics Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  19. "Eurythmics Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  20. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  21. "The Top 100 Albums of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39 no. 17. 24 December 1983. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  22. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  23. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1983" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  24. "Top Selling Albums of 1983". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  25. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1984). "Top 100 LPs: 1983". BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 44–45. ISBN 0-906154-04-9.
  26. "Top Pop Albums of 1983". Billboard.biz. 31 December 1983. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  27. "Top Pop Albums of 1984". Billboard.biz. 31 December 1984. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  28. "Canadian album certifications – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams". Music Canada.
  29. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Eurythmics; 'Sweet Dreams')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  30. "British album certifications – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Sweet Dreams in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  31. "American album certifications – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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