ProJazz.net

Dream On is the fifteenth studio album by American keyboardist and record producer George Duke. It was released in 1982 through Epic Records.

Reception

On his R&B-oriented records of the late ’70s, George Duke often shared the lead vocals with such band members as Lynn Davis, Josie James, and Napoleon Brock, but none of them are employed on 1982’s Dream On, which finds him handling most of the lead vocals himself. And that isn’t a bad thing, because Duke is a soulful and charismatic singer — there is no reason why he shouldn’t hog the microphone on his own albums. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of first-rate material to work with on this competent, if uneven and unfocused, LP. Dream On isn’t a bad album; sleek R&B ballads like “I Will Always Be Your Friend,” “Let Your Love Shine,” and “You” are pleasant, but they aren’t remarkable, and while Dream On simmers, it never burns and never explodes. Even “Son of Reach for It (The Funky Dream)” — a sequel to Duke’s 1977 smash “Reach for It” — isn’t all that exciting. The best thing on the record is a remake of the mellow soul ballad “Someday,” which he had previously recorded for 1975’s I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry. Again, Dream On isn’t a disaster, but it isn’t one of Duke’s more impressive albums either. This LP is strictly for completists (AllMusic).

Track listing
1. “Shine On” George Duke 5:12
2. “You” George Duke 4:37
3. “Dream On”
Cedric MartinFelton Clyde Pilate II
4:01
4. “I Will Always Be Your Friend” George Duke 3:27
5. “Framed” George Duke 3:18
6. “Ride on Love” George Duke 5:25
7. “Son of Reach for It”
George DukeByron MillerLeon Chancler
4:25
8. “Someday” George Duke 3:51
9. “Positive Energy” George Duke 3:33
10. “Let Your Love Shine” George Duke 4:27
Total length: 48:11

Personnel
George Duke – Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9), Synare (1, 6), Prophet-5 (2–10), vocals (1–10), finger snaps (2), melodion (4), clavinet (5, 6, 9), lead vocals (5), backing vocals (5), Minimoog (6, 8), ARP synthesizer (7), Oberheim synthesizer (7)
Michael Sembello – guitars (1–4, 6, 9)
Charles Foster Johnson – guitars (7)
Byron Miller – bass (1–7, 9)
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler – drums, vocals (7)
Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 4, 9, 10)
Larry Williams – tenor saxophone (1), saxophone (2)
Gary Herbig – saxophone (9)
Bill Reichenbach, Jr. – trombone (1, 2, 9)
Gary Grant – trumpet (1, 2, 9), flugelhorn (2)
Jerry Hey – trumpet (1, 2, 9), flugelhorn (2)
Carl Caldwell – backing vocals (5)
Jean Carn – vocals (7)
Dee Hendricks – vocals (7)
Flora Purim – vocals (7)
Deborah Thomas – vocals (7)
Sybil Thomas – vocals (7)
Strings (3, 4, 6, 10)

George Duke – conductor
Charles Veal, Jr. – concertmaster
Rosemary Veal – contractor
Julianna Buffum, Paula Hochhalter, Dennis Karmazyn, Nils Oliver and Danny Rothmuller – cello
Denyse Buffum, Rollice Dale, Virginia Majenski and Barbara Thomason – viola
Arnold Belnick, Mari Botnick, Bonnie Douglas, Henry Ferber, Ron Folsom, Frank Foster, Endre Granat, Bob Sanov, Sheldon Sanov, Carol Shive, Paul Shure, Marcia Van Dyke, Dorothy Wade and Ken Yerke – violin

_________________

Released: 1982
Studios:
Le Gonks West (Hollywood)Westlake (Hollywood)A&M Studios (Hollywood)
Length: 46:24
Label: Epic
Producer: George Duke