I’m starting to lose the battle of the YouTube copyright. Early on the challenge was coming up with things to write about each of the songs I chose but now the challenge is finding songs in the first place. Locating an album version of a song has become a convoluted scavenger hunt, and when I do unearth one I’m lucky if the clip isn’t pulled down before I get to feature it.
The exception seems to be live performances, which aren’t subject to the same copyright laws as recorded material. The problem there is that live shows, while often wonderful, remove song production from the equation and that’s a real shame.
But to quote Gale Snopes, I’d rather light a candle than curse the darkness. So I’ll feature live performances of songs I like when the performance itself is either close to the original in sound or offers something extra.
Today’s selection does a bit of both. This version is almost identical in sound to the version of ‘Dreams’ on Fleetwood Mac’s wonderful Rumours album, but it’s also pretty cool to see the band, in full 70s attire, performing this classic song at the peak of their popularity, before drugs and personal conflict tore apart the amazing run they had going.
When I think about my favorite albums Rumours never really comes up, but I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s become too much of a cliche… too representative of a “classic album” (the same could be said of Dark Side of the Moon). But it’s absolutely one of the greats.
[Note: Ironically, this live performance was pulled from YouTube. I’ve replaced it with another live performance from the late 70s.]
You say you want your freedom
Well who am I to keep you down
Its only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness
Like a heartbeat.. drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost…
And what you had…
And what you lost
Thunder only happens when its raining
Players only love you when theyre playing
Say… women… they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean… youll know
Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions
I keep my visions to myself
Its only me
Who wants to wrap around your dreams and…
Have you any dreams youd like to sell?
Dreams of loneliness…
Like a heartbeat… drives you mad…
In the stillness of remembering what you had…
And what you lost…
And what you had…
And what you lost
Thunder only happens when its raining
Players only love you when theyre playing
Say… women… they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean… youll know
Meet Me In Montauk 
Sorry to hear about all the YouTube issues. There has to be some other way of embedding the song, or linking to it. What do other SOTD blogs do?
Anyway, this version of Dreams is, indeed, quite faithful to the recorded version, but we get the added bonus of seeing a very attractive Stevie Nicks singing (no wonder why everyone either had her or wanted to have her!). Also nice to see a slimmed down Mick on drums and Lindsey in a Travolta-esque suit. Gotta love the 70’s!
Rumours is a truly wonderful album, and probably deserves a spot on anyone’s top 20 (if not top 10) list of all time great albums. My personal favorite from that album is Go Your Own Way, as I have always been more partial to the Buckingham songs.
Love their sound, great song.
Is this a happy song? Are we in the middle of a theme week? I, like the grandfather in Moonstruck, am so confused 🙂
Regardless, I like this song very much. They have a great sound, one of the most identifiable of any band. And the trip to the 70’s is a fascinating one.
No, this isn’t a theme week. Unless “not Elvis Costello” is a theme. 🙂