DREAMLAND: ALBUMS REVIEWS AND CHARTS
The album title by title, and impressive sales records
On the Italian and French editions, we can read "to sample or not to sample, that is the question...". And the question is asked: the fantasy track contains an uncredited sample of Grace Jones' drums in her version of "la vie en rose" and the remix contains in its introduction an uncredited sample of 'Tibetian Serenity' by Travis Biggs).
The single "I don't know anybodyelse" finds its title in... "Love sensation" by Loleatta Holloway. Again.
The rap of the title "Strike it up" on the initial version is also a sample (authorized). It is sung by Oscar Pabon.
Fans report that the man shouts on the song "Strike it up" are sampled on "Aint we funkin now! "by The Brothers Johnson.
It is obvious that all these samples are the proof of a great musical culture, and of an absolute mastery: they are tributes, references, and they reinforce the interest of the album. It's a real musical intelligence.
The album has as musicians: Daniele Davoli - DJ, scratching, keyboards, backing vocals-Mirko Limoni - keyboards-Valerio Semplici - guitar, drumprogramming-Roberto Fontalan - guitar-SauroMalavasi - guitar-Rudy Trevisi - saxophone, soloist-Raimondo Violi - bass, guitar
The sales figures and the charts are impressive:
The album is ranked N°1 in Australia, Canada, N°4 in New Zealand, N°8 in Norway, N°9 in Switzerland, N°14 in Austria, N°14 in UK, N°14 in Australasia, N°15 in Sweden, N°35 in France, N°36 in Germany, N°56 in USA.
The album will be certified double platinum in Australia, double platinum in Canada, gold record in France, gold record in the USA.
The sales figures are estimated :
-France : 150 000
-Australia : 140 000
-Canada : 200 000
-UK : 150 000
-Italy : 100 000
-Germany : 120 000
-USA : 500 000
No official sales figures for other countries, but the album is very well ranked in Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Swedish, Japan...
The estimated worldwide sales are between 2,240,000 and 4,000,000 according to different sources.
The titles of the album (in order):
Everybody, everybody
3rd single from the album "Dreamland
N°8 in USA, N°1 in USA (charts clubs)
N°11 in France, N°5 in France (charts clubs)
N°16 in UK, N°35 in Australia, N°41 in Germany
This will be the third single of the group, and an excellent choice, because it breaks the codes of the first two singles. The melody is bewitching, nostalgic, the keyboards of strings are so beautiful, the whole very dancing. The success is that it is at the same time a dancing title of club and at the same time a title that you can listen quietly in your living room. It is the title which makes that the group is taken seriously musically. While one speaks about "consecration Black Box", it is also the moment when the popular press is unleashed against Katrin Quinol. As for the versions, the group proposes multiple versions which will once again play the game of the radios, the excitement of the fans, and the many existing supports. A clip is shot, nostalgic and beautiful, it is a symbol of freedom. Shortly after, Davoli delivers the cultish "Freak mix" of the song, a total revisitation of the song in an arrangement both dance and musical. Another clip is shot for this club version. The group is at its musical peak.
For the "freak remix", Daniele Davoli adds vocals at the beginning of the mix, which are actually an editing of Martha Wash's vocals for the single "Open your eyes". Here, Davoli samples himself!
I Don't know anybodyelse :
2nd single from the album "Dreamland
N°4 in UK, N°6 in Australia, N°8 in Switzerland
N°9 in France, N°1 in France (charts clubs)
N°12 in Germany, N°22 in Italy
N°23 in USA, N°1 in USA (charts clubs)
N°25 in New Zealand
The song starts with a sentence extracted from the song "Love sensation" of Loleatta Holloway (again), but it is Martha Wash who sings it. The song is very effective, and the phrase of the chorus cut, reproduced endlessly, same pattern as "Ride on time". The piano gimmick is also in the same pattern, but this time, there are real verses and real choruses identified. In 1989, the radios broadcast massively the title and often in a different version. They are not remixes, but different mixes, and the head of the fans turns: how to find all these versions? We will quickly realize that the single in 45 rpm offers two versions in Europe "melody mix" and "club mix", which are the edits of the full versions available on the maxi 45 rpm. And this title begins the "Black Box magic" of the multiple mixes: the supports offer, in addition to different visuals, different versions, which have all a particularity. And Daniele Davoli, alias DJ Lelewel, offers a first remix of the song, soberly entitled "club mix", terribly effective. We will have to wait for the USA version to see the first remixes created by other producers. An undeniable success, a song dedicated to dance, impossible to listen without moving.
Open your eyes :
9th single from the album "Dreamland".
N°17 in Italy, N°23 in France (charts clubs), N°32 in Switzerland, N°44 in Germany, N°48 in UK, N°60 in Australia.
Long unused, the first years, this title is known only by the fans and by those who bought the album. The rhythm is more groovy, the voice impeccable. It is only when it is released as a single that its "transformation" takes place, and gives probably the most memorable remixes of the trio. The album version is first mixed with new sounds, a new rhythm guitar. This version is called "Valerio's mix". It will be, in its edited version, the single version, and the extended, on the maxi 45 rpm, crowns the status of the group in its unique know-how. The two other existing remixes are named after the other two companions "Danieles's mix" and "Mirko's mix. Both remixes are famous and undoubtedly demonstrate the artistic range of the trio that knows how to do everything. Three radically different versions of the same track. It became the nugget of the album. The track doesn't have a new video, but an official video that uses images from the previous singles. There are few TV performances of the track (in France, Germany and UK): the time for the end of the "Katrin" era has come. Once again, the French exception is that Katrin appears on the cover of the singles and EPs. The title ranks high in France in the charts.
Fantasy:
4th single from the album "Dreamland
N°3 in Australia, N°5 in UK, N°16 in Germany,
N°21 in France, N°22 in France (charts clubs)
This is the only cover of the album, and what a voice! What a version! The title is groovy, sexy, and when it comes out as the 4th single, it first benefits from a remixed club version with an anthology intro, a mythical piano finale, a treat for the ears. Then the remix of Davoli arrives and there, it is the consecration: perhaps one of the best remixes of the group. Dancing, hypnotic, creative, the title is part of the Black Box legend. A video clip is shot with Katrin. The hit is powerful and it is once again a success. The remix of Davoli makes hear an unpublished vocalization of Fantasy. This vocalization will be used for a new track that appears on the B-side of the single and the 45 rpm EPs "Get Down", a mixture of Martha Wash's voice in "Fantasy" with the rap of Stepz. Another feat. A radio of the time will say " With " Get Down ", Black Box succeeds in creating nostalgia and a lounge atmosphere with a rap, great art ". This unreleased title will benefit from 6 versions, declined according to the different supports, and it is still France in its exception which releases it squarely in single.
Dreamland:
One of the two instrumental tracks of the album. Cleverly placed just before "Ride on time", it reminds us that, like its title, this whole adventure is about a dream. The dream of the trio, which then finds its consecration. The title is very brief, but it's as if the song speaks for the band: "this is our story and it starts like this".
Ride on time:
1st single from the album "Dreamland".
N°1 in UK, N°2 in Switzerland, N°2 in New Zealand, N°2 in Australia
N°3 in France, N°1 in France (charts clubs)
N°5 in Germany, N°7 in Belgium, N°8 in Italy
This song, entered in the legend of music, is here in its initial version.n the legend of music, is here in its initial version. Efficient. It is the voice of Loleatta Holloway. Not credited on the first versions, the mention is then added on the following editions. That's why some editions have the same barcode or reference, but with different annotations on the cd.
Hold on :
10th single from the album "Dreamland
#32FRANCE(charts clubs)
This is the UFO of the album for two reasons: the first is the soulful sound and the way of singing which are different from the album, and the second is that it was until now the only track of the album untapped in single. Many thought that maybe the track was not remixable. It was without counting the genius of the trio, which against all odds, released it as a single. "Hold on", the last single from the album "Dreamland", is already the 11th single of the group! And the edited version remixes the music, and...the melody, the text, cuts the voice...The single is definitely another song. The sound is a musical bomb, remixed in 8 versions, nothing is missing, except...a visual identity. The supports are released, in a plain green or blue, with the mention "Black Box", and nothing, no clip. As if the name "Black Box" was enough on its own, while it still lacked Katrin. But the latter was already absent from the previous single (except still in France, the only exception that offers supports with a sublime photo of Katrin). The single goes unnoticed. A double vinyl promo is released in Italy, it includes eight versions, it maintains the Black Box magic. This promo is a "must-have" for any collector.
Ghost Box:
Here, too, an instrumental track, but which has two particularities. The first one is to remind that the members of the trio are musicians, and that the "real" instruments are not forgotten in the album. The second is in the piano of the chorus: the wink to "Ride on time" with the resumption of the famous gimmick. Everything is linked, music, instruments, gimmicks, and the band wants to make it known. The album is coherent, and even if this track is radically different from the rest, it has its place. Still sassy and classy. "Ghost box" is powerful, melodic, dark, sexy: the summary of what Black Box is.
Strike it up
8th single from the album "Dreamland
N°8 in USA, N°1 in USA (charts clubs)
N°13 in Belgium, N°16 in UK, N°20 in Australia
N°26 in France, N°9 in France (charts clubs)
N°26 in Germany, N°29 in New Zealand
Note of the reference: The single is released in 7" version in the Philippines, Costa Rica...
It is THE bomb of the album. It is the absolute title of the trio. It's the most awaited single of the fans that was late to come. Nobody understood why the megamix released just before included a passage of the title, while it was at that time the only unreleased single that appeared in the mix. But as an answer, the band offers a big surprise: the rap of the single is totally redone by Stepz, which is a complete change from the album version. The vocals remain the same, vocal parts from the recordings are added on remixes. A video clip is shot, and will propose two versions: the remixed single version, and the remix version. This is the last clip of Katrin Quinol for Black Box, and it is the one where her beauty is the most striking. Her beauty is so overwhelming in this clip that it has left a mark. Among all the surprises, the band offers several supports, including promos, which all have the particularity of having unreleased tracks. It is one of the songs of the group with the most versions, which will panic the radios, the fans, in search of supports and versions. Once again, the French exception proposes a different visual of discs, a different single version, and especially a remix of anthology, the "megaremix" of 8 minutes of the title. The title hits hard, and it is again a
success in the USA and a triumph in the clubs of the whole world.
Other titles, derived from the album, are released as singles:
Get down:
5th single from the album "Dreamland
N°22FRANCE (charts clubs)
It is the official B side of the single "Fantasy" at the beginning. Real surprise because totally unpublished, and designed from a vocalization of "Fantasy" not used on the single but on the remix. It is a rap sung by Stepz, the chorus is sung by Martha Wash. There are 10 versions of the track: the club version, which uses the rhythm and bass of "fantasy", the "scratch" version which is a very effective remix, the "afro" version which is an alternative version of the club mix, the "rappapella" version, which is an accapella accompanied by sounds, which the group is accustomed to on many of its singles, and edited versions of these remixes. This title remains a B side of all the supports of the single "Fantasy", except in France where it is a single with whole share, declined in 4 versions (45 rpm, cassette single, maxi 45 rpm and cd maxi). For these French supports, the versions are different.
Megamix:
6th single from the album "Dreamland
N°33 in Germany
N°34 in France, N°40 in France (club charts)
This single is released exclusively in two countries, each of which will have its own edition:
France: Fifth single from Black box, it includes the 4 previous singles of the group (Ride on time, I don't know anybodyelse, everybody, everybody and fantasy, and is added the single "strike it up which will be released soon. The megamix is articulated in two parts: the part "radio version" and the part "slown down tribute". The first one is a rhythmic megamix of the greatest hits, the second one, a megamix of slower songs (Get dow, Fantasy, Open youreyes ". On the maxi vinyl, the two versions are linked for a "hot club version". The versions are mixed by Robert Lévy Provençal.
In Germany, a megamix is released but of the first three singles only. It is mixed by DJ Mosaic. There is the single version (45 rpm) and the extended version (maxi 45 rpm and maxi cd)
The total Mix:
7th single from the album "Dreamland"
N°12 in UK, N°24 in Australia, N°39 in New Zealand
This single is released in all the other countries of the world except France; It is the megamix "The total mix" edited by Dat Terrorist. There are 2 versions Dat terrorist Edit and Dat Terrorist Total Mix. It will be published the following year on a Japanese CD Maxi-Ep entitled "Black box Megamix". It includes the first three singles of the group. This single is the one of the group which has the most supports of the group, and the most cassette single and cassettes maxis. It is found in many countries of the world. About this single, Daniele Davoli says: "The Total mix was commissioned by the British label Deconstruction, we have nothing to do with it..."
Bright on time:
11th single from the album "Dreamland
N°48 in Belgium
In 1990, there is no internet, the fans of the whole world are not connected, and the public does not know what is released, the available formats... So in France, only the megamix is released, accompanied by a new album, "2+2", which opens with the new single "Bright on time". It is actually a remix of the song "Ride on time" in a very original version. The song is released as a single only in Europe, and as a maxi 45 rpm in France. It appears on the supports USA under the name " The bright on mix ".
After "dreamland", the group is responsible, among other remixes, for the comeback single of ABC in 1991, "Say it".
At the same time, Lonnie Gordon flew to Italy and met Black Box. There she recorded "Gonna Catch You". Internal legal problems with Supreme Records led to a two-year delay in the release of the album "Bad mood".
Influences: in 1990, everyone quotes Black Box, the discotheques of the whole world play their pieces. A consecration: in Madonna's worldwide successful film-documentary "Truh of dare/In bedwith Madonna", we see the star dancing with her dancers on...the total mix of Black Box. A consecration.