The Twelve Inch 113 : I Can Dream About You (Dan Hartman)
The Untold Story of Dan Hartman's '80s Soundtrack Smash
The Rise of '80s Soundtracks
What do Ghostbusters, Footloose, and Top Gun have in common? They all feature unforgettable soundtrack hits that defined the '80s. In this era, no decade combined music and movies quite like the eighties, and the formula worked time and time again. This week's "Twelve Inch" story revolves around one such hit: "I Can Dream About You" by Dan Hartman, from the long-forgotten film Streets of Fire.
Last week we discussed Saturday Night Fever and the role it played in the succes & demise of disco. But there was another consequence. In the wake of Saturday Night Fever's success, film production companies went all-in on soundtracks during the '80s. A hit song or MTV-friendly music video could be a major promotional tool for a movie, and emerging artists could gain exposure by having their songs featured on a soundtrack. (Would the Simple Minds ever have been able to get to break the US without “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” ?) However, the relationship between songs and their films wasn't always clear-cut, as evidenced by "I Can Dream About You."
Dan Hartman's Early Career
Before his '80s breakthrough, Dan Hartman was a seasoned musician and songwriter. He joined the Edgar Winter Group in 1972, playing bass and co-writing many of their songs.
(Do you recognize Dan Hartman ? 😀)
In late 1978, partly due to being introduced by the Studio 54 sound system, Hartman decided to try his luck by releasing a first disco record : “Instant Replay”. It would become his first solo hit. And not only was “Instant Replay” a big clubhit, it crossed into the pop charts. A successful career in the making.
The “Relight My Fire” debacle
In 1979 Dan Hartman released “Relight My Fire”, one of the most perfect disco records ever made. The song is great, but it is, argumentally, the production + the vocals of Loleatta Holloway that make it into a class of its own. It went all the way to number one in the club charts and stayed there for 6 weeks. And it was a big hit in large parts of Europe (top 10 in the Benelux). The deal with Loleatta Holloways record company “Salsoul Records” was that, after “Relight My Fire”, Dan Hartman would write & produce a hit record for her, which became one of her most iconic song “Love Sensation”. It would’ve been the start of a new successful combination of producer+artist, like Giorgio Moroder & Donna Summer.
Except, it didn’t work out that way. “Relight My Fire” did not cross into the pop charts and would not chart in key territories like the UK. The reason ? “Relight My Fire” was released when the “disco sucks” movement was taking off and radio’s + record companies turned their back on disco. Wrong place, wrong time. You can only imagine the frustration of dreams not realized. Dan Hartman had to wait 5 years for his next break : 1984 and “I can Dream About You”. And it almost didn’t happen.
A hit song cannot always save a bad movie
Streets Of Fire was a 1984 action-crime movie, directed by Walter Hill. It was a strange mix of elements from the 50’s (automobile culture & music) with elements from the 80’s (sociology & fashion) in a distopean setting somewhere in the future. Apparently they offered one of the leading roles to Tom Cruise but he already had accepted another movie. And apart from William Dafoe you will probably not recognize any of the cast.
The story is about two ex soldiers who are going to rescue the ex-girlfriend of one of them who is kidnapped by a motor-gang. Reading this will probably not entice you to check Netflix if the film is available on their service in your territory (I didn’t 😃). And the film wasn’t, what you could call, a box-office hit. It grossed 8 million USD but… cost 14,5 million USD.
Music was a big part of the movie. The female kidnapped girlfriend was a singer in a rockband and somewhere in the story the heroes kidnap the tourbus of another band : “The Sorels” who perform “I Can Dream About You” at the end of the film. But it’s not the film version that became the hitsingle.
The Making of "I Can Dream About You"
When producer Jimmy Iovine asked Hartman to write a song for Streets of Fire. He said it was going to be sung by 4 black guys in a concert situation, and asked if Hartman had something that might work. Hartman delivered "I Can Dream About You. Inspired by a Christmas shopping trip in Manhattan, the song was perfect for the film's soundtrack. However, the version used in the movie featured a different vocalist, which led to legal issues for Hartman.
Legal Battles and Music Videos
Thanks to a solid contract, Hartman ensured that his version of "I Can Dream About You" would be released as a single and featured on the soundtrack. The song was perfect for MTV so went on heavy rotation. It was also considered one of the first videos by black artists to break through on the network. But except for the backing vocals, it wasn’t by a black artist at all. The video featured Stoney Jackson and two other black actors lip-synching Hartman’s voice against footage from a movie nobody saw. Hartman himself was nowhere to be found. Even today, some people who grew up in front of MTV in the ’80s are astonished to learn that “I Can Dream About You” was the work of a curly haired white songwriter from the Disco era rather than a black trio.
A new video was needed
After the song hit the top 10 pop charts, Hartman starred in a new video for “I Can Dream About You.” Cast as a bartender in one of the storyline-driven videos that were fashionable at the time, Hartman actually lip-synchs his own voice being lip-synched by the three actors of the more popular version broadcast on a TV in a pub. It’s fairly surreal: Dan Hartman was a bit player in the success of a song written, produced and performed by Dan Hartman.
The second video with Dan Hartman as a barman
Kenny Vance, the musical director, on Streets of Fire remembers it differently. In a Songfacts interview, he explained: "The same guy that sings lead on that and 'Countdown To Love,' a song that I wrote for the film, was a guy working at a Radio Shack [Winston Ford], and I think when you look at the film and The Sorels are singing it live in the movie, that was the version that was supposed to come out, and I recorded that version. But then when Dan Hartman heard it, I don't know what happened next, but I know that he took that guy's voice off and he put his own on, and he had a hit with it. Hollywood is a very slippery place."
Hartman's Legacy
"I Can Dream About You" became Dan Hartman's biggest hit and launched the second phase of his career. He went on to co-write and co-produce "Living in America" for James Brown, which appeared on the Rocky IV soundtrack. He died, in 1994 from an AIDS-related brain tumor just as his music was experiencing a revival. Dance groups like Black Box used Loleatta Holloway's/Dan Hartman produced voice sample on their huge hit 'Ride On Time' (without crediting neither, but that’s a story for a future episode) and then Take That recorded their own version of "Relight My Fire" with Lulu in October 1993 that went (finally) to #1 in the UK.
(Dan Hartman and Loleatta Holloway)
The Enduring Power of "I Can Dream About You"
Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" remains a shining example of the power of '80s soundtracks. The song's success, despite its connection to a largely forgotten film, demonstrates Hartman's skill as a songwriter and producer. It also highlights the challenges artists faced in navigating the legal and promotional landscape of the music industry.
So what about the remixes ? No big stories there except for the fact that the song was remixed by no less than three of the major 80’s remixers : Larry Levan, John “Jellybean” Benitez and John Morales. And contrary to many other Levan remixes, his remix for this song was not the one, most dj’s used at the time. It was the Jellybean mix.
As we look back on the history of dance music, "I Can Dream About You" stands out as a quintessential '80s soundtrack (dance)hit. Dan Hartman's journey, from his disco roots to his '80s triumph, is a testament to his talent and perseverance. Through this "Twelve Inch" story, we celebrate Hartman's legacy and the enduring impact of his music on the dance floor and beyond.
What are your memories of "I Can Dream About You"? Did you know the story behind the song and its connection to Streets of Fire? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
So You Wanna Hear More ?
I thought you would !
It’s fun to write about music but let’s be honest. Music is made to listen to.
So I prepared two options for you this week. There is the “minimalist” option. A small beat mixed taster of the twelve inch of the week and two other dance songs of the era. You’ll find it on my Soundcloud page.
The ideal soundtrack for…. Well whatever you like to do when you listen to dance music.
And then there is the “maximalist” option 🕺💃 : The full 1 hour of beatmixed dance music of the period, starting with the song we talked about in this weeks newsletter and followed by 10/15 songs of the era. That one you’ll find on Mixcloud. If you are up for a deep dive into the clublife of the period, then my mixcloud page is your n°1 go-to.
Go To The Mixcloud Mix Of The Week
Both options dissapear after a while. The Soundcloud mix because I have limited space to publish on Soundcloud and the Mixcloud mix will, eventually, turn into a Subscriber exclusive mix.
I’m currently working on the Youtube page. The aim is to have it up and running asap. Go and check it out !
So what’s in this week’s mix ?
I start this week’s mix & first song with a combination of two of the three remixes made of “I Can Dream About You”. I use the Jellybean mix as the basis but add a part of the Morales mix at the start because of the acapella opening. I always found the Jellybean mix rather dull at the start.
I Can Dream About You is followed by two other blue eyed soul dance records : “The Main Thing” by Roxy Music, from their last album Avalon and in a rare twelve inch extended mix and the Hall & Oates hit “I Can’t Go For That”. By the way Dan Hartman offered I Can Dream About You initially to Hall & Oates who declined because they just finished Big Bam Boom and had no more room for another new song.
The rest of the mix wanders off to a selection of dance funk with (among others) Evelyn “Champagne” King, Change, Aretha Franklin & Shannon.
Enjoy !
What I listened to this week :
CherryRed just released a compilation of all the West End recordings of Taana Gardner. As I explained in episode 107, Taana’s career is a rather short one. Her first twelve inch was released on West End in 1979 and by 1982 it was all over. Taana wanted to devote more time to her children.
But the fact that dance music was changing early eighties and small labels like West End were in a lot of problems, might have had to do with something as well. There hadn’t been a crossover hit for Taana because she started when disco was on its way out. Over all Taana is one of the most talented singers of the era en the Kenton Nix productions stood the test of time without any problems.
The small body of work is, therefor, as relevant today as it was then and if you are a dance music fan with strong leanings to the classic disco period (like me 😀) then this compilation is a must. The only exception is the fact that her sole album for West End, (which was more a collection of twelve inches on two vinyls) already made it to a cd release 10 years ago.
Most of the content of the original cd release is also on this one. The only one that is missing is the second (shorter) version of Heartbeat. What is added is the complete original album release with the added bonus of three tracks in extended versions, mixed by the original producer : Kenton Nix. On the re-release, ten years ago, they only used the extended mixes, not the original ones.
There are a number of remixes on the second cd. The wonderful Masters At Work remakes of “When You Touch Me” and “Work That Body” are great but already appeared on numerous MAW collections so you’ll probably have those already (multiple times). The other ones are quite expendable.
Next week, I’ll be zooming in on what happened in the UK after disco’s demise