Dream (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dream | ||
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 Dream's original line-up (from left to right): Melissa Schuman, Diana Ortiz, Holly Blake Arnstein, and Ashley Poole
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Los Angeles, California | |
| Genre(s) | Pop | |
| Years active | 1998–2003 | |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG Music Entertainment Bad Boy Records Clockwork Entertainment |
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| Former members | ||
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Dream was an American pop girl group famous for such hits as "He Loves U Not" and "This is Me."
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[edit] Formation
The quartet was originally formed in October 1998 by talent scout Judith Fontaine, who selected Holly Blake Arnstein (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 this new girl group. The original name of the group was First Warning but later changed to Dream.
More changes were in store: the girls left Fontaine and were then signed by Sean "Puffy" Combs (now known as Diddy) to his Bad Boy Records label, and in January 1999, Chester was replaced by Arnstein's best friend, Diana Ortiz (born September 23, 1985). Fontaine later sued Sean Combs and Arnstein, Schuman, and Poole, but lost her court case.[1]
[edit] Musical debut and popularity
Dream hit the music scene in 2000 with their debut single "He Loves U Not", remixed by Marc Mozart, and their debut album It Was All A Dream was released on January 23, 2001. "He Loves U Not," charted in three countries, peaking at #2 on the Hot 100 Singles Chart in the United States. The video for this single peaked at #2 on MTV's TRL and became the first video by a girl group to be retired from the countdown. 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 Diddy.
During this time, Dream participated in the 2001 TRL tour and opened for artists such as NSYNC, Britney Spears, and 98 Degrees. They were featured in a segment of MTV Cribs. Play Along Toys released dolls of the group in 2001.
[edit] 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, respectively, from It Was All A Dream, the singles were never released (though promotional copies of the latter were shipped), 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. Diddy appeared on TRL on April 3 to announce the news, noting that there were no bitter feelings [2]. A lengthy search led by Diddy and the three remaining members led to 15-year-old Kasey Sheridan (born December 28, 1986) becoming the newest and youngest member of the group in the early fall of 2002 [3].
Dream spent the subsequent months recording new songs for their sophomore album. In the summer of 2003, the girls returned to the scene with a new, sexier image and a new single featuring rapper Loon called "Crazy." 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, and it was ultimately never officially released. Dream was then dropped from Bad Boy Records, and the group subsequently disbanded, although their dissolution was never formally announced.
Members Ashley Poole and Melissa Schuman are currently pursuing solo singing careers. Member Holly 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 on a French website. It is speculated that the CD was released in France to keep Bad Boy Records from violating the album release contract with Dream while saving as much money as possible. The CD was purchased, and the music was spread to the fans.
In April 2006, an MTV News article discussed the reasons behind Dream's break-up. Arnstein was interviewed for the article and noted that the sexier, more mature image pushed upon the group by Diddy and their management was not a welcome change, and that she and the other members of Dream were no longer enjoying the music and the experience [4].
[edit] Chart history
| Album | Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| It Was All A Dream | U.S. Billboard 200 | 6 |
| It Was All A Dream | Top R&B/Hip-hop albums | 11 |
| Single | Chart (2001) | Peak position |
| "He Loves U Not" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| "He Loves U Not" | Hot R&B/Hip-hop Singles & Tracks | 15 |
| "He Loves U Not" | UK Singles Chart | 17 |
| "He Loves U Not" | Australia ARIA Singles Chart | 35 |
| "This is Me" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |
| "This is Me" | Hot R&B/Hip-hop Singles & Tracks | 80 |
[edit] References and footnotes
- ^ Hiatt, Bryan (August 13, 2001). Judge To Dream's Ex-Manager: They Owe You Not. MTV.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ Norris, John (April 3, 2002). Dream Member Quits To Pursue New Dream: Acting. MTV.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ unknown (May 14, 2003). P. Diddy Dreams Another Dream. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (April 12, 2006). Where Ya Been? Dream Wake Up, 'Sex' Burns Marcy Playground. MTV.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
[edit] 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)
