Sweet Dreams Flashcards
Melody
Small number of pitches within the Aeolian mode transposed to C, contains a falling and rising minor 3rd, some scalic movement and syncopated rhythm
Tonality
C minor
Time signature
4/4
Who is in Eugenics?
Annie Lennox: lead singer
David Stewart: other technology, instruments
Technology
Many vocal and instrumental layers, blended backing vocals, drum machine, synthesised sample sounds, sequencer, mixing deck
Riff
Repetition of a rhythmic or melodic idea - a two bar phrase on which the majority of the song is based
When did sweet dreams come out?
1983
Harmony
Limited range of major and minor triads within C minor
INTRO
2 bar keyboard riff played 4 times which presents the pitches in broken octaves. Synthesised drum on every crotchet. 6 bar phrase based on chords which are sung by multitracked backing vocals while wordless solo voice improvises above. Synthesised backbeat on beats 2 and 4
A (first time)
“Sweet dreams are made of this” is sung as a solo alongside the 2 bar riff from intro
A1 (first and second time are the same)
“Some of them want to use you” voice is multitracked to produce harmony in parallel 3rds
LINK (first time)
6 bar phrase from intro but solo improvisation and keyboard bass is different, then keyboard riff from intro played twice
Difference between A (first, second, third and fourth time)
second - “sweet dreams are made of this” solo before multitracked harmonies in 6ths introduced
third - semiquaver fill leads to return of 2 bar riff but voice replaced with keyboard solo doubled in octaves
fourth - keyboard fill and reprise of third, synthesised claps
Difference between LINKs (first, second, third and fourth time
second - stronger backbeat
third - varied keyboard tune and vocal decoration
fourth - reprise then the 2 bar riff played 3 times with wordless vocals and bottle sounds
B (first and second time are the same)
Feels like middle eight and contrasts the higher vocal register of “hold your head up” with lower pitches on “movin’ on”. Alternating C minor and F7 chords. Crotchet pulse on drums, continuous quavers on synthesised hi-hat, sampled glass bottles
CODA
“Sweet dreams” with only percussion crotchets as accompaniments. Layers of vocal harmonies in 3rds and 6ths are added along with solo improv. “Sweet dreams” repeated with 2 bar riff combined with keyboard solo and bottle sounds, then repeat of previous 8 bars, another repeat with fade
What genre is sweet dreams?
New wave
