Blame It on Me (D:Ream song)

"Blame It on Me"
Single by D:Ream
from the album D-Ream On Volume 1
Released30 August 1994 (1994-08-30)[1]
GenrePop
Length3:47
Label
Songwriter(s)Peter Cunnah
Producer(s)Tom Frederikse
D:Ream singles chronology
"U R the Best Thing (Perfecto Remix)"
(1994) 		"Blame It on Me"
(1994) 		"Shoot Me with Your Love"
(1995)
Music video
"Blame It on Me" on YouTube

"Blame It on Me" is a song by Northern Irish musical group D:Ream, released in August 1994 by Magnet, FXU and Warner Music UK as the sixth and last single from the group's debut album, D-Ream On Volume 1 (1993). The song is written by frontman Peter Cunnah and features backing vocals by Jamie Petrie and Linda Duggan. Produced by Tom Frederikse, "Blame It on Me" received favorable reviews from music critics, peaking at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 on the UK Dance Singles Chart.

Critical reception

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "The new single clams things down a little from the rampant dance pop of their previous hits with an almost gospelly [that's not even a word] ballad which may well under-perform in the charts, despite being another example of a song well sung."[2] Jennifer Nine from Melody Maker said, "Thing is, Peter Cunnah is starting to look cuter. And this song, darn it, despite being not nearly as overblown as it should be in the gospel-chorus department, is the silky, upful piano-and-twiddly-synth soul business. I played it over and over."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "While George Michael spends all his time in court, Peter Cunnah takes his chance to fill the gap in the market. Here he's like a young Joel singing the 'River of D:Reams'."[4]

Alan Jones from Music Week gave 'Blame It on Me' four out of five and named it Pick of the Week, saying, "Quite different from previous D:Ream singles, this mid-tempoed pop nugget is dominated by piano and soft percussion, which allow Peter Cunnah to weave in and out with rather more room for expression than some of the group's other material."[5] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "pop crooner Peter Cunnah's huge singalong chroused and piano plonked shuffling jiggly 0-97.8-0bpm [track]".[6] Sylvia Patterson from Smash Hits also gave the song four out of five, writing, "This one's almost a ballad — but it's got big soul, vicar, it's got a choir of gospel angels, a celebration piano, a frolicin' bass and the whole thing whisks you away to a pulpit in Louisiana".[7] Darren Ressler from Vibe complimented it as a "tender, gospel-tinged pop ballad".[8]

Track listing

  • 7-inch single, UK (1994)
  1. "Blame It on Me"
  2. "Heart of Gold"
  • 12-inch, UK (1994)
  1. "Blame It on Me" (A Club Dub by Tin Tin Out)
  2. "Blame It on Me" (original version)
  3. "Blame It on Me" (The Herbal mix)
  • CD single, UK (1994)
  1. "Blame It on Me" — 3:47
  2. "Heart of Gold" — 3:43
  3. "U R the Best Thing" (acoustic) — 4:16
  4. "Blame It on Me" (A Club Dub by Tin Tin Out) — 8:06

Charts

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 74
Scotland (OCC)[10] 19
UK Singles (OCC) 25
UK Dance (OCC) 15
UK Dance (Music Week)[11] 15
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[12] 27

References

  1. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 27 August 1994. p. 27.
  2. ^ Masterton, James (4 September 1994). "Week Ending September 10th 1994". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  3. ^ Nine, Jennifer (10 September 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 38. 17 September 1994. p. 10. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  5. ^ Jones, Alan (3 September 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 18. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  6. ^ Hamilton, James (3 September 1994). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  7. ^ Patterson, Sylvia (31 August 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 47. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  8. ^ Ressler, Darren (November 1993). "Revolutions". Vibe. p. 117. Retrieved 8 September 2021.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 39. 24 September 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 11 September 1994 - 17 September 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 10 September 1994. p. 30. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  12. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 10 September 1994. p. 6. Retrieved 20 May 2023.