Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Infobox Album
Name = Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Type = Studio album
Artist = Eurythmics


Released = January 21 1983
Recorded = 1982
Genre = New wave, electronica, synth pop, dance-pop
Length = 41:59
Label = RCA Records
Producer = David A. Stewart, Robert Crash, Adam Williams
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:p7qvad6kv8wn link]
*Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Eurythmics link]
Last album = "In the Garden" (1981)
This album = "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983)
Next album = "Touch" (1983)

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the second album by British synth pop duo Eurythmics.

After two years of initial commercial failure for the Eurythmics project, this album became a commercial breakthrough for the duo on both sides of the Atlantic, with the title track being especially popular: it remains one of Eurythmics' most recognizable songs, and its music video, popular on MTV in the United States, is memorable for Annie Lennox's gender-bending psycho-sexual imagery. In the wake of this success, the single "Love is a Stranger," previously a flop, achieved hit status as well. It too was accompanied by a striking video, which featured Lennox dressed both as a man and a woman.

Stewart, together with Robert Crash and ex-The Selector bassist Adam Williams, produced the album in Eurythmics' own relatively primitive 8-track studio, winning awards for the quality of the end-result which belied its low-budget origins. "Sweet Dreams" saw the duo move away from the psychedelic, guitar-tinged band-orientated sound of "In the Garden", instead focusing on raw analogue synthesizers (including the Oberheim OB1 and EDP Wasp) and drum machines (particularly the Movement Systems Drum Computer, which featured a graphic visual display of the drum patterns). Whilst the "synth pop" genre had grown in popularity in the preceding years, it was often associated with all male groups and somewhat clinical, emotionless music. Eurythmics (particularly with Lennox's vocal stylings) brought a soul music twist to the electronic sound, which proved popular with broader audiences.

Curiously, Eurythmics' new sound debuted with the March 1982 release of the the album's lead single "This Is The House" -- the same month of the debut of Yazoo, another pioneering UK electronic duo with a female soul vocalist.

Track listing

All tracks written by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart unless otherwise indicated.
# "Love Is a Stranger" – 3:43
# "I've Got an Angel" – 2:45
# "Wrap It Up" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) performed by Eurythmics & Green (of Scritti Politti) – 3:33
# "I Could Give You (A Mirror)" – 3:51
# "The Walk" – 4:40
# "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" – 3:36
# "Jennifer" – 5:06
# "This Is the House" – 4:56
# "Somebody Told Me" – 3:29
# "This City Never Sleeps" – 6:20

Bonus tracks (2005 reissue)

#"Home Is Where the Heart Is" – 2:28 "(Taken from "This Is the House" 7-inch single)"
#"Monkey Monkey" – 4:14 "(Taken from "Love Is a Stranger" 7-inch single)"
#"Baby's Gone Blue" – 5:15 "Taken from "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" 12-inch single)"
#"Sweet Dreams (Hot Remix)" – 5:17 "(Taken from "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) 1991" 12-inch single)"
#"Love Is a Stranger (Coldcut Remix)" – 7:18 "(Taken from "Love Is a Stranger 1991" 12-inch single)"
#"Satellite of Love" (Lou Reed) – 4:37 "(originally released on a free cassette with "Right by Your Side" singles, 1983)"

Personnel

*Annie Lennox – vocals, keyboards, synthesisers, flute
*David A. Stewart – guitar, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, backing vocals

Additional personnel

*Robert Crash - Guitar/ E-Drums/ Synth/ Robotic Vocals
*Green Gartside (of Scritti Politti) – guest vocal duet on "Wrap it Up"
*Dick Cuthell – trumpet
*Adam Williams – bass, synthesiser
*Andy Brown – bass
*Reynard Falconer – synthesisers
*John Turnbull – guitar

"Note: musician credits are not printed on the album sleeve, however some additional info can be gained from the sleeves of the "Touch" album and "This is the House" single."

Chart performance

Certifications