| "Theme for a Dream" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byCliff Richard andthe Shadows | ||||
| B-side | "Mumblin' Mosie" | |||
| Released | 24 February 1961 (1961-02-24) | |||
| Recorded | 28 January 1961[1] | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:06 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Norrie Paramor | |||
| Cliff Richard andthe Shadows singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Theme for a Dream" is a song byCliff Richard andthe Shadows, released as a single in February 1961. It peaked at number 3 on theUK Singles Chart and also received asilver disc for 250,000 sales.[2][3]
"Theme for a Dream" was the first song by Richard to feature a female chorus, sung by theMike Sammes Singers. When Richard and the Shadows got the song they "liked it, but it wasn't really us … but we did it because we felt it was a change of direction as far as we were concerned".[1]
The single exceeded 200,000 advance sales in the UK. However, in Spain, it was banned because of its supposedly suggestive lyrics due to theFrancoist censorship.[1]
The B-side, "Mumblin' Mosie", was written and originally recorded by AmericanJohnny Otis in 1960 and had been a minor hit for him on theBillboard Hot 100.[4] Richard had previously recorded another of Otis' songs, "Willie and the Hand Jive", which he had released as the B-side to "Fall in Love with You".[5]
Richard also recorded a German-language version of "Theme for a Dream", titled "Schön wie ein Traum", in April 1961 with backing vocals by the Hansen Girls. It was released as a single in Germany in June 1961 with the B-side "Vreneli", which was an original German song.[6][7]
Reviewing forDisc,Don Nicholl described "Theme for a Dream" as an "attractive tune and lyric married very well indeed. Gets into your head right from the start".[8]
The melody of the track "Pal Pal.... Har Pal" from the 2006 Bollywood filmLage Raho Munna Bhai was lifted from "Theme for a Dream"[9]
7": Columbia / DB 4593
7": Columbia / C 21 843 (Germany)
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] | 22 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] | 16 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] | 33 |
| Denmark (Quans Musikbureau)[13] | 6 |
| India (The Voice, Calcutta) | 7 |
| Ireland (Evening Herald)[14] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 12 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[16] | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 3 |
"Schön wie ein Traum"
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (GfK)[17] | 33 |
"Vreneli"
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (GfK)[18] | 50 |