Only When I Sleep

"Only When I Sleep"
Single by the Corrs
from the album Talk on Corners
ReleasedSeptember 1997 (1997-09)
Length3:50
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Oliver Leiber
The Corrs singles chronology
"Closer"
(1997) 		"Only When I Sleep"
(1997) 		"I Never Loved You Anyway"
(1997)

"Only When I Sleep" is a song by Irish folk rock band The Corrs, released in September 1997 as the lead single from their sophomore album, Talk on Corners (1997). The song focuses on being in love with someone and fantasizing, in your dreams, not focusing on someone in reality. The track was also included on the second issuing of the album, Talk on Corners: Special Edition (1998), and was also recorded live with an orchestra for MTV's Unplugged (1999). It is also featured on Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection (2006). "Only When I Sleep" managed to peak at number 1 on the Spanish Singles Chart, 10 on the Irish Singles Chart, number 34 on the Australian Singles Chart, and number 58 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week described the song as "a classy and sonically pleasing ballad performed in a style midway between Roxette and Heart. The family's pleasing harmonies are a plus, as is the vaguely Irish fiddling. An invaluable trigger to sales of their upcoming album Talk On Corners."[1]

Music video and composition

The accompanying music video for "Only When I Sleep" was shot at the Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles, and is of a more glamorous style than the previous videos. The hotel used to be very popular in the early days of Hollywood, and famous stars like Charlie Chaplin, Sarah Bernhardt, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks or Cecil B. DeMille but also politicians like Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill stayed at the hotel. It is abandoned today but still used as a filming location of many films, TV shows (e.g. The X-Files) and other music videos.

Director Nigel Dick met Jim by chance at Los Angeles International Airport. He has been directing music videos for many other artists, including R.E.M., Cher, Oasis, Tears for Fears and Alice Cooper.

"Only When I Sleep" is a slower-paced (95 BPM), steady but 'dreamy' rock song in the key of B Dorian (minor)/A major, in common time (4/4), and runs for four minutes and twenty-one seconds. The song features prominent rhythmic and solo electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums; the bridge of the song is a simple, Irish-inspired melody composed by the band, featuring Andrea Corr on tin whistle (a Walton's 'Little Black D' whistle) and Sharon Corr on violin. Sharon plays a Barcus Berry acoustic-electric violin.

Track listings

  • UK and Japanese CD single[2][3]
  1. "Only When I Sleep" (radio edit) – 3:50
  2. "Only When I Sleep" (LP version) – 4:23
  3. "Remember" – 4:02
  4. "Only When I Sleep" (instrumental) – 4:23
  • UK cassette single[4]
  1. "Only When I Sleep" (radio edit) – 3:50
  2. "Remember" – 4:02
  • French and Benelux CD single[5]
  1. "Only When I Sleep" (radio edit) – 3:50
  2. "Only When I Sleep" (LP version) – 4:23
  3. "Only When I Sleep" (instrumental) – 4:23

Personnel

Credits are taken from the UK CD single liner notes.[2]

The Corrs

Production

Charts

Chart (1997–1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 34
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 10
Scotland (OCC)[8] 47
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[9] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 58

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Ireland September 1997 —
[11]
United Kingdom 13 October 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
 [12]
Japan 29 October 1997 CD [13]

References

  1. ^ Jones, Alan (18 October 1997). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b Only When I Sleep (UK CD single liner notes). The Corrs. 143 Records, Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1997. AT0015CD, 7567-84017-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ Only When I Sleep (Japanese CD single liner notes). The Corrs. 143 Records, Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1997. AMCY-2250.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ Only When I Sleep (UK cassette single sleeve). The Corrs. 143 Records, Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1997. AT0015C, 7567-84018-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Only When I Sleep (French & Benelux CD single liner notes). The Corrs. 143 Records, Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1997. 7567840249.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ "The Corrs – Only When I Sleep". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  7. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Only When I Sleep". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  9. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 8480486392.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  11. ^ Best of The Corrs (European album booklet). The Corrs. 143 Records, Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 2001. 7567-93073-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 October 1998. p. 29. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  13. ^ "夢の中で抱きしめて | ザ・コアーズ" [Only When I Sleep | The Corrs] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 August 2023.