"Sometimes a Fantasy" is a song by Billy Joel, released in 1980 as the last single from his seventh studio album Glass Houses. The single peaked at No. 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is a "melodic, fast paced rocker"[1] and starts with Joel dialing a number on a telephone (which he is depicted doing on the single cover).[1]
| "Sometimes a Fantasy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album Glass Houses | ||||
| B-side | "All for Leyna" | |||
| Released | 1980 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:19 (single version) 3:40 (album version) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer(s) | Phil Ramone | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The lyrics are about a sexually frustrated man who tries to convince his significant other to have phone sex. He explains that he is lonely since they are far away from each other (which is implied by the fact that his phone call is "long distance").
Music video
editThe video starts with Joel in bed, dialing a woman's number. She then picks up the phone and the music starts playing. While on the phone, Joel sings the song's lyrics to her throughout the video. Then, in the end, it turns out the entire call was just a fantasy, and no one picked up.
Other versions
editThe single version of "Sometimes a Fantasy" released in the United States and Canada has a running time of 4:19, making it longer than the album version, which runs at 3:40. The 45 RPM single also uses a different mix with guitars panned in different locations. The album's version ends with a fade out, while the single version does not, and instead includes Joel letting loose a Beatles' honoring yowl of "I got blisters on my blisters!",[5] a reference to Ringo Starr's outburst, "I got blisters on my fingers" at the end of "Helter Skelter".
The extended version of the song was available as a US 7" vinyl, a Canadian 7" vinyl, a US promo 7" vinyl, a US DJ-promo 12" vinyl and (at 4:22) as the Japanese B-side of "All for Leyna" (available as a 7" and a 7" promo).[6] To date, the long version is not available on any of Joel's compilation albums, reissues, and is not available in CD or mp3 format. The single was released in other countries as a 3:39 version, namely in Australia, the Netherlands and the UK (7" promo).[6]
The official music video for this single uses an alternate vocal track, different from the album and single releases.[7] A version of the song is included on Joel's 1987 live album, Kontsert.
Reception
editBillboard said that it "starts with a telephone ring and a rockabilly vocal before its transition into a melodic, fast-paced rocker."[8][9] Record World called it a "pulsating rocker for AOR-pop."[10]
Personnel
edit- Billy Joel – vocals, Yamaha electric grand piano, synthesizers
- Richie Cannata – organ
- Dave Brown – electric guitar
- Russell Javors – electric guitar
- Doug Stegmeyer – bass
- Liberty DeVitto – drums, percussion
Chart history
edit| Chart (1980–1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart[11] | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] | 36 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. October 11, 1980. p. 75. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Matt (January 20, 2024). "The 25 Greatest Billy Joel Songs of All Time". Paste. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Evanoff, Savannah (November 18, 2019). "OFF THE RECORD: 'Glass Houses'". Northwest Florida Daily News. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Final Serenade, One (May 27, 2021). "Sometimes a Fantasy - Billy Joel". One Final Serenade: The Songs of Billy Joel. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ "Billy Joel - Sometimes A Fantasy (LONG SINGLE VERSION) (1980)". 3 April 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-05 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "52nd Street Serenade ♪♪: Still You're Aching For The Things You Haven't Got (1980-1982 from Glass Houses)". Billyjoel52ndstreetserenade.blogspot.co.uk. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- ^ "52nd Street Serenade ♪♪: Singles & Videos". Billyjoel52ndstreetserenade.blogspot.co.uk. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- ^ "Review: Billy Joel – Sometimes a Fantasy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 41. 11 October 1980. p. 75. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 30 May 2020 – via American Radio History.
- ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. October 11, 1980. p. 75. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 11, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
- ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2024.