Dreamland (Black Box album)

Dreamland
Studio album by Black Box
Released	May 1990
Recorded	1989
Genre	House, Dance, Electronica
Length	40:41
Label	RCA Records
Producer	Groove Groove Melody
Black Box chronology
Dreamland (1990) Mixed Up (1991)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Dreamland is the debut studio album of Italo house band Black Box. It was released in May 1990 on RCA Records, and was preceded in 1989 by the international hit single, "Ride On Time." The album was certified gold in both the U.S. and the U.K.

Controversy

When the album was originally released, the credits listed the band members as Mirko Limoni, Valerio Semplici, and Daniele Davoli (as the producers, songwriters, and musicians), as well as Katrin Quinol on vocals. "Ride On Time" had been released as a single prior to the album's release, and musician Dan Hartman and vocalist Loleatta Holloway had threatened to sue Black Box, as well as label RCA Records, claiming that the song contained heavy sampling of an earlier recording by the two (the 1980 #1 dance club hit "Love Sensation"), although no credit had been given to them upon the release of the single. Subsequently, Hartman was given songwriting credit for this track, and Holloway was listed as the featured vocalist prior to the release of the album. However, American R&B vocalist Martha Wash actually sang the lead vocals on six of the other eight tracks on the album, although she was not credited in any way. The songs sung by Wash were: "Everybody Everybody;" "I Don't Know Anybody Else;" "Open Your Eyes;" "Fantasy;" "Hold On;" and "Strike It Up." Many of these songs were released as singles and achieved significant success on radio airplay and dance club charts across the world. Wash claimed in a lawsuit filed soon after the success of the album's release that she was paid a flat fee as a "session singer" to record demos of the tracks that would eventually appear on the album, but that those songs would be re-recorded with a different vocalist. She reached a settlement with RCA Records that led to her recording contract with the label, as well as an undisclosed monetary compensation^[2]. Wash's courtroom efforts spurred legislation in the U.S. making vocal credits mandatory on albums and music videos.

Track listing

All tracks by Daniele Davoli, Mirko Limoni & Valerio Semplici (Copyright Lombardoni Edizioni Musicali-admin. by Intersong USA) except where noted

1. "Everybody Everybody" – vocals Martha Wash - 5:24*
2. "I Don't Know Anybody Else" – vocals Martha Wash - 4:36
3. "Open Your Eyes" – 5:21 - vocals Martha Wash
4. "Fantasy" (Eduardo del Barrio, Maurice White, Verdine White) – vocals Martha Wash - 5:14
5. "Dreamland" – 2:03
6. "Ride On Time" (Davoli, Dan Hartman, Limoni, Semplici, Semplici) – vocals Loleatta Holloway - 4:37
7. "Hold On" – vocals Martha Wash - 5:38
8. "Ghost Box" – 3:57
9. "Strike It Up" – vocals Martha Wash - 5:15

*U.S. and Canadian editions of the album have the Le Freak Mix 7" Edit of this song, which is 4:09 in length

Charts

Chart 1990	Peak position
Billboard 200	56[3]
UK Albums Chart	14[4]

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions
		U.S. Hot 100[5] [6]	U.S. Dance[7]	UK[4]	AUS	IRE	GER
1989	"Ride On Time"	-	39	1	2	1	5
1990	"I Don't Know Anybody Else"	23	1	4	6	2	12
1990	"Everybody Everybody"	8	1	16	35	6	41
1990	"Fantasy"	-	-	5	3	3	16
1991	"Strike It Up"	8	1	16	20	8	26
1991	"Open Your Eyes"	-	-	48	60	-	44
1992	"Hold On"	-	-	-	-	-	-

Personnel

Black Box

• Daniele "Dj Lelewel" Davoli: Dj, Scratching, Keyboards, Backing vocals
• Mirko Limoni: Keyboards
• Valerio Semplici: Guitar, Drum Programming

Vocalists

• Martha Wash
• Loleatta Holloway

Additional Musicians

• Roberto Fontalan – guitar
• Sauro Malavasi – guitar
• Rudy Trevisi – saxophone, soloist
• Raimondo Violi – bass, guitar

Production

• Arranged By Mirko Limoni, Katrin Quinol & Valerio Semplici
• Produced By Groove Groove Melody
• Recorded, Engineered & Mixed By Mirko Limoni, Katrin Quinol & Valerio Semplici
• Kate Garner – photography

Certifications

Country	Peak Position	Certification	Sales
Australia	1	2x Platinum	140,000
Canada		2x Platinum	200,000 [8]
Germany	45	-	~50,000
UK	14	Gold	150,000
USA	56	Gold	500,000

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Lawsuits Seek Truth In Music Labeling - New York Times
3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top Pop Albums 1955-1996 (4 ed.). Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. p. 82. ISBN 0-898-20117-9. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 59. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles 1955-2008 (12th ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc.. p. 97. ISBN 0-89820-180-2. 
6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.)
8. ^ Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Certification Results

Preceded by Home by Hothouse Flowers

Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album March 17 - April 6, 1991

Succeeded by Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti