"Sweet Dreams" by Air Supply

Hey Dialophiles… Take a pause from your hectic day with the Dial, as we spotlight an interesting selection from the duo of singer/songwriter Graham Russell, and vocalist Russell Hitchcock; known to us as Air Supply, (the unquestionable kings of Australian soft rock); and their forgotten former hit “Sweet Dreams”.

This is the time when you need a friend, you just need someone near. I'm not looking forward to the night I’ll spend, thinking of you when you're not here. 

Best remembered for a series of smooth orchestral ballads that dominated U.S. airwaves from 1980 through 1983, “Sweet Dreams” was certainly an atypical single release for the boys from Melbourne. Its opening instrumental section seems completely out of place from the bulk of the song itself, and sounds very different from the majority of their hit output.

This startling intro firmly gripped my imagination whenever I heard it as a kid, and I quickly envisioned a title sequence for a fictional horror film set at a beach side town for which Air Supply’s opening would provide excellent musical accompaniment for. 

Opening waves sound (starts 0:01) – the rhythmic sound of waves rolling on a shore, total darkness on the screen.

Opening crescendo (starts 0:10) – scene gradually brightens, coinciding with the note’s ascension until a small shoreline on the right, and the vast expanse of the ocean to the left is revealed. Stars twinkle in the sky above, and a few lights on the horizon hint at a town nearby.

Keyboard notes and “Waves” sound effects (0:18) - Things seem tranquil on the beach, yet slightly unsettling.

Ominous chords (0:34) –key info displays during the title sequence as each chord chimes (“director name presents:”, “title”, “names of leading actors names”) 

Descending tone at the end (0:54) - the beach scene abruptly goes to black at the tone’s conclusion, then switches to the first scene of the film.

After the opening, Graham’s vocals float in with only sparse piano accompaniment. This lasts for the duration of the first verse (Russell’s vocals replace Graham’s half way through), then the full instrumentation begins with the first chorus. The remainder, featuring a great guitar solo after the bridge, still sounds markedly different than other Air Supply hits, and exudes a dreamy, “not of this world” vibe. The lyrics, especially during the chorus, reinforce this feeling.

Close your eyes I want to ride the skies, in my sweet dreams.
Close your eyes I want to see you tonight, in my sweet dreams.

Taken from the 1981 LP “The One That You Love”, “Sweet Dreams” peaked at US #5 on the Hot 100, and made #4 on the AC chart in early ‘82, but has largely disappeared from terrestrial radio since then. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the bulk of Air Supply’s hits remain more prominent in the public consciousness, as light rock stations still tend to frequently play “Lost In Love”, “All Out Of Love”, “The One That You Love”, and the Jim Steinman penned “Making Love Out of Nothing At All”… or, hmmmm… maybe it’s because “Sweet Dreams” DOESN’T contain the word “Love” in the title.

Come to think of it… Air Supply’s other smash hits “Every Woman in the World”, “Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)”, and “Even the Nights Are Better” enjoy nowhere near the amount of airplay as the songs listed above. I was initially only joking, but maybe there really IS something to the idea of a secret radio conspiracy that prevents Air Supply songs from being played UNLESS they directly mention “Love” in the title. Hey, stranger things have happened!

However, I tend to think that unique and somewhat creepy opening sequence can be blamed for its airwave infrequency. As regimented and pre-programmed as radio tends to be these days, I could see a current day soft rock radio program director relegating Sweet Dreams to obscurity because it would sound out of place amongst the Celine Dion, Phil Collins, and Mariah Carey ballads he tends to program.

Yes, I know time has not been kind to Air Supply… they are often mentioned with derisive tones as schmaltzy and campy, and the mention of their name has been known to produce chuckles among “hipsters” and ‘80s survivors alike these days. But 30 years ago, at their career peak, we all were singing along with their romantic melodies, myself included. Their hits send me back in time, returning positive memories of childhood, and “Sweet Dreams”, with its off-kilter, cinematic-style opening leads the pack for me.

Sleep like a child resting deep… You don't know what you give me I keep… For these moments alone…