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The River of Dreams

{{Short description|1993 single by Billy Joel}}

{{About|the Billy Joel song|the album|River of Dreams|other uses|River of Dreams (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The River of Dreams

| cover = RiverofDreams_(single).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Billy Joel

| album = River of Dreams

| B-side = The Great Wall of China

| released = {{start date|1993|7|19}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

  • Gospel
  • doo-wop{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2020/04/billy-joel-was-the-ultimate-genre-hopping-musical-magpie|title=Still Billy Joel to Me Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=April 30, 2020|access-date=April 4, 2024}}
  • R&B

| length =

  • 4:05 (original version)
  • 5:21 (extended version)

| label = Columbia

| writer = Billy Joel

| producer =

| prev_title = All Shook Up

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = No Man's Land

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|hSq4B_zHqPM|"The River of Dreams"}}}}

}}

"The River of Dreams" is a song by American musician Billy Joel. It is the title track and first single from his twelfth album, River of Dreams (1993). It was released in July 1993 by Columbia Records and became a hit, peaking at number three on the US and UK charts, making it Joel's best-charting single of the decade as well as his final top ten in either country to date. It also hit the top spot in Australia, New Zealand, and on the Canadian and US Adult Contemporary charts. The song was produced by Joe Nicolo and Danny Kortchmar. Its accompanying music video was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in Connecticut, the US.

At least four versions of the song have been recorded and released. Two versions (released years later) include a bridge section containing a piano interlude paralleling Joel's melody from his song "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)," which is from the same album. These versions can be found on the boxed sets My Lives and Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1999 – but even these versions differ from each other, both in length and in arrangement: one, for instance, has more percussion. A fourth mix appears as a bonus cut on the UK CD single of "River of Dreams" — the "percapella mix" done by Nicolo.

"The River of Dreams" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1994, but lost out to "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. Joel performed the song at the ceremony, and abruptly stopped in the middle of his performance in order to verbally protest Frank Sinatra's lifetime achievement speech being cut off earlier in the night.{{cite news|last1=Harrington|first1=Richard|title=THE GRAMMY WHAMMY|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/03/02/the-grammy-whammy/7f86f449-4adc-44ed-a4f0-00029bbf6ac7|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=February 21, 2018|date=March 2, 1994}}

In 1993, Gary Zimmerman, a songwriter from Long Island, New York, attempted to sue Joel for ten million dollars, claiming more than half of "The River of Dreams" was based on his 1986 song "Nowhere Land."{{cite web |date=August 12, 1993 |title=Songwriter Says He Lit Creative Fire Under Joel – Deseret News |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/304441/SONGWRITER-SAYS-HE-LIT-CREATIVE-FIRE-UNDER-JOEL.html?pg=all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625185833/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/304441/SONGWRITER-SAYS-HE-LIT-CREATIVE-FIRE-UNDER-JOEL.html?pg=all |archive-date=25 June 2018 |website=Deseret News}} Joel said he had no knowledge of Zimmerman or his music, and Zimmerman dropped the lawsuit in 1994.{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/372294/SONGWRITER-DROPS-FRUITLESS-SUIT-AGAINST-BILLY-JOEL.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026075828/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/372294/SONGWRITER-DROPS-FRUITLESS-SUIT-AGAINST-BILLY-JOEL.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2016|title=Songwriter Drops Fruitless Suit Against Billy Joel|date= August 27, 1994|work=Deseret News}}

Production

The song borrows from the traditions of black gospel music and spirituals. The production includes a gospel choir and the lyrics deal with inner peace and the afterlife. Joel sings "Not sure about a life after this. God knows I've never been a spiritual man," while stating that at night he walks along "The River of Dreams" so he can "find what he's been looking for." At 3 minutes 45 seconds, Joel can be heard singing The Cadillacs' version of "Gloria" as the music fades out.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "Two ancient vocal genres meet each other in a modern rhythmic context, when Joel's doowop falsetto gets wrapped up in the sound of gospel backup singers."{{cite magazine|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-07-24.pdf |title= New Releases: Singles |magazine= Music & Media |volume= 10 |issue= 30 |date= July 24, 1993 |page= 13 |access-date= April 27, 2021}} Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five, describing it as "a simple and immediate song wherein his vocals are echoed by a choir who imbue the song with spiritual qualities." He added, "A lot of fun, highly infectious and a hit."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |title= Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= July 31, 1993 |page= 26 |accessdate= March 30, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-07-31.pdf}}

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by British commercial, film and music video director Andy Morahan.{{cite web|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=14671|title=mvdbase.com – Billy Joel – "The river of dreams"|work=Music Video DataBase|last=Garcia|first=Alex S|access-date=November 4, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054435/http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=14671|url-status=dead}} The ferry featured is the Rocky Hill – Glastonbury Ferry in Connecticut.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} The video was shot on the Providence & Worcester railroad bridge spanning the Connecticut River in the city of Middletown, Connecticut. Joel and three backup singers appear throughout the video standing on the western span of the bridge, with the open center section of the bridge behind them. Other locations that were filmed in the music video are near Portland, East Haddam, and Old Saybrook, Connecticut. The scenes inside the tobacco barn with Joel on the piano were filmed inside a still-used tobacco barn in South Glastonbury, Connecticut.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Joel's then-wife Christie Brinkley can be seen painting the artwork that features on the front cover of the album River of Dreams.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} She is the illustrator who painted the actual album artwork, and each single released from the album featured one part of the large painting as cover art.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Track listings

All songs were written by Billy Joel.

  • UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The River of Dreams|others=Billy Joel|year=1993|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=659543 2}}
  1. "The River of Dreams"
  2. "The River of Dreams" (Percapella mix)
  3. "The Great Wall of China"
  • Japanese mini-CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The River of Dreams|others=Billy Joel|year=1993|type=Japanese mini-CD single liner notes|publisher=Sony Records|id=SRDS 8258}}
  1. "The River of Dreams" – 4:07
  2. "No Man's Land" – 4:49

Personnel

  • Billy Joel – lead vocals, piano, Hammond organ, synthesizer
  • Zachary Alford[https://www.discogs.com/artist/258947-Zachary-Alford Discogs – Zachary Alford – (profile & discography)] – drums
  • Lewis Del Gatto – orchestra manager
  • Lonnie Hillyer – bass
  • Jeff Jacobs – additional programming
  • Jeff Lee Johnson – bass
  • Danny Kortchmar – guitar
  • Andy Kravitz – percussion
  • Ira Newborn – orchestration
  • Wrecia Ford, Marlon Saunders, Frank Simms, George Simms, B. David Witworth – background vocals
  • Crystal Taliefero – vocal arrangement, background vocals
  • Chuck Treece – bass
  • Mike Tyler – guitar

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "The River of Dreams"

!Chart (1993)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|1|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Austria|2|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Flanders|11|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|2|chartid=2270|access-date=April 17, 2019|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|1|chartid=2237|access-date=April 17, 2019|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Denmark (IFPI){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-10-02.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=40|date=October 2, 1993|page=14|access-date=March 22, 2018}}

| 9

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-12-04.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=49|date=December 4, 1993|page=11|access-date=January 31, 2020}}

| 7

scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-08-28.pdf|title=EHR Top 40|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=35|date=August 28, 1993|page=26|access-date=April 10, 2024}}

| 2

{{single chart|France|4|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Germany|4|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|songid=2678|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2616077#page/n1/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (19. – 25. apríl)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=20|date=August 19, 1993|access-date=February 9, 2017}}

| 7

{{single chart|Ireland2|2|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=April 17, 2019|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Italy (Musica e Dischi){{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=Musica e dischi|language=it|access-date=May 31, 2022}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Billy Joel".

| 25

scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-09-11.pdf|title=Regional EHR Top 20: South|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=37|page=23|date=11 September 1993}}

| 1

scope="row"|Japan (Oricon){{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/134163/profile/history/p/6/|title=Oricon Singles Chart|work=Oricon|language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903161925/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/134163/profile/history/p/6/|archive-date=September 3, 2014|access-date=November 2, 2012}}

| 8

{{single chart|Dutch40|5|year=1993|week=42|access-date=April 17, 2019|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|5|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Norway|8|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Sweden|8|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|2|artist=Billy Joel|song=The River of Dreams|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|3|song=The River of Dreams|artist=Billy Joel|date=19930904|access-date=February 10, 2013|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-08-21.pdf|title=The Airplay Chart|magazine=Music Week|date=August 21, 1993|page=28|access-date=April 30, 2024}}

| 1

{{single chart|Billboardhot100|3|artist=Billy Joel|access-date=June 15, 2017|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|1|artist=Billy Joel|access-date=June 15, 2017|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|2|artist=Billy Joel|access-date=June 15, 2017|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web|author=|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/90s_files/19931023.html|title=Cashbox Top 100: October 23, 1993|publisher=cashboxmagazine.com|date=|accessdate=2022-09-06|archive-date=December 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218120043/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/90s_files/19931023.html|url-status=dead}}

| 1

scope="row"|Zimbabwe (ZIMA)* Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000

| 5

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+1993 year-end chart performance for "The River of Dreams"

!Chart (1993)

!Position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1993/singles-chart|title=ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1993|publisher=ARIA|access-date=May 17, 2021}}

| 13

scope="row"|Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40){{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=s&id=1993|title=Jahreshitparade Singles 1993|language=de|access-date=April 17, 2019}}

| 25

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1993|title=Jaaroverzichten 1993|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=April 17, 2019}}

| 66

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2339&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2339.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2339|title=The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=April 17, 2019}}

| 12

scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2334&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2334.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2334|title=The RPM Top 100 A\C Tracks of 1993|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=April 17, 2019}}

| 2

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-12-18.pdf|title=1993 Year-End Sales Charts|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=51/52|date=December 18, 1993|page=15|access-date=January 31, 2020}}

| 33

scope="row"|Germany (Media Control){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1993|title=Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993|publisher=GfK Entertainment|language=de|access-date=April 17, 2019}}

| 27

scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2621535?iabr=on#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1993|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=January 4, 1994|access-date=June 1, 2020}}

| 12

scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-12-18.pdf|title=1993 Year-end Airplay Charts: South|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=51/52|page=24|date=18 December 1993}}

| 2

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1993|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1993|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=May 19, 2020}}

| 25

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web |url=http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1993&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993|publisher=MegaCharts|language=nl|access-date=February 10, 2013}}

| 41

scope="row"|New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1993-12-31|title=End Of Year Charts 1993|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=April 17, 2019}}

| 8

scope="row"|Sweden (Topplistan){{cite web|url=http://www.grammotex.se/topp93singlar.htm|title=Årstopplistan 1993, Singlar|publisher=Grammotex|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010216105631/http://www.grammotex.se/topp93singlar.htm|archive-date=February 16, 2001|access-date=April 7, 2025}}

| 24

scope="row"|Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade){{cite web|url=http://www.swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/1993|title=Swiss Year-End Charts 1993|language=de|access-date=February 10, 2013}}

| 37

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Singles 1993|magazine=Music Week|page=24|date=January 15, 1994}}

| 27

scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-01-15.pdf|title=Airplay Top 50 1993|magazine=Music Week|date=January 15, 1994|page=41|access-date=May 3, 2024}}

| 1

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1993|access-date=August 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110095203/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993|archive-date=November 10, 2006}}

| 26

scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-12-25.pdf|title=The Year in Music 1993|magazine=Billboard|volume=105|issue=52|page=YE-46|date=December 25, 1993|access-date=August 19, 2021|archive-date=June 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627232050/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-12-25.pdf|url-status=live}}

| 9

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+1994 year-end chart performance for "The River of Dreams"

!Chart (1994)

!Position

scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ|title=1994 The Year in Music|magazine=Billboard|volume=106|issue=52|page=YE-68|date=December 24, 1994|access-date=August 23, 2021}}

| 19

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "The River of Dreams"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=Australia|award=Platinum|certyear=1994|certref={{cite book |first=Gavin |last=Ryan |title=Australia's Music Charts 1988 – 2010 |publisher=Moonlight Publishing |location=Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria |year=2011}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=Austria|award=Gold|certyear=1994|artist=Billy Joel|title=The River of Dreams|access-date=December 26, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=France|award=Gold|certyear=1994|artist=Billy Joel|title=River of Dream|access-date=December 26, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=Germany|award=Gold|certyear=1993|artist=Billy Joel|title=The River of Dreams|access-date=December 26, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=Japan|nocert=true|artist=Billy Joel|title=The River of Dreams|salesamount=220,000|salesref={{cite book |title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970 – 2005 |publisher=Oricon Entertainment |location=Roppongi, Tokyo |year=2006 |isbn=4-87131-077-9 |language=ja}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=New Zealand|award=Platinum|certyear=1994|artist=Billy Joel|title=The River of Dreams|certref={{cite book |first=Dean |last=Scapolo |title=The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966 – 2006 |publisher=Maurienne House |year=2007| isbn=978-1-877443-00-8}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=2004|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|certyear=2024|artist=Billy Joel|title=The River of Dreams|id=19762-1999-1|access-date=March 1, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|relyear=1993|region=United States|award=Gold|certyear=2021|artist=Billy Joel|title=The River of Dreams|access-date=November 20, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for "The River of Dreams"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|July 19, 1993

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}

|Columbia

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=19|date=July 17, 1993}}

scope="row"|Japan

|August 5, 1993

|Mini-CD

|Sony

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/134163/products/237793/1/|title=ビリー・ジョエル {{!}} リバー・オブ・ドリームス|trans-title=Billy Joel {{!}} River of Dreams|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=March 31, 2025}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Billy Joel}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:River Of Dreams, The}}

Category:1992 songs

Category:1993 singles

Category:Billy Joel songs

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Andy Morahan

Category:Number-one singles in Australia

Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand

Category:Song recordings produced by Danny Kortchmar

Category:Songs written by Billy Joel

Category:Songs involved in plagiarism controversies

Category:Songs about rivers

Category:Sony Music Entertainment Japan singles