The Supertramp Hit That Originated From an Ornate Homemade Demo

Many bands that ascended to elite status can point to a crucial moment when they had to step up with something great or else stay anonymous. For Supertramp, that moment came when they released their third album, Crime Of The Century, in 1974.

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Desperately needing a hit, the British band responded with “Dreamer”, which gave them a foothold on the UK charts. Six years later, a different version of the song made a big move on the US charts as well.

Third Album’s the Charm

Supertramp’s first two albums, released in 1970 and 1971, went pretty much nowhere in either their native Great Britain or America. They lost much of their financial backing due to the failure. But they at least maintained their record deal.

Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies, the band’s two songwriters, didn’t look at the recording of Crime Of The Century as a pressure-packed situation. They instead felt like they had nothing really to lose. With a few changes in the band lineup, they headed into those sessions with renewed enthusiasm.

When it came time to assemble material for the record, the pair wrote many songs fresh. But “Dreamer”, which turned out to be the album’s first single, came from a much earlier vintage. Hodgson wrote it as a teenager before he even teamed up with Davies. Recapturing the magic of his early demo for the song, however, proved a big stumbling block.

A Hit Twice Over

Hodgson had written the song at his mother’s house on a Wurlitzer keyboard. Because he didn’t have any other instruments at hand, he provided the percussion for the demo by banging on different household objects with his hands.

The band loved the song when he brought it to them years later. But they labored to recreate what Hodgson had done in that homemade demo. Eventually, they wrangled it into shape, and it became a No. 13 hit in the UK upon its release. That was, by far and away, Supertramp’s biggest success to that point.

Fast forward to 1980, by which time Supertramp had conquered America with their massive album Breakfast In America. The band released a live version of “Dreamer” from their concert album Paris. This take on the song hit No. 15 in the United States.

Behind the Lyrics of “Dreamer”

“Dreamer” calls out to someone who spends his time in reverie. “Well, can you put your hands in your head?” Hodgson asks, suggesting that these dreams might not be so easily accessed in real life. The narrator hints that the young man is beyond help: “You know you had it comin’ to you/Now, there’s not a lot I can do.”

Later, the lyrics take the form of a conversation between Hodgson’s suddenly encouraging narrator and the dreamer, sung by Rick Davies. For example, Davies sings, “If I could be someone.” Hodgson responds, “You can be anyone, celebrate, boy.”

“Dreamer” introduced Hodgson’s knack for writing songs with rich melodies and profoundly philosophical lyrics. And it also represented the ambitious instrumental interplay for which this band would soon become known. In other words, Supertramp’s first big hit feels right at home with their greatest ones.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)