Dream (band)
Encyclopedia
Dream was an American
pop
girl group
, active from 1998 until 2003. Their biggest success came in 2001 with their track, "He Loves U Not
", a transatlantic
hit single
.
(born August 3, 1985), Melissa Schuman
(born August 21, 1984), Ashley Poole (born May 10, 1985), and Alex Chester (born December 28, 1984), four teens from California
, to comprise a new girl group. The group's original name, First Warning, was later changed to Dream.
The outfit then left Fontaine and were signed by Sean Combs
to his Bad Boy Records
label
. In January 1999, Chester was replaced by Diana Ortiz (born September 23, 1985). Fontaine later sued Combs and Blake-Arnstein, Schuman, and Poole, but lost her court case.
, "He Loves U Not
", remixed by Marc Mozart
, in 2000 and their debut album
, It Was All a Dream, was released on January 23, 2001. "He Loves U Not," peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and at #17 in the UK Singles Chart
. The video
for this single peaked at #2 on MTV
's TRL
. The subsequent single, "This Is Me
," enjoyed a fair amount of success as well; the music video hit #1 on TRL. The final single and video from the album was "This Is Me (remix)" and featured rapper Kain as well as Sean Combs. The song was also featured on the compilation Totally Hits 2001
.
During this time, Dream participated in the 2001 TRL tour, and opened for Destiny's Child
, Eve
and Nelly. They were featured in a segment of MTV Cribs
. Play Along Toys
released dolls
of the group in 2001.
Dream spent the subsequent months recording new songs for their second album. In the summer of 2003, the girls returned to the scene with a sexier image and a new single featuring rapper Loon
called "Krazy." The single and its video did not receive the acclaim and success of "He Loves U Not," and the second single from the album, supposedly "That's OK," was never released. Dream's album Reality
was to follow in May, but its release kept being postponed until, ultimately, it was never released. Bad Boy Records dropped Dream and they disbanded, although their dissolution was never formally announced.
Ashley Poole and Melissa Schuman are currently pursuing solo singing careers. Holly Blake-Arnstein has joined the California-based alternative
band Whirl Magnet.
In September 2005, a group of fans discovered that the unreleased Reality CD was available for purchase by Clockwork
/2620
/Universal Records
from French Virgin Megastores. In April 2006, an MTV News article discussed the reasons behind Dream's break-up. Blake-Arnstein was interviewed for the article and noted that the sexier, more mature image pushed upon the group by Combs and their management was not a welcome change, and that she and the other members were no longer enjoying the music and the experience.
On May 9, 2008, three years after their second album, Reality, leaked online, two unreleased albums became available to buy at iTunes Store
: Daddy's Little Girl and Dream Never Land, which contains a Brandy song called Doesn't Matter.
. On August 7, 2008, Schuman announced that Diana Ortiz, also from Dream, would be joining the group.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
, active from 1998 until 2003. Their biggest success came in 2001 with their track, "He Loves U Not
He Loves U Not
"He Loves U Not" is girl group Dream's debut single released in 2000.-The song:Upon Dream's signing to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the quartet recorded "He Loves U Not" as their breakthrough single, setting aside previously recorded songs "Do U Wanna Dance," "Baby," and "Miss You" that they had...
", a transatlantic
Transatlantic
Transatlantic crossings are passages of passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean between the Americas and Europe. Prior to the 19th century, transatlantic crossings were undertaken in sailing ships, which was a time consuming and often perilous journey. Transatlantic crossings became faster,...
hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
.
Formation
The quartet was originally formed in October 1998 when talent scout Judith Fontaine selected Holly Blake-ArnsteinHolly Blake-Arnstein
Holly Blake-Arnstein is a former American singer and dancer. Arnstein is best known for being the lead singer of the pop group Dream in 1998 until they disbanded in 2003.-1998 Formation of DREAM :...
(born August 3, 1985), Melissa Schuman
Melissa Schuman
Melissa Amber Schuman is an American singer and actress. Schuman is best known for her role in the all girl teen band Dream. With Dream, she appeared in their two biggest hits, "He Loves U Not" and "This is Me". Schuman quit the band after their two hits to pursue her own solo career in singing...
(born August 21, 1984), Ashley Poole (born May 10, 1985), and Alex Chester (born December 28, 1984), four teens from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to comprise a new girl group. The group's original name, First Warning, was later changed to Dream.
The outfit then left Fontaine and were signed by Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
to his Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. In January 1999, Chester was replaced by Diana Ortiz (born September 23, 1985). Fontaine later sued Combs and Blake-Arnstein, Schuman, and Poole, but lost her court case.
Musical debut and popularity
Dream released their debut singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "He Loves U Not
He Loves U Not
"He Loves U Not" is girl group Dream's debut single released in 2000.-The song:Upon Dream's signing to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the quartet recorded "He Loves U Not" as their breakthrough single, setting aside previously recorded songs "Do U Wanna Dance," "Baby," and "Miss You" that they had...
", remixed by Marc Mozart
Marc Mozart
Marc Christian Gernert, who performs as Marc Mozart and Marc Z, is a German songwriter, record producer and music manager.He started his career in Germany during the early 1990s. His professional career started after high school when he signed a contract, in 1993, with Sony Music Germany...
, in 2000 and their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, It Was All a Dream, was released on January 23, 2001. "He Loves U Not," peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and at #17 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this single peaked at #2 on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. The subsequent single, "This Is Me
This is Me (Dream single)
"This Is Me" is a song by girl group Dream, released as their second single in 2001.-The song:Written by the same team that had produced their previous hit single, "This Is Me" again featured lead vocals by Holly Blake-Arnstein. The interlude was alternately sung and spoken by Ashley Poole and...
," enjoyed a fair amount of success as well; the music video hit #1 on TRL. The final single and video from the album was "This Is Me (remix)" and featured rapper Kain as well as Sean Combs. The song was also featured on the compilation Totally Hits 2001
Totally Hits 2001
Totally Hits 2001 is an album in the Totally Hits series, reaching #3 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The album contains two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits: "U Remind Me" and "Fallin'".-Track listing:...
.
During this time, Dream participated in the 2001 TRL tour, and opened for Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
and Nelly. They were featured in a segment of MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
. Play Along Toys
Play Along Toys
Play Along Toys is a Florida-based toy company, and a wholly owned division of Jakks Pacific.In 1999, the founders of Play Along chose the Britney Spears Doll line as the first licensing venture with their new company...
released dolls
Celebrity doll
A celebrity doll is a doll modelled after a celebrity.Celebrity dolls have been in production for a very long time. In the 1840s, several famous ballerinas were featured as paper dolls. Also in the 19th century, various military heroes were portrayed as dolls/figures. With the advent of silent...
of the group in 2001.
Lineup change and new direction
Though Bad Boy Records had planned to release "Miss You" and "In My Dreams" as the third and fourth singles from It Was All A Dream, and promotional copies of the latter were shipped, the singles were never released. According to Arnstein, this was partly due to the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Little was heard from Dream until April 2002, when Melissa Schuman left the group to pursue an acting career. Sean Combs appeared on TRL on April 3 to announce the news, noting that there were no bitter feelings. A lengthy search conducted by Combs and the three remaining members led to 15-year-old Kasey Sheridan (born December 28, 1986) becoming the youngest member of the group in the early fall of 2002.Dream spent the subsequent months recording new songs for their second album. In the summer of 2003, the girls returned to the scene with a sexier image and a new single featuring rapper Loon
Loon (rapper)
Amir Junaid Muhadith best known by his stage name Loon, is an African-American rapper that was formerly part of P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records, where he released his self-titled debut album, Loon. He has also made many guest appearances on songs of the R&B and hip hop genres. He is best known for his...
called "Krazy." The single and its video did not receive the acclaim and success of "He Loves U Not," and the second single from the album, supposedly "That's OK," was never released. Dream's album Reality
Reality (Dream album)
Reality is Dream's second album. It features production by producers such as Scott Storch, Diddy, Darkchild, and the The Underdogs. It was completed by and set to be released in 2003, but never hit retail stores due to lack of promotion. One of the songs from the album, "That's OK", can be heard on...
was to follow in May, but its release kept being postponed until, ultimately, it was never released. Bad Boy Records dropped Dream and they disbanded, although their dissolution was never formally announced.
Ashley Poole and Melissa Schuman are currently pursuing solo singing careers. Holly Blake-Arnstein has joined the California-based alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Whirl Magnet.
In September 2005, a group of fans discovered that the unreleased Reality CD was available for purchase by Clockwork
Clockwork Entertainment
ClockWork Entertainment is an American record label established in 1997 as an independent and integrated entertainment house. The founder of ClockWork, Debbie Hammond graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a degree in Business, and established a career building and selling...
/2620
Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias is an American singer-entertainer who was the third place finalist on the third season of American Idol, due in part to tremendous call-in support from California, New York, and her native state of Hawaii. She has released one album to date, Jasmine Trias...
/Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
from French Virgin Megastores. In April 2006, an MTV News article discussed the reasons behind Dream's break-up. Blake-Arnstein was interviewed for the article and noted that the sexier, more mature image pushed upon the group by Combs and their management was not a welcome change, and that she and the other members were no longer enjoying the music and the experience.
On May 9, 2008, three years after their second album, Reality, leaked online, two unreleased albums became available to buy at iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
: Daddy's Little Girl and Dream Never Land, which contains a Brandy song called Doesn't Matter.
Lady Phoenix (2008–present)
On January 28, 2008, Melissa Schuman announced that after a failed attempt to reunite Dream's original lineup, she and Ashley Poole are starting a new band. They will have a new name and a reality show documenting their auditions for new members. On July 27, 2008, she announced the name of their new group would be Lady PhoenixLady Phoenix
Lady Phoenix is an American pop girl group. The band formed in 2008 after Melissa Schuman and Ashley Poole wanted to form a new group. The group consisted of former Dream members Melissa Schuman, Ashley Poole and Diana Ortiz. The group's single and album is expected to hit pop radio and stores in...
. On August 7, 2008, Schuman announced that Diana Ortiz, also from Dream, would be joining the group.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | It Was All a Dream | Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:... |
|
| 2008 | Reality Reality (Dream album) Reality is Dream's second album. It features production by producers such as Scott Storch, Diddy, Darkchild, and the The Underdogs. It was completed by and set to be released in 2003, but never hit retail stores due to lack of promotion. One of the songs from the album, "That's OK", can be heard on... |
Universal Records Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:... |
Chart history
| Album | Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| It Was All a Dream | U.S. Billboard 200 | 6 |
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 11 | |
| Singles | Chart (2001) | Peak position |
| "He Loves U Not He Loves U Not "He Loves U Not" is girl group Dream's debut single released in 2000.-The song:Upon Dream's signing to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the quartet recorded "He Loves U Not" as their breakthrough single, setting aside previously recorded songs "Do U Wanna Dance," "Baby," and "Miss You" that they had... " |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 15 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 17 | |
| Australia ARIA Singles Chart | 35 | |
| "This Is Me" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |
| Hot R&B/Hip-hop Singles & Tracks | 80 | |
External links
- Archived version of Dream's official site – old lineup
- Archived version of Dream's official site – new lineup
- MTV News – Where Ya Been? Dream Wake Up (April 12, 2006)
- MTV News – Dream Get Krazy with Loon on New LP featuring P. Diddy (April 25, 2003)
- MTV Feature – Girl Groups – Why they can't keep it together (September 20, 2002)
- MTV News – Dream Member Quits to Pursue New Dream: Acting (April 3, 2002)
- MTV News – Judge to Dream's Ex-Manager: They Owe You Not (August 13, 2001)
- MTV Feature – Dream: Dream Team (February 2001)