DREAM 6: Dream 6

Dream 6

Dream 6

© 2003 1982 Mankey/Napolitano (659057856728)

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Dream 6 later changed their name to Concrete Blonde; punky, grungy chick rock with a palatable 80's toss.

notes

The first thing Jim & I had recorded together was a little electronic dance tune called 'Heart Attack' for a compilation album put together by a 'zine called D.I.Y. We were psyched, something on a record meant we may be able to put a band together. In L.A., nobody would play with you unless you had a deal or a following. We had neither.

We called ourselves The Dreamers, then the L.A. Dreamers. I worked at a studio called Gold Star on the corner of Santa Monica and Vine. Formerly a legendary room that had produced hits by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Phil Spector, The Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher and Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, the aging studio now attracted a new breed of punk indie pioneers like The Cramps, Geza X, Posh Boy Records, Bomp Records and an ambitious young Bad Religion.

Having been passed on by various producers and majors and inspired by the wave of new labels, I asked for a weekend of down time at the studio and we brought in Jim's brother, Earle Mankey, and recorded our first EP. Drummer Michael Murphy, who years later would play on Dave Navarro's brilliant 'Deconstruction' album, had wandered in one day to fill out a job application. I called him up after work and we roped him in.

We slammed out the songs, but didn't have enough time to mix them all...but used the rough mixes anyway. We photographed the cover photo in the bedroom, and I cut and pasted the back cover together inspired by the cover of Genesis' 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' where they reach into each other's frames. We photographed the insert at the cabin where we lived at the time, '70's rocker Dave Mason's old house in Benedict Canyon. I glued it all together and between the pressing plant and Max at G&M Graphics on Santa Monica Boulevard, who did the labels, were very proud to have a real record..now we were a real band. Since there were 6 songs, we became Dream 6: too many Dreamers, and it brought to mind John Lennon's Dream #9.

So I bought a ton of cardboard and envelopes (which at the time costs more than the pressings themselves)and stayed up all night sending them out to papers and college radio stations...then one day I stopped at the Las Palmas newsstand off Hollywood Boulevard and opened up the English music paper Melody Maker and there it was.. a review of our little record by a woman named Helen Fitzgerald. And it was good.

Well I flew down the boulevard back to work, I doubt my feet touched the ground at all. I think we managed to press about 900 LP's, but couldn't afford the inserts after the first few hundred. There wasa CD made as a bonus promo by Capitol Records many years later when 'Mexican Moon' was released, but since then we've found an extra track from the original session that we hadn't used, 'It's My Life' which was a hit for Eric Burdon & The Animals. Also managed to find at the bottom of a dusty box outtakes from the original photo sessions and Jim being the archive king that he is, has scanned and saved the original insert.

Those were the days of Duran Duran and New Romantic synth-pop and no one understood what the hell we were doing.

Neither did we.

We still don't. I like it that way.

Johnette Napolitano
Mojave Desert
February 2003

reviews

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  • Great nuggets
    author: Larry Evans

    Coulda downloaded this but wanted to make sure artists got paid. They deserve it and I hope they get back together. I'm a long time fan of Concrete Blonde and never knew this CD existed. I like 3 of the 7 tunes very much. You can see the origins of their unique sound. Love the vocals (powerful) and guitar work. A must for your collection. God is a Bullet is my favorite CB song and having lbeen born in LA I can relate..................

  • AMAZING
    author: Joyce Tolassi

    As a huge fan of Concrete Blonde & Johnette Napolitano, this is one of the most awesome CD's I've heard from the 80's era. It's a must have for all fans.

  • Great music for any era.
    author: Mr. Dudley

    This is an awesome album for any era, timeless. Love Johnette's incredible voice and Jim's fabulous guitar.

  • great
    author: jeremy

    I know the song "rain" from the movie "partyanimal". It must be 19 years ago that I first heard it. Never heard it anywhere else and no one knew who it was from. Till I found it on your website. Great music, great vocals, fantastic voice. Love it.

  • Pretty hard sound
    author: Justine

    This cd has so much feeling to it! It's bad ass! Deep and kinda dark sounding. I love the hardcore drum beats!

  • Brilliant
    author: Artie

    I bought this CD for RAIN, I had a relationship break up a few years back and Rain seemed to sum it up perfectly at the time. The rest of the album is brilliant, terrific guitar and vocals. This albumn should be in everyones CD collection.

  • Good early stuff from Concrete Blonde
    author: Hollis Golightly

    This short album is finally available on CD. If you like Concrete Blonde, you'll like this first incarnation of the band (before they changed their name) I would say that there is at least one song that I would rate higher than 95% of all the other Johnette Napolitano/Concrete Blonde stuff out there. And the rest is pretty darn good, too. Worth the $$.

  • Fantastic
    author: Steve Furby

    awesome nothing more or less, v

  • Absolutely solid!
    author: Rich

    Expected something good....but was still surprised. Sounds like the outskirts of 1980's LA. Sounds honest and new like this set was played at last night's club. Great music...they must have been kids when this was done...bravo!

  • embodies the early 80's with their own trademarked gritty flavor
    author: dave borowiak

    a lot of bands tried to impact the music scene enough to keep your attention for a while, but dream 6 captures it. It definately embodies the early 80's sound, but stands apart from it with their own trademarked gritty flavor, mostly due to johnette, and her chemistry with jim. the first stand-out track is #3 tomorrow may never come- johnette takes you on a vocal rollercoaster ride that you hope would get stuck up-side down. the musical stylings of the track stands up against such concrete blonde classics as free, cold part of town, joey, the a road, and tomorrow,wendy. the group harmonies of track #2 human condition are also choice. overall, a great first offering from one of the greatest l.a. bands of the 80's and 90's, and thankfully, today and beyond.......

  • The Most Under rated vocalist & performer in all of Rock.Johnette is King!!
    author: Peter Scali

    Any One who has any interst in concrete blonde must have this. Proof of Jim and Johnettes incredible partnership and the seeds of their journey. She never fails to amaze me. Fresh and ready to go. Go get it if you wanna hear the starting points of the greatest vocalist of our era. Maria Mckee and Linda Perry being the next 2 greatest for Me. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • how it all began
    author: Esteban (Madrid, Spain)

    pretty good. A must if you´re a Concrete Blonde fan, just to know they had something right from the beginning

  • Proof Of Brilliance
    author: Mike Wilkinson

    Right out of the gate Johnette and Co. prove that brilliance is a natural trait. This precursor to Concrete Blonde (self titled debut) shows that the raw ability was there at the start and hardly needed even polishing to shine like a diamond.

  • I've been looking for this cd!
    author: Catyanna Roman

    I used to borrow this cd from a good friend years ago, but he moved away. I love the song "Rain." My close friend just passed away and on the day it was raining. It makes me think of him now. This is a great cd and I'm so glad I found it!

  • Finally Found This Disc!!
    author: Manuel

    After seeing the Joey video on Vh1 Classic last year I started looking for music from Concrete Blonde. Having never heard such a voice and and solid guitar playing I was asking myself where the heck was I when this all happened? Since then I've collected quite a few of their discs and kept searching for the DREAM 6 disc with no success. Somehow I came to the website CD Baby and found it. It's everything I thought it would be. Great music!! If you love Johnette's voice and Jim's guitar playing you should give this a listen!! You won't be disappointed. Thx

  • heartfelt and still relevant
    author: jason nahrung

    The signs are here of what was to come: an unmistakable voice with perfectly balanced guitar, and songs that mean something still. The 80s influence is obvious on some but not all songs, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Such a strong start for such a talented band.

  • Must have for CB fans!
    author: Lynn Henriksen

    If you are a fan of Concrete Blonde, pick up this cd. Johnette's voice wraps around Jim Makey's guitar work perfectly. Great 80's cd!

  • Definitely worth having!!
    author: zlh67

    Considering the rawness of Concrete Blonde's first album compared to nearly everything that followed, I expected a cd of unreleased tracks done a full three years BEFORE the first album to be... well, even rawer and probably not too much to my liking (I tend to like their later stuff more). Surprisingly, these tracks sound almost as if they could have come from the same recording sessions as the first album. The seven tracks on this cd are every bit as good both song-wise and sound-wise as the first album. If you like Concrete Blonde enough to have all or most of their albums, and you like the first album at all, you will like this too!

  • dark, yet poignant.........as always.
    author: scott stokes

    What is it about the union between Johnette's vocals and jim's guitar. From 1981 to 2002, and beyond, those two things will always be soul mates.

  • Awesome for ANY Concrete Fan!
    author: Tena B*

    The songs are very 80's oriented but Johnette's vocals make them seem very modern. I LOVE this CD. Just wish there were more songs...!

  • Sooo sweet! Johnette sounds awesome!!!! A must have!
    author: Kevin

    Great songs, more edgy and rough than their later stuff... fantastic to listen to. "Rain" original version was absolutly haunting---liked it better than the later revamp on the "Mexican Moon" album. A must have for any Johnette collector!

  • Dream 6 is a dream
    author: Phill Graves

    DREAM 6 is a must for CONCRETE BLONDE fans! Johnette's vocals are from another world. This version of RAIN is as good as any other that I have heard, and different from the others. DREAM 6 is a great starting point for those who do not know CONCRETE BLONDE's work. If you are a BLONDE fan, you need to hear it!

  • A great begining to a great band! Essential for the collection.
    author: Croz

    The early work of the band that would become Concrete Blonde is insightfully dark and more introspective than much of the music of that era. It is easy to see how the band got such a great start. The chemistry was there from the begining, and it is reflected in the music.

  • 80's with an edge, a must for fans
    author: Cyndy

    A must for old and new fans. It has an eighties sound but not so poppy. It has their distinct sound that you hear now years later.

  • What we've been missing.
    author: Shane Hartman

    Dream 6, even though they would later become Concrete Blonde, is what we've been missing in music the last decade and that is just some good ol rock n roll.

  • re-rerelease of classic EP
    author: raveballs

    for those of you who weren't lucky enough to pick this cd up when MEXICAN MOON was released, it's finally available commercially. the original version of "rain" is hear, along with my favourite from this EP, "tomorrow may never come." also a nice hidden bonus track, a cover of THE ANIMALS' "it's my life."

  • Much delight and a little sadness
    author: mutz

    Yeah, I know - the old days (and records) were always better (rawer, more fresh, etc.) - it's a big cliche but sometimes it's true. Being a huge Concrete Blonde fan since their first album in '86, I was always searching for the Dream 6 record, and since I live in Germany, it was almost impossible to get a copy. Thanks for this reissue and thanks to CD Baby! Listening to Dream 6 brings back all the memories of the early CB records and the few gigs I was lucky to be witnessing. This is the rawness that I always liked and that got lost a bit on later CB recordings. Anyway, we all have to move on - right, Johnette? You'll always be one of my favourite artists! Love and all the best from MUTZ.

  • Beautifully raw!!!
    author: Jennifer Aldrich

    I love to hear the rawness of the early days of bands. CB has skillfully crafted their unmistakeable sound! Johnette is living proof that we get better with age. You go girl!!!

  • Not what I'm used to, but still good
    author: Walter Skidmore

    Concrete Blonde has come a long way from their humble beginnings as Dream 6. While this CD is a GREAT listen, it's not what I'm used to from Concrete Blonde. Admittedly, the CD is old, it is their first after all, but the datedness is evident. It is really cool to hear Johnette's voice then versus now, though. All in all, this is a good CD (make that GREAT), but it'll take a few listens for newer fans of Concrete Blonde to appreciate it.

  • Splended
    author: A. Snow

    This cd is neat,I'm glad more had been put out under a different name.She has a beautiful vioce.

  • Great! A welcome addition to my Concrete Blonde collection.
    author: Frank Jackson

    I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would being of the older generation. Particulary liked the version of the Animals Its my life when I think Blonde always bring something new to a cover version. Great guitar work throughout the album and Johnette's voice as always adds a great deal. They care.

  • AWESOME DREAM 6 RE-ISSUE
    author: JP Goodwin

    You can't turn back the clock but you sure can rewind it!!! Whether you knew CB back then and/or now, this re-issue will surely blow you away. Thank you Jim & Johnette! Now if we could only get the coffee table book of the photo sessions...

  • author: Craig Owsley

    It was great to hear the beginnigs of Concrete Blonde, having been a fan for years. It was nice to hear Johnette's voice adn how it's matured over the years as well as the original version of Rain .I found this disc to be every bit as enjoyable as any Concrete Blonde discs to follow. A must have for any True CB fans.

  • Raw, fast, fun LA Rock!
    author: DL White

    This CD has something I absolutely love - a stripped down, rock and roll sound. No frills. No heavy-handed mastering. Just the honest recording of awesome music as its being made. That down and dirty sound that reminds you of seeing your favorite band at your favorite little club down the street and having the time of your life rocking out with them. It's fast. It's energetic. Johnette's vocals are to die for. Jim's guitar work is heavenly. Thank you for re-releasing this rare jewel!

  • A Must

    So glad I was able to finally purchase this album. I was not disappointed. Rain is as strong as the Mexican Moon release and Human Condition is my favorite track off the album. They should play it in concert. This album is good, makes you wonder why they weren't able to put out another record untill 5 years later.

  • Great!
    author: Brendan

    The young Johnette sounds wonderful on this well-mastered CD.

  • great
    author: cate

    i've wanted to hear this album for years. it's wonderful.

  • author: Den Haack

    At least I have the jewel for what I have looked over a decade ago. It´s a little more better as the debut album of CONCRETE BLONDE. "Rain" is kicking more ass as the version from Concrete Blonde´s album Mexican Moon. I love it!

  • Glad to finally hear the dream 6 album.
    author: Pam Smith

    I have waited a long time to hear this and have not been disappointed!

  • Even In Their Youth
    author: krisalicious

    It's always nice to discover the freshness and rawness of talented artists that are found here on Dream 6. Johnette's voice sounds so young, but no less powerful. Jim Makey must've been born playing the guitar. Listen...

  • great
    author: gary mccluskey

    this seems to be the third of the recent concrete blonde side project/collectibles. It's awsome and well worth the price! I usually think I must be preaching to the converted about their work, because if you've heard any of their work you'll probably want anything else you can find. Great songs, nicely repackaged. I've always loved 'rain' and the cover of 'it's my life' is worth the price alone. Speaking of covers- the photo of johnette is absolutely beautiful.

  • Fascinating Step in the Evolution of Concrete Blonde
    author: R. David Smola

    Dream 6 is a solid first effort that clearly hints at the great things to come from Johnette and James. The record is wonderfully produced and sounds great considering the small budget and the time it was made. A must for any Concrete Blonde enthusiast.

  • DREAM 6: Amazing of course!!!!
    author: Jenn R.

    WOW its so incredible.. I love this Dream 6 cd and so glad that it is a reissue.. The new song "Its My Life" sounds just perfect for it being a remake.. I love you Jim and Johnette, your both so perfect and extremely talented...I wonder if Johnette reads this stuff.. if not she should!!!!lol...

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