Dreamland (Black Box album)


Dreamland is the debut studio album by the Italian music group Black Box. It was released on May 8, 1990 through RCA Records, and was preceded in 1989 by the international hit single "Ride on Time". The album was certified Gold in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The album is mostly remembered today for the song "Ride On Time" and the ensuing lawsuits by Loleatta Holloway and Martha Wash over their lack of proper credit and payment for their vocal contributions to the album.

Background

When the album was originally released, the credits listed the band members as Daniele Davoli, Mirko Limoni and Valerio Semplici, as well as Katrin Quinol on vocals. "Ride on Time" had been released as a single prior to the album's release, and singer-songwriter Dan Hartman and singer Loleatta Holloway had threatened to sue Black Box, as well as label RCA, claiming that the song contained heavy sampling of an earlier recording by the two, 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 singer 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 are: "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 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. The legal action by Wash and Holloway spurred legislation in the United States making vocal credits mandatory on albums and music videos.

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Daniele Davoli, Mirko Limoni and Valerio Semplici except where noted
  1. "Everybody Everybody" – 5:24*
  2. "I Don't Know Anybody Else" – 4:36
  3. "Open Your Eyes" – 5:21
  4. "Fantasy" – 5:14
  5. "Dreamland" – 2:03
  6. "Ride on Time" – 4:37
  7. "Hold On" – 5:38
  8. "Ghost Box" – 3:57
  9. "Strike It Up" – 5:15
*American and Canadian editions of the album have the Le Freak Mix 7" Edit of this song, which is 4:09 in length

Personnel

Black Box

Album

Singles

Certifications