{{short description|1981 single by the Moody Blues}} {{Infobox song | name = Gemini Dream | cover = Gemini Dream.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[the Moody Blues]] | album = [[Long Distance Voyager]] | B-side = Painted Smile | released = 19 May 1981 | format = | recorded = Spring 1980<ref name=cushman>{{cite book|title=Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of the Moody Blues Volume 2 (1980-2018)|author=Cushman, Marc|pages=20–21, 27|year=2021|publisher=Jacobs Brown Press|isbn=9781735567358}}</ref> | studio = | genre = * [[New wave music|New wave]] * [[Rock music|rock]] | length = 4:09 (album version)<br>3:46 (single version) | label = [[Threshold Records|Threshold]] | writer = * [[Justin Hayward]] * [[John Lodge (musician)|John Lodge]] | producer = [[Pip Williams]] | prev_title = [[Driftwood (The Moody Blues song)|Driftwood]] | prev_year = 1978 | next_title = [[The Voice (The Moody Blues song)|The Voice]] | next_year = 1981 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|6hW9fADmFrc|"Gemini Dream"}}}} }}
"'''Gemini Dream'''" is a song written by [[Justin Hayward]] and [[John Lodge (musician)|John Lodge]] that was released by [[the Moody Blues]] on their 1981 album ''[[Long Distance Voyager]]'' and also as the lead single from the album. It reached number 12 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]], as well as number 1 on the [[RPM (magazine)|Canada ''RPM'' Top 100 Singles]] chart. It ranked as the 28th biggest Canadian hit of 1981.
==Background== "Gemini Dream" was the first of three singles released from ''Long Distance Voyager'', with "Painted Smile", another track from the album, on the B-side. Two more songs from ''Long Distance Voyager,'' "[[The Voice (The Moody Blues song)|The Voice]]" and "[[Talking Out of Turn]]", were subsequently released as singles after the album's release."<ref name=freakes>{{cite book|title=The Moody Blues: Every Album, Every Song|author=Freakes, Geoffrey|pages=78, 90, 92|year=2019|publisher=Sonicbond|isbn=9781789520422}}</ref>
"Gemini Dream" was written jointly by the band's lead guitarist Hayward and bassist Lodge, both of whom won an [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP]] songwriting award for it.<ref name=mnpr>{{cite web|title=It's a 'Gemini Dream' For John Lodge as the Moody Blues' Bass Player Unveils New Single|author=Bolwell, Richard|date=22 November 2021|access-date=2024-02-14|publisher=NMPR|url=https://www.mnprmagazine.com/news/its-a-gemini-dream-for-john-lodge-as-the-moody-blues-bass-player-unveil-new-single/}}</ref> While Hayward and Lodge had collaborated on a duet album outside of the Moody Blues in 1975 called ''[[Blue Jays (album)|Blue Jays]],'' "Gemini Dream" was the first song performed by the Moody Blues that they had written together.<ref name=freakes/>
The song developed out of a [[jam session]].<ref name=cushman/> Hayward said:{{quote|We started grooving on that particular beat – I suppose it's about 115 or 120 [beats per minute], something like that, perhaps a bit faster – and then what came out was a sort of [[guitar riff]], and [drummer] Graeme [Edge] was a real [[four-on-the-floor]] beat – boom-CHA-boom-CHA – that kind of thing, and John [Lodge] was doing an eight to the bar. And we had headphones on and were shouting silly things, sort of like a joke. The song itself developed out of us sort of saying "Oh, that's quite good," and remembering this groove.<ref name=cushman/>}}
Hayward also said:{{quote|I came up with the guitar riff out of that [jam session]. Then John and I wrote some lyrics to it. I didn't think it was anything important at the time, but politically, in the group and everything, it was kind of the right thing to do.<ref name=guitar>{{cite web|title='I sat on the side of the bed and just wrote the two verses. I was at the end of one big love affair and the beginning of another.' Justin Hayward on the Moody Blues' 'Nights in White Satin' and the 12-string he got from Lonnie Donegan|author=Graff, Gary|work=Guitar Player|access-date=2024-11-25|date=24 November 2024|url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/justin-hayward-on-nights-in-white-satin-and-more}}</ref>}}
As they developed the lyrics they tried to make it a song about touring that would be meaningful to fans but also a love song.<ref name=cushman/> Lodge had wanted to give the song the title along the lines of "Touring the USA" and Hayward wanted to call it "Backstage Pass", but they didn't think either was right, and eventually settled on "Gemini Dream", since "Gemini" represented the two personalities.<ref name=cushman/>
==Lyrics and music== Most of the lyrics of "Gemini Dream" are about a rock band while touring, but also lyrics are also about shared love.<ref name=freakes/><ref>{{cite web|title=Meanwhile and Far Away: The Moody Blues' 'Long Distance Voyager' at 40|author=Wilhelm, Rich|publisher=Pop Matters|access-date=4 February 2023|date=18 May 2021|url=https://www.popmatters.com/moody-blues-long-distance-voyager}}</ref> ''The Star Press'' critic Kim Teverbaugh said that "It is about the band getting back together and taking to the road.<ref name=star/> Lodge remembers: {{quote|I wanted to write the song saying, let's get back on the road. Be who we want, because I'm a musician. I like to play. I like to perform. We had a band which could really perform, and I really wanted to get back on the road. So it's 'long time, no see. Short time for you and me.' I had that in my brain. And actually the first incarnation of it, roughly, it was called "Touring America", not "Gemini Dream". But that was like the engine that started us on that road, ''Long Distance Voyager''.<ref>{{cite web|title=John Lodge on Days of Future Passed|website=Thestrangebrew.co.uk|access-date=January 24, 2024|url=https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/john-lodge/}}</ref>}}
''Detroit Free Press'' critic Bruce Britt described the music as having "a hybrid folk-disco sound."<ref>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-12|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|author=Britt, Bruce|title=Moody Blues is a big fish in heavy metal seas|date=26 July 1981|page=6C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/98995758/?terms=%22long%20distance%20voyager%22%20%22moody%20blues%22%20&match=1}}</ref> ''Ottawa Citizen'' critic Bill Provick compared its sound to [[ELO]].<ref>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-12|newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen|author=Provick, Bill|title=Elton, Moody Blues revive careers|date=29 May 1981|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/462911814/?terms=%22long%20distance%20voyager%22%20%22moody%20blues%22%20&match=1}}</ref>
Hayward and Lodge sing lead vocals in harmony.<ref name=cushman/><ref name=freakes/> ''Long Distance Voyager'' was the Moody Blues' first album since [[Patrick Moraz]] replaced [[Mike Pinder]] as the keyboardist, and so "Gemini Dream" was the first single released with Moraz.<ref name=cushman/>
==Reception== ''[[Record World]]'' called the song a "majestic rocker with just a touch of disco."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=30 May 1981|page=1|access-date=27 February 2023|title=Hits of the Week|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/81/RW-1981-05-30.pdf}}</ref> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' said the band was "in super form" and called the song a "dance-beat propelled track that is highlighted by crisp, clear vocals and the group's patented orchestral sound."<ref>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-14|newspaper=The Indianapolis News|title=Elton John Has No. 1 Disc Again|date=10 June 1981|page=26|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/312687765/?terms=%22gemini%20dream%22&match=1}}</ref>
Upon the album's release, Teverbaugh felt "It most likely is the best song this year will produce" and noted that the song sounded a little like [[ELO]].<ref name=star>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-12|newspaper=The Muncie Star|author=Teverbaugh, Kim|title=The Moody Blues Return to Prominence with Latest Album|date=2 August 1981|page=B-10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/252480558/?terms=%22long%20distance%20voyager%22%20%22moody%20blues%22%20&match=1}}</ref> ''Post-Gazette'' critic [[Gary Graff]] described it as sounding like "[[Lipps, Inc.]] meets the Electric Light Orchestra."<ref name=graff>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-12|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|author=Graff, Gary|title=Records: Moodies score with new sound|date=5 June 1981|page=24|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/89672819/?terms=%22long%20distance%20voyager%22%20%22moody%20blues%22%20&match=1}}</ref> ''Sacramento Bee'' critic Bob Sylva said it "possesses a clever, very [[Hall & Oates]]-like vocal harmonies between Justin Hayward and John Lodge that's a delight."<ref>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-12|newspaper=Sacramento Bee|author=Sylva, Bob|title=Records: In the cavern|date=1 October 1981|page=Out & About 7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/621350495/?terms=%22long%20distance%20voyager%22%20%22moody%20blues%22%20&match=1}}</ref> ''News-Democrat'' critic Roger Schlueter joked that "Rock fans will probably see 'Gemini Dream' as [''Long Distance Voyager''{{'}}s] saving grace much as they saw 'Peak Hour' as one of the best cuts ''[[Days of Future Past]]'' had to offer," noting that "the beat and vocals are straight-forward."<ref>{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=2024-02-14|newspaper=Belleville News-Democrat|author=Schlueter, Roger|title='Cosmos' earns five-galaxy rating|date=18 June 1981|page=7C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/767038512/?terms=%22gemini%20dream%22&match=1}}</ref>
''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Nick DeRiso rated it as the Moody Blues' 10th greatest song, calling it "a canny update of their core sound" and saying that it "set a template for the glossy-sheened prog-pop of [[Asia (band)|Asia]] and the '80s-era retooled [[Yes (band)|Yes]]."<ref name=ucr>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Moody Blues songs|author=DeRiso, Nick|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock|access-date=2 February 2023|date=31 August 2013|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-10-moody-blues-songs/}}</ref> [[Allmusic]] critic Dave Connolly felt that it "does sound dated in today's post-''[[Xanadu (soundtrack)|Xanadu]]'' landscape."<ref>{{cite web|title=Long Distance Voyager|author=Connolly, Dave|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=5 February 2023|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-distance-voyager-mw0000191079}}</ref> Music journalist Geoffrey Freakes described the song as "synth-pop", combining ELO-like melodies and harmonies with [[the Human League]]-like rhythm and synth [[hook (music)|hook]], which he says is "a strange concoction that hasn't dated particularly well."<ref name=freakes/>
==John Lodge version== Lodge released a live solo version of the song in 2021, recorded in Las Vegas, as a single and on his album ''[[The Royal Affair and After]]''.<ref name=mnpr/> Lodge said of the release after [[COVID-19]] lockdowns:{{quote|'Long time no see'...those opening words to Gemini Dream resonate even more with me today – what was true in 1981 has become true again in 2021. The song is about balancing 'twin' lives – touring musicians, and non-touring musicians. I finished my tour on March 8, 2020, and was in lockdown within days, but I never expected to be off the road for this long...Although this was a forced 'sojourn', it was a creative time, writing and recording new songs and a time well-spent with family, but as the song says, "the time is right" to get back on the road. Let's keep that Gemini Dream alive for all of us.....and thank you for keeping the faith.<ref name=mnpr/>}}
==Chart performance== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1981) !Peak<br>position |- |Australia ([[Kent Music Report|KMR]]) | style="text-align:center;"|36 |- |Canada (''RPM'') Top Singles<ref>[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0363&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0363.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0363 Library and Archives Canada, August 29, 1981], ''Bac-lac.gc.ca''</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] |align=center|12 |- |US [[Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks|Mainstream Rock]] |style="text-align:center;"|13 |- |US [[Hot Dance Club Songs|Dance]] |style="text-align:center;"|36 |- |US [[Cashbox (magazine)|''Cash Box'' Top 100]] |align=center|13 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable" |- !align="left"|Chart (1981) ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- |Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4689.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles of 1981 - December 26, 1981|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|28 |- |US ''Cash Box'' Top 100<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/1981YESP.html |title=Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1981 |access-date=30 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022115158/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/1981YESP.html |archive-date=22 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|89 |- |US ([[Joel Whitburn]]'s ''Pop Annual'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|86 |} {{col-end}}
==Personnel== * [[Justin Hayward]] – electric guitars, lead vocals * [[John Lodge (musician)|John Lodge]] – bass guitar, lead vocals * [[Ray Thomas]] – backing vocals * [[Patrick Moraz]] – [[Yamaha CS80]], [[Minimoog]], [[Oberheim Electronics|Oberheim custom dual-manual 8-voice synthesizer]] * [[Graeme Edge]] – drums, percussion
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{YouTube|fy4ZosLPG2Q|The Moody Blues - Gemini Dream}}
{{Moody Blues}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:1981 singles]] [[Category:1981 songs]] [[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Pip Williams]] [[Category:Songs written by John Lodge (musician)]] [[Category:Songs written by Justin Hayward]] [[Category:The Moody Blues songs]] [[Category:Threshold Records singles]]