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The English band Dream Academy (or The Dream Academy) was
made up of the trio Nick Laird-Clowes (vocalist), Gilbert Gabriel, and
Kate St. John. Nick and Gilbert had played before in the late
1970's in a band called The Act, and they decide to join a new band that
featured a hodge-podge of instruments that would set them apart from
other pop acts of the day. The initial band name they gave
themselves was The Politics of Pop. After adding St. John to the
group, Dream Academy was officially formed.
The band tried for two years to get a record deal.
Finally, in 1985, Warner Brothers signed The Dream Academy. Their
first
self-titled
debut (1985) was not only co-produced by David Gilmour of Pink
Floyd, but also featured Gilmour as musician on some tracks. It
was this release that featured the hit song "Life In a Northern Town".
This song charted at no. 7 in the USA, and 15 in the UK. Initially
it was to be called "Morning Lasted All Day", but it is said they
changed the name of the song based on a recommendation by Paul Simon.
Interestingly, Warner Brothers did not want this song released as a
single, but it turned out to be their only major chart success.
The Dream Academy released two additional albums before
calling it quits:
Remembrance Days
(1987) and
A Different Kind of Weather (1990). Neither album did
nearly as well as their debut. Some of you may even remember
that The Dream Academy contributed the song "Please Let Me Get What I
Want" to the Ferris Bueller's Day Off soundtrack. After the
breakup of the band, each member went onto a solo career. There
has been some collaboration between members post1980's, but at the time
of this writing, it was not under the Dream Academy moniker. At
the time of this writing, the Dream Academy Discography is as follows:1985: The Dream Academy
1987: Remembrance Days
1990: A Different Kind of Weather
2000: The Best of the Dream Academy |
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1985
Self-Titled Debut
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LIFE IN
A NORTHERN TOWN:
[starts] The Salvation Army band
played, And the children drunk lemonade, And the
morning lasted all day, all day.
[chorus] (Hey-oh, ma-ma-ma),
(Hey-oh, ma-ma-ma, hey-oh),
Life in a northern town,
All of the work shut down [etc] |
1987
Remembrance Days
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