Pieces of a Dream emerged out of Philadelphia’s music scene in 1976. Keyboa… Read Full Bio ↴Pieces of a Dream emerged out of Philadelphia’s music scene in 1976. Keyboardist James Lloyd, drummer Curtis Harmon and former bassist Cedric Napoleon, were (and still are) managed by the drummer’s father and uncle, Danny and Bill Harmon, respectively. The group based their name on Pieces of Dreams, a cover tune by Stanley Turrentine that the group performed.

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

Love of My Life
Pieces Of A Dream Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another day has slipped away
And now I feel it's time to say what's on my mind
Why did it seem so hard
To tell you what's been in my heart

Every time I hear your voice the angels sing,
Girl I'm here to offer you my soul to keep
I wanna take you in my arms

And I want you to stay
Cause I need you here tonight love of my life
Yeah baby...

Something so real opened my eyes
And now I see there's not much time... Much precious time
Swept away as the tears roll down tears of joy for the love I found

Every time I hear your voice the angels sing,
Girl I'm here to offer you my soul to keep
I wanna take you in my arms
And I want you to stay
Cause I need you here tonight love of my life

Now I've finally figured out what this world is all about
And now's the time to live our lives forever baby...
Cause I need you here tonight.

Every time I hear your voice the angels sing,
Girl I'm here to offer you my soul to keep
I wanna take you in my arms

And I want you to stay
Cause I need you here tonight love of my life... Love of my life

Overall Meaning

The song "Love of My Life" by Pieces Of A Dream is a beautiful ode to a lover that the singer has finally realized is the most important thing in their life. The song tackles the fear and hesitance that often comes with confessing one's feelings to someone they care about deeply. The singer states that they had a hard time telling their lover what had been in their heart all along. However, they have finally mustered up the courage to do so, and now they want to take their beloved in their arms and hold on to them tightly. The singer emphasizes how much they need their lover to be by their side, especially tonight.

The song's message is that true love is something that should be cherished and held on to tightly. The singer realizes that they had been taking their lover for granted and had not realized just how much they needed them until now. The singer also emphasizes how time is precious and how they do not want to waste another moment without their beloved. Overall, the song is a beautiful reminder to appreciate the people we love while they are still with us.

Line by Line Meaning

Another day has slipped away
Time passes quickly and another day has ended.

And now I feel it's time to say what's on my mind
I feel it's time to express my true feelings to you.

Why did it seem so hard
I struggled to articulate what was in my heart.

To tell you what's been in my heart
I wanted to share my true feelings with you.

Every time I hear your voice the angels sing,
Your voice is soothing and brings joy to my heart.

Girl I'm here to offer you my soul to keep
I am willing to give you everything I have, including my soul.

I wanna take you in my arms
I want to hold you close to me.

And I want you to stay
I don't want you to leave.

Cause I need you here tonight love of my life
You are the love of my life and I need you here with me tonight.

Something so real opened my eyes
Something genuine has helped me see things clearly.

And now I see there's not much time... Much precious time
Time is precious and I don't want to waste it.