Tuesday August 24, 2021 “All I Have to Do Is Dream” The Everly Brothers
Interrupting our trip to the zoo to note the passing of a rock & roll legend, the last remaining Everly Brother, Don who left us at age 84 this past Saturday.
So much I could say about the Everlys who recorded some of my favorite songs but here are some quotes from folks who know a whole lot more about music than me:
Paul Simon, who collaborated with the duo on the title track from his Graceland album said of the Everly Brothers, "Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard."
Sir Tim Rice paid his own personal tribute; "RIP Don Everly. No singers of my school days meant more to me than the Everly Brothers. To quote one of their great hits (which Don wrote) - So Sad."
Dave Davies of the KInks said, "Both of the Everlys were part of my musical life growing up. We were inspired by their wonderful records and their singing and their voices. Wake Up Little Susie was my favorite as a kid."
Rolling Stone Keith Richards called Don "one of the finest rhythm guitar players."
Graham Nash said of the Everly Brothers Sound, “It stopped Allan Clarke (lead singer of the Hollies) and I in our tracks. We had never heard anything like that. I mean, we were two teenagers that were singing together. But we didn't sound anything like that.”
“It was like lightning striking”, Linda Ronstadt once told NPR of Don and Phil's voices coming together.
Paul McCartney wrote: "Phil and his brother Don were one of the major influences on the Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don."
Legendary guitarist Duane Eddy said of The Everly Brothers: "It was the most beautiful sound you'll ever hear, I think, of two voices. They were like two great singers that came together, who happened to be brothers and had that same sibling quality. It just made for a beautiful sound."
Bob Dylan claimed “we owe these guys everything – they started it all.”
Neil Young suggested his entire career was based on trying and failing to sound like them.
“If someone comes up and says they were influenced musically by us, and that they appreciate that influence, that makes me feel really good to think that I had influenced people,” Don said in 2016. “I don’t take it for granted.”
There are few singing groups who weren’t inspired by or aspired to replicate the amazing harmonies of the Everly Brothers and today’s song is one of my favorites, hope it’s one of yours too.
Stay safe and well...and as we have noted in the past, music often provides the harmonies that we wish existed in the world, and the Everlys were perhaps the best version of those harmonies.
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam
I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away
I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam
I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away
I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream, dream