Dreams Come True | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Japan |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1988 (1988)–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | Masato Nakamura Miwa Yoshida |
| Past members | Takahiro Nishikawa |
| Website | dreamscometrue |
Dreams Come True (Japanese:ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー,Hepburn:Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū) is a Japanese pop band formed in 1988 byMiwa Yoshida (lead vocals),Masato Nakamura (bass) andTakahiro Nishikawa (keyboards). Nishikawa left in 2002 to pursue a solo career.
Dreams Come True has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.[1] Their fifth album,The Swinging Star (1992), was the first Japanese album to sell more than three million copies, and for several years was the highest-selling Japanese-language album of all time.[2] Nakamura composed the music for theSega Mega Drive gamesSonic the Hedgehog (1991) andSonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992). In 1998, Dreams Come True released the English-language albumSing or Die, which was a commercial failure in the west.
Dreams Come True was formed in 1988 byMiwa Yoshida (lead vocals),Masato Nakamura (bass) andTakahiro Nishikawa (keyboards).[2] The band is commonly known as DCT and sometimes referred to as "Dorikamu" (ドリカム). Their first album,Dreams Come True, sold more than one million copies in Japan.[3] Their fifth,The Swinging Star (1992), was the first Japanese album to sell over three million copies, and for several years was the best-selling Japanese-language album of all time.[2]
Nakamura composed the music for theSega Mega Drive gamesSonic the Hedgehog (1991) andSonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992).[4] In 1993, Dreams Come True recorded "Winter Song" for the opening theme of the Japanese version[5] of the filmSleepless in Seattle[6][7] and the following year recorded the song "Eternity" for the animated filmThe Swan Princess byNew Line Cinema. In Japan, they recorded theme songs for programs produced byTokyo Broadcasting System.The Walt Disney Company hired the band to create themes for their television shows and attractions at theTokyo Disney Resort. In 2001, the band performed "Crystal Vine", the theme song for the Japanese version ofAtlantis: The Lost Empire, and Yoshida performed the dub of Audrey Rocio Ramirez.[8]
Yoshida started a solo music career in 1995, and the following year appeared on the cover ofTime.[6] She also appeared in advertisements forSony,Visa,Honda,Shiseido,Lotte,Vodafone, andCoca-Cola. Nakamura was hired to compose the music for several television commercials, and around the same time compiled Dreams Come True songs forKonami to be used in the video gameDancing Stage featuring Dreams Come True.
On April 1, 1996, Dreams Come True releasedLove Unlimited, their final album for Sony Music. News of their departure caused Sony Music shares to drop severely on theTokyo Stock Exchange.[9] In 1997, they signed withVirgin Music America andToshiba-EMI in Japan and attempted to break the into the American market. Their first album with Virgin,Sing or Die,[10][11] was released in English in 1998.[12] Yoshida took thestage name "Miwa" and Nakamura became "King Masa", but Nishikawa remained the same, and only received a passing mention onSing or Die's liner notes.[11][13] The album was a commercial failure. According toThe New York Times, the "brand of bright, uptempo pop just didn't hit the right chord with American listeners".[14] InThe Washington Post,Mark Jenkins wrote thatSing or Die was "global pop in the worst sense ... this is music that aspires to the depth of advertising jingles".[15]
Following 2001'sMonkey Girl Odyssey, Dreams Come True severed ties with Virgin and Toshiba-EMI, and set up an independent label, DCT Records. It was the last work to credit Nishikawa.[16][17] Nishikawa departed in 2002 to pursue a solo career.[18] Following his departure, he was arrested for assault and drug possession and received asuspended sentence. After a second arrest for possession in 2006, he was sentenced to prison.[17][19]
Dreams Come True joined Universal Music Japan in 2003.[20] They released one more English-language album onUniversal calledLove Overflows [ja] in 2004, which were re-recorded versions of songs fromLove Goes On toMonkey Girl Odyssey [jp].[20] Albums such asThe Love Rocks (2006)[21] andAnd I Love You (2007)[22] returned to the classic Dreams Come True sound.[23]
On November 12, 2008, Dreams Come True released the single "Tsuretette Tsuretette. It debuted a top on the Oricon weekly charts, nine years ten months after their last number-one single, "Asa ga Mata Kuru".[24] The song also appears on the albumDo You Dreams Come True?.[25] The album is available in three versions: A single disc version, containing the main album; a second that addsGreatest Hits: The Soul 2, a sequel to their 2000 greatest-hits package; and a third that adds a live DVD, "Winter Fantasia 2008."[26]
TheirDVD andBlu-ray of their 20th Anniversary tour is one of the first concert videos to be filmed with the "Red One" high-definition camera.[27]
In 2010, they released their download only single "Godspeed", where the title is meant to be an even stronger wish of "Good Luck" for everyone to listen to it.[28] In November, they released their 23rd album,Love Central, their second onUniversal Music Japan'sNayutawave label. Their song "Itoshi no Riley" is the Japanese theme song ofInside Out. The music video is sandwiched in between the Lava short and the actual film itself on the theatrical release.[29]
In 2016, Dreams Come True released their first complete greatest hits album,Dreams Come True The Ura Best! Watashi Dake no Dorikamu.[30]
In the tour event that the group celebrates around every 4 years, "Dreams Come True Wonderland", for the 2019 event, Nishikawa appeared as a surprise guest. Nakamura often visits Nishikawa at the bar he runs in Hokkaido, where he works as a DJ.[17]
In September 2021, Dreams Come True released the single "Tsugi no Se~no! De - On the Green Hill", a new version of Nakamura's theme forGreen Hill Zone fromSonic the Hedgehog.[31]
On July 2, 2025 it was announced that the group would be in charge of the TV Asahi dramaThe Big Chase: Tokyo SSBC Files theme song, named "Beacon".[32]
DCT has been involved in charity events, including the collaboration work "Zero Landmine" withRyuichi Sakamoto in 2001 to help raise funds forland mine removal agencies,[33][34][35][36] and taking part in theLive 8 benefit concert in 2005.[37]
In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan,Oricon Style found the number-one selling song "Love Love Love" (2,488,630 copies) the second most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan. The most popular song wasSayuri Kokushō's 1986 debut single "Valentine Kiss", which sold only 317,000 copies. The other songs in the top five were "Valentine's Radio" fromYumi Matsutoya (1,606,780 copies), "Happy Happy Greeting" fromKinki Kids (608,790 copies), and "My Funny Valentine" byMiles Davis.[38]
Current members
Former members
Dreams Come True's first English-language album received a huge push only to sink promptly into the bargain bins
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