Peak
9
Weeks
21
Score
2,724
Chart Year
1986
A music video for "Your Wildest Dreams" was produced and was directed by Brian Grant. It depicts Hayward and an unnamed woman throughout his career, showing how their relationship drifted apart as the band's success grew. Both are shown moving on while also wondering about each other and what might have been throughout the years, culminating in her attending one of their performances. She tries to meet him backstage but is unsuccessful, as Hayward is ushered away before they can reunite. This storyline would later be continued in the music video for "I Know You're Out There Somewhere". The video received a Billboard Video of the Year award and saw heavy rotation on MTV. The actress in the video is Janet Spencer-Turner. In flashback scenes, the young Moody Blues are represented in the video by the British band Mood Six.[15] The video was recognized as the "best overall video" at the Billboard Video Music Conference held in Los Angeles in November 1986. Grant was awarded the top director honor.[16] Hayward recalled that, initially, the band was meant to play themselves throughout the whole video, but their age prevented this. He explained, "[Grant] was like, 'It can't be you starring in the video, it's too personal and you're too old.' We still looked all right as 40-year-olds, but Brian was like, 'We need younger people for you all.
This song is about "the one who got away." Feeling a bit nostalgic, the singer wonders if his long-lost love remembers him the way he remembers her. The song was written by The Moody Blues guitarist/singer Justin Hayward, who told us that it was inspired by a real person, but one that shall go nameless. "I found with 'Wildest Dreams' that it was a common experience for a lot of people," he said. "I thought I was writing a frivolous sort of song. I thought 'Wildest Dreams' would be a throwaway thing that people wouldn't really take much notice of lyrically. But I found out that it was a common experience and desire by a lot of people. So that was very revealing." The Moody Blues were one of the first bands to use a Mellotron, which was a keyboard instrument that played sounds by triggering tape loops. Mike Pinder, a founding member of the band, was their Mellotron virtuoso. After Pinder's departure in 1979, Justin Hayward began experimenting with synthesizers, and became particularly fond of the Yamaha DX7, which is apparent on this track. Tony Visconti, famous for his work with David Bowie, produced The Other Side Of Life album and encouraged the band to use some unusual instruments. "Most of 'Wildest Dreams' - 90% of it - is Tony Visconti, my DX7, and a guitar synth," Justin Hayward tells us. "The piece at the beginning that sounds like a sort of Theremin, a (humming) 'oooo ooo,' that's a guitar synth. All of that is. So it was just another way of exploring musical avenues. Tony Visconti was very much into that and the first person who really turned the band on to programming in a serious way. And he was very, very good at it, so I enjoyed every moment of that." Justin Hayward wrote the song "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," which appeared on the next Moody Blues album, Sur la Mer, as a sequel to this song, with the singer longing to find the girl. For "Somewhere," he went back to his Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and used the same keyboard and bass sounds, keeping the same tempo. This gave the songs a similar musical feel to connect them musically, and then he wrote the lyrics to continue the story.
Once upon a time Once when you were mine I remember skies Reflected in your eyes I wonder where you are I wonder if you think about me Once upon a time In your wildest dreams Once the world was new Our bodies felt the morning dew That greets the brand new day We couldn't tear ourselves away I wonder if you care I wonder if you still remember Once upon a time In your wildest dreams And when the music plays And when the words are touched with sorrow When the music plays I hear the sound I had to follow Once upon a time Once beneath the stars The universe was ours Love was all we knew And all I knew was you I wonder if you know I wonder if you think about it Once upon a time In your wildest dreams Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah And when the music plays And when the words are touched with sorrow When the music plays And when the music plays I hear the sound I had to follow Once upon a time Once upon a time Once when you were mine I remember skies Mirrored in your eyes I wonder where you are I wonder if you think about me Once upon a time In your wildest dreams (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) In your wildest dreams (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) In your wildest dreams (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) In your wildest dreams (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 19, 1986 | 95 | 31 |
| 2 | Apr 26, 1986 | 81 | 45 |
| 3 | May 3, 1986 | 67 | 59 |
| 4 | May 10, 1986 | 57 | 69 |
| 5 | May 17, 1986 | 49 | 77 |
| 6 | May 24, 1986 | 39 | 87 |
| 7 | May 31, 1986 | 32 | 94 |
| 8 | Jun 7, 1986 | 27 | 99 |
| 9 | Jun 14, 1986 | 25 | 101 |
| 10 | Jun 21, 1986 | 21 | 105 |
| 11 | Jun 28, 1986 | 18 | 108 |
| 12 | Jul 5, 1986 | 12 | 114 |
| 13 | Jul 12, 1986 | 9 | 117 |
| 14 | Jul 19, 1986 | 9 | 117 |
| 15 | Jul 26, 1986 | 13 | 113 |
| 16 | Aug 2, 1986 | 20 | 106 |
| 17 | Aug 9, 1986 | 38 | 88 |
| 18 | Aug 16, 1986 | 51 | 75 |
| 19 | Aug 23, 1986 | 74 | 52 |
| 20 | Aug 30, 1986 | 83 | 43 |