I Have a Dream (song)

"I Have a Dream" was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus circa March 1979 and was taken from the group's 1979 album, Voulez-Vous. Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang the lead vocals. The track was released as a single in December 1979 with a live version of "Take a Chance on Me" as the B-side.

The recording includes a final chorus by 28 children from Stockholm International School. The song was the only ABBA track to feature additional vocalists in addition to the members of ABBA, until "Little Things" in 2021,

in which the choir participated again in the studio. Also notable is the extensive use of electric sitar (played by Janne Schaffer), an unusual instrument in their recordings.

In the UK, the single was issued in a lavish gatefold sleeve, intended as a souvenir for UK fans who had attended the Wembley concerts. The back cover featured a message from ABBA themselves regarding the Wembley concerts, together with their signatures. The front cover used the same live photo of ABBA as the worldwide release, but the layout and fonts were different. This was only Epic's second picture sleeve for an ABBA single.

As of September 2021, "I Have a Dream" is ABBA's 12th-biggest song in the UK, including both physical sales and digital streams.UK Official Charts [https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/abbas-official-top-20-biggest-songs__26113/ ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs]

The live version of "Take a Chance on Me" on the B-side was one of three mixes of the same recording to be issued. Released soon after the concerts, this version is thought to be the genuine recording. A very slightly extended version, featuring spoken introductions from the group, was used as the B-side in Australia. This extended version has been released internationally on the deluxe edition of ABBA: The Album. Finally, a third mix was included on ABBA Live issued in 1986.

• Anni-Frid Lyngstad - lead vocals, backing vocals
• Agnetha Fältskog - backing vocals
• Björn Ulvaeus - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Benny Andersson - keyboards & synthesizers, backing vocals

• Janne Schaffer - electric sitar
• Rutger Gunnarsson - bass
• Ola Brunkert - drums
• Stockholm International School - choir vocals

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{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Netherlands|artist=ABBA|title=I Have a Dream|award=Gold|certyear=1980|relyear=1979|access-date=19 November 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United Kingdom|artist=ABBA|title=I Have a Dream|award=Gold|certyear=1979|relyear=1979|id=3103-1693-1|access-date=26 July 2021}}

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{{Infobox song

| name = I Have a Dream

| cover = Cristy Lane--I Have a Dream.jpg

| type = single

| artist = Cristy Lane

| album = I Have a Dream

| B-side = "Rio Grande"

| released = {{Start date|1980|12}}

| recorded = {{Start date|1980|10}}

| studio = LSI Studio

| genre = {{hlist|Country{{cite web |title=I Have a Dream: Cristy Lane: Songs, reviews, credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-have-a-dream-mw0001510365 |website=AllMusic |access-date=9 May 2021}}|country pop}}

| length = {{duration|m=3|s=52}}

| label = {{hlist|Liberty|LS}}

| writer = {{hlist|Benny Andersson|Björn Ulvaeus}}

| producer = {{hlist|Jerry Gillespie|Don Grierson}}

| prev_title = Sweet Sexy Eyes

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = Love to Love You

| next_year = 1981

}}

American country and Christian artist Cristy Lane notably covered "I Have a Dream" in 1980. Lane had several years of commercial success in the country music market with songs like "Let Me Down Easy", "Penny Arcade" and "Simple Little Words". In 1980, she recorded the religious-themed "One Day at a Time", which became a number one hit and brought Lane to the attention of Christian music listeners.{{cite web |last1=Manheim |first1=James |title=Cristy Lane: Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cristy-lane-mn0000128101/biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=9 May 2021}} With a similar theme, Lane recorded "I Have a Dream" in October 1980, shortly after the success of "One Day at a Time". The track was cut at LSI Studios and was produced by Jerry Gillespie, with assistance from executive producer Don Grierson. In the same recording session, the songs "Rio Grande" and "You Make It Easy" were also cut.{{cite journal |last1=Lane |first1=Cristy |title="I Have a Dream"/"Rio Grande" (7" vinyl single sleeve information and liner notes) |journal=Liberty Records/LS Records |date=December 1980 |id=Liberty/LS-1396}}

Lane's cover was released as a single in December 1980 via Liberty Records and LS Records. It was backed by the B-side, "Rio Grande", and was released as a 7" vinyl record. "I Have a Dream" spent multiple weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between December 1980 and early 1981 before peaking at number 17. It was Lane's final top 20 hit single on the chart in her music career.{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc.|year=2008|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}} It also became her second single to chart in New Zealand, where it reached number 34 in 1981.{{cite web |title=New Zealand charts portal: Cristy Lane |url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=cristy+lane&cat=s |website=charts.org.nz |access-date=7 May 2021}} The song was later released on her 1981 studio album of the same name. The album included the original single's B-side as well. Lane's cover received a positive review from Billboard magazine in their December 1980 issue. Reviewers described the track as having "a rich south of the border undercurrent" while praising its production, calling it "crystalline."{{cite magazine |title=Top Single Picks: Country |magazine=Billboard |date=27 December 1980 |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_SQEAAAAMBAJ&q=cristy+lane+i+have+a+dream&pg=PT78 |access-date=9 May 2021}}

7" vinyl single

• "I Have a Dream" – 3:52
• "Rio Grande" – 3:05

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{{Infobox song

| name = I Have a Dream

| cover = I Have A Dream Westlife.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Westlife

| album = Coast to Coast {{noitalic|and}} ABBAmania

| A-side =

• "Seasons in the Sun"
• (double A-side)
• "Flying Without Wings"
• (triple A-side, Australia)

| released = {{Start date|1999|12|13|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1999/Music-Week-1999-12-11.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting 13 December, 1999: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=11 December 1999|access-date=26 July 2021}}

| recorded =

| studio = PWL Studios (London)

| venue =

| genre =

| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=06}}

| label =

• RCA
• BMG

| writer =

• Benny Andersson
• Björn Ulvaeus

| producer =

• Dan Frampton
• Pete Waterman
• Trevor Steel
• John Holiday

| prev_title = Flying Without Wings

| prev_year = 1999

| title = I Have a Dream

| title2 = Seasons in the Sun

| next_title = Fool Again

| next_year = 2000

| misc = {{External music video|type=single|{{YouTube|_HkL8GuU9_0|"I Have a Dream"}}}}

}}

Irish boy band Westlife released a cover of "I Have a Dream" in December 1999, 20 years after ABBA's original release. The song became the group's fourth UK number-one single. The release was a double A-side with "Seasons in the Sun" in the UK and Ireland and "Flying Without Wings" in the Netherlands, and a triple A-side in Australia with both "Seasons in the Sun" and "Flying Without Wings" included.[https://www.discogs.com/Westlife-Flying-Without-Wings-I-Have-A-Dream-Seasons-In-The-Sun/release/1635786 Westlife – Flying Without Wings / I Have A Dream / Seasons In The Sun] The release became the UK's Christmas number-one single of 1999, beating Cliff Richard's charity single "The Millennium Prayer" into the No. 2 spot. Westlife's remix version of "I Have a Dream" was later included on their second studio album Coast to Coast in 2000. It then extended its peak into January 2000, spending a total of 17 weeks on the UK chart. The song was the 26th best-selling single of 1999 in the UK and it was also the final number one single of the 1990s.

In 2001, as part of a UNICEF fund-raising campaign, the song was re-recorded with additional vocals by Indonesian child singer, Sinna Sherina Munaf. The song has received a platinum sales certification in the UK for over 707,000 copies (as of 30 November 2021) sold across physical, digital, and streaming equivalent sales. It is the band's second-best-selling single for both paid-for and combined sales.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/westlifes-top-20-biggest-songs-on-the-official-charts__25303/|title=Westlife's Top 20 biggest songs on the Official Charts|last=Copsey|first=Rob|date=12 January 2019|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=12 January 2019}}

The music video for the Westlife version of "I Have a Dream" features the band exiting out of a car and into a dark street where a group of children are. The children start singing with the band members and play with toys lying nearby before the band head back to the car and drive away.

• United Kingdom. Ireland

1. "I Have a Dream" (single remix) – 4:06
2. "Seasons in the Sun" (single remix) – 4:10
3. "On the Wings of Love" – 3:22

• Australia

1. "Flying Without Wings" – 3:35
2. "I Have a Dream" (remix) – 4:06
3. "Seasons in the Sun" (single remix) – 4:10
4. "Flying Without Wings" (video) – 3:40

• Netherlands

1. "Flying Without Wings" – 3:35
2. "I Have a Dream" (remix) – 4:06

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{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=New Zealand|artist=Westlife|title=I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun|award=Gold|certyear=2000|id=2000-04-07|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=2000}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United Kingdom|artist=Westlife|title=I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun|award=Platinum|certyear=1999|relyear=1999|id=3104-1440-1|access-date=26 July 2021}}

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{{ABBA songs}}

{{Cristy Lane}}

{{Westlife songs}}

{{UK Christmas No. 1s in the 1990s|song}}

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Category:1979 songs

Category:1979 singles

Category:1980 singles

Category:1999 singles

Category:ABBA songs

Category:Bertelsmann Music Group singles

Category:Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom

Category:Cristy Lane songs

Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles

Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles

Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Liberty Records singles

Category:LS Records singles

Category:Number-one singles in Scotland

Category:Number-one singles in Switzerland

Category:Polar Music singles

Category:Protest songs

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Songs about dreams

Category:Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

Category:Streaplers songs

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles

Category:Westlife songs