Craig Allen says: ‘Meet Dream Academy’

Dream Academy formed in London in 1983, combining folk-pop music with "sophisticated" sounds. And, it scored one of "Jersey's Favorite Hits" in 1986!Singer/guitarist Nick Laird-Clowes and keyboard player Gilbert Gabriel met in the late 1970's, when they were both in the band "The Act" in Britain.

While forming their own band in the early 1980's, they wanted to stay away from the power pop sound that was all the rage at the time...they wanted their own sound. They would use strings, woodwinds, drums (including timpani) and synthesizers in their songs.

At first, the duo called themselves the "Politics Of Paradise"

Two became three, when Laird-Clowes met vocalist Kate St. John, of the band "Ravishing Beauties," at a party.

Settling on the name "The Dream Academy," the trio went into the studio and recorded a demo, which they shopped around to the record labels for almost 2 years!

Warner Brothers Records signed Dream Academy in 1985.

Their first single was a huge international hit!

"Life In A Northern Town" zoomed to #7 on the Hot 100 in New Jersey in early 1986.  It went to #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was a #15 hit in England.

The song was written in memory of English singer Nick Drake, who died at age 26 in 1974. His antidepressant overdose may have been a suicide. Laird-Clowes says something about the verse melody of the song that he was writing with Gabriel, reminded him of the late artist.

In addition, the song was going to be called "Morning Lasted All Day," until Paul Simon told his friend Laird-Clowes that he didn't like the title...

Another report states that Warner Brothers initially didn't want to release "Life In A Northern Town," saying that it needed more drums! Co-writers Laird-Clowes and Gabriel disagreed.

Based on "Life's" popularity, the Dream Academy immediately hit the road on a promotional tour...appearing on TV shows including "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," they appeared on "American Bandstand" and MTV.

Back home in England, the band appeared on "Top Of The Pops."

Sadly, the next few singles would flop.

Let's just say that the band's next two albums would...not fulfill expectations.

"The Love Parade" would stall at #36 in 1986...the only other Dream Academy song to chart in the US. Above: the US video, the UK video below:

Its interesting to me to realize that it was the English version of the "Love Parade" that I played on the radio a few years later...here in New Jersey! Go figure!

It would be the hit movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" that would give "Dream Academy" its last chart entry in its native England!

"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want," would stall at #83 in 1986.

It would not chart anywhere else around the world.

Dream Academy toured once, in 1991.

After the tour, all three members ultimately decided the band had come to an end...as all wanted to pursue other individual projects.

Nick Laird-Clowes, Gilbert Gabriel and Kate St. John all remain active in music.

And, "Life In A Northern Town" lives on as one of "Jersey's Favorite Hits!"