Sweet Dreams or smoke dreams?
Dear Ms Lennox, Thanks for reading this. I want to first of all explain why we (I) murdered your song. There were others involved, but they only made me look better than I sounded. Your song “Sweet Dreams” has been appearing, more often than annually, in my head since its release in 1983. It was no surprise when it did again that day I rode my bike along a track of one of Santa Fe’s great arroyos. This time however, my team and I had only two days to come up with a concept for our IndieGoGo video. We wanted it to be “catchy”, “entertaining”, and “not too serious”. (I find mediation messages can be a bit dull, most of the time.) By the end of that bike trail, an entire new verse and chorus had been written, to the tune of your famous track. "These breaths are made for ease. Try one and you’ll surely agree, The key is in the sim-pli-ci-ty Every-body, needs to breath” And our campaign video was born. I returned to my desk only to be reminded by Isabelle (my co-founder/ videographer/ editor), that we may have a small issue with royalties. Right. I agreed, so I spent the next day googling the sweet bejesus out of it. All I found that it is a very complicated issue, these ownership rights. Everyone I made contact with told me so. I saddled up again, and headed out to the trail for a bit of air and space. Now sooner had I worked up my first pant, than I ran into Ivo. Now…all I knew about Ivo was what he told me when I met him a month before (on that same trail). That he used to produce the Cocteau Twins out of London back in the 80’s. Ah ha I thought….”Ivo, do you happen to know Annie Lennox?” “Well” he said, “as a matter of fact, my ex-lawyer is her current lawyer, and you could probably be in touch with him tomorrow if you like”. (He also mentioned he came within a whisker of producing you too in the 80's, but the meeting was aborted due to a family tragedy.) “One more question Ivo…” I asked “…do you also happen to know a composer who would like to work on this breathing project of ours” “Why yes” he replied “…I know a very talented man in Sardinia. I think he would be a great match”. And like that, Ivo had removed two of my greatest obstacles. I thanked him and just as I rode away, he said, “Be careful of the trail” And why, for the first time I fell off my bike around a rocky corner that day, is another story… But Ms Lennox, YOUR tale doesn't end there. I did end up making contact with your lawyer this August and, due to another tragedy in your family (which I was very sorry to hear), he rightfully advised it would be an inappropriate time to make contact with you. So that’s where I thought our story would end. Until…. The other day. Isabelle returned to her home of Mallorca (where I met her years ago whilst living there myself), and talked about a friend in a small village beginning with E. She played the “Guess who my friend knows who lives here?” game. You were my first guess. This synchronicity has become too much for me to ignore Annie. So let’s do something with it. May I propose something that could be fun for all of us- You, me, Isabelle… the general public? How about YOU sing the words to our video? I would feel no shame at all in others (including my own mother) preferring your voice over mine. We could set a deal…..offer you something in return for your troubles - although I’m sure that a viral, domestic video (which was actually VERY well shot in LA) with YOUR voice, wouldn’t hurt your latest promotions for "Nostalgia"? Hmmmmm..... You can contact me here, if you like. I look forward to it. Well wishes, Baxter.