Pieces of a Dream first started playing throughout the Tri-State area, and were soon featured on Temple University’s pioneering jazz radio station, WRTI-FM. Long before the “Young Lions” era of Wynton Marsalis, Lloyd and Harmon were swinging so hard as teenagers that the great Count Basie once proclaimed them “a tough act to follow.” But it was another jazz legend, the late Grover Washington Jr., the sax man who made Philadelphia his home, who helped Pieces of a Dream become the internationally known stars they are today.
After quickly becoming popular around Philadelphia, the trio landed a spot as the house band for a local television show called City Lights. Their experience widened as they played backup on the broadcasts to a wide variety of artists, and that’s where Washington first heard them. One day while the teenagers were playing at the Bijou (where Grover had recorded his Live at the Bijou album), he sat in with them to play “Mr. Magic.” Soon Washington announced that he was starting a production company and that Pieces of a Dream would be his first act. Lloyd was only a senior in high school when his first record came out.
From 1981 to 1984, Pieces of a Dream built their reputation with three albums on Elektra that would come to define the musical essence of the smooth jazz radio explosion: Pieces of a Dream, We Are One and Imagine This. Those seminal records yielded some of their earliest hits, including “Warm Weather,” “Mount Airy Groove” and “Fo Fi Fo.” Soon after completing Joyride, their last effort for Elektra, Pieces of a Dream moved to EMI/Blue Note and went on to record seven more albums. During this period, the group amicably parted ways with long time friend Cedric Napoleon.
In 2001, Pieces of a Dream signed with Heads Up International and celebrated their 25th anniversary with what was undoubtedly their best album in years, Acquainted with the Night. The group’s silver anniversary release featured guitarist Ronny Jordan, vocalist Maysa Leak, and saxophonists Gerald Albright and Kenny Blake. Highlights included compositions from Albright and Michael Bearden, along with remakes of “Mahogany” and “Upside Down.” Acquainted with the Night generated two top-five singles on R&R's NAC chart. The follow up album Love's Silhouette also scored top radio chart positioning and Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart top 10 status. Their April 2004 release, No Assembly Required, is sure to be another hit album in their long and illustrious career.
One of their former singers Norwood Young is now a cast member on the E! Cable channel's TV show High Maintenance 90210.
Addition - May 9,2009
Formed: 1975 in Philadelphia, PA
Styles: Crossover Jazz, Urban, Smooth Jazz
Group Members: Curtis Harmon, Ron Kerber, James K. Lloyd, Cedric A. Napoleon
Biography
Comprised of bassist Cedric Napoleon, drummer Curtis Harmon, and keyboardist James Lloyd, Pieces of a Dream were founded in 1975 in Philadelphia when the principal members were all teenagers. Originally somewhat jazz-oriented, Pieces of a Dream have mostly emphasized R&B, although they usually include a few jazz numbers in their performances. Grover Washington, Jr. produced their first three albums (all for Elektra during 1981-1983); they have since recorded for Manhattan and Blue Note. Saxophonist Ron Kerber became a member in the 1990s, preceding the four varied releases that appeared throughout the decade. A collection appeared at the turn of the century, but the band proved to still be going strong with 2001's Acquainted with the Night and 2002's Love's Silhouette. No Assembly Required was released in 2004 on Cleveland's Heads Up label, followed by 2006's Pillow Talk, also on Heads Up. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Careless Whisper
Pieces Of A Dream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies, something in your eyes
Calls to mind the silver screen
And all its sad good-byes
I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
I know you're not a fool
Shoulda known better than to cheat a friend
And waste this chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you
Tonight the music seems so loud
I am wishing that we could lose this crowd
But maybe it's better this way
We hurt each other with the things we wanna say
We could have been so good together
We could have danced this dance forever
But no one's gonna dance with me
Please stay
I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're, know you're not a fool
I shoulda known better than to cheat a friend
And waste this chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you
The song "Careless Whisper" by Pieces of a Dream is a cover of the original song by George Michael. The lyrics are about regret and the consequences of cheating on a friend. The singer feels unsure and conflicted as he leads his partner to the dance floor. The music dies down and something in her eyes reminds him of the silver screen and all its sad goodbyes, which leads him to reflect on the past.
The singer acknowledges his guilt and admits that he should have known better than to cheat a friend. He feels that he has wasted the chance he had with his partner and can never dance with her again in the same way. The music seems loud and the crowd surrounding them makes him wish that they could be alone. The hurt they have caused each other with their words and actions has prevented them from being together.
The singer acknowledges that they could have been good together and could have danced forever, but the betrayal of their friendship has put an end to their relationship. He acknowledges that he has guilty feet that have no rhythm, but he knows that his partner is not a fool. The song is a bittersweet reminder of the consequences of one's actions and the importance of treating others with kindness.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel so unsure
I'm feeling uneasy
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As I hold your hand and take you to dance
As the music dies, something in your eyes
As the music fades, I see something in your eyes
Calls to mind the silver screen
Reminds me of a movie scene
And all its sad good-byes
And all the sad endings
I'm never gonna dance again
I will never dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
I don't feel like dancing anymore
Though it's easy to pretend
Even though I could lie
I know you're not a fool
I know you are not naive
Shoulda known better than to cheat a friend
I should have known better than to hurt my friend
And waste this chance that I've been given
And ruin the opportunity given to me
So I'm never gonna dance again
So I won't dance again
The way I danced with you
The way I danced with you before
Tonight the music seems so loud
The music is so loud tonight
I am wishing that we could lose this crowd
I wish we could be alone together
But maybe it's better this way
But maybe it's better to end it now
We hurt each other with the things we wanna say
We hurt each other with the truth
We could have been so good together
We could have been great together
We could have danced this dance forever
We could have danced forever
But no one's gonna dance with me
But I am alone now
Please stay
Please don't go
I'm never gonna dance again
I won't dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
I don't feel like dancing anymore
Though it's easy to pretend
Even though I could lie
I know you're, know you're not a fool
I know you are not naive
I shoulda known better than to cheat a friend
I should have known better than to hurt my friend
And waste this chance that I've been given
And ruin the opportunity given to me
So I'm never gonna dance again
So I won't dance again
The way I danced with you
The way I danced with you before
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew J. Ridgeley, George Michael
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind