Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This: Von den Eurythmics bis SuperHeavy

by Dave Stewart, Paul Fleischmann (Translator)

A no-holds-barred look into the remarkable life and career of the prolific musician, songwriter, and producer behind Eurythmics and dozens of pop hits. 

Dave Stewart’s life has been a wild ride—one filled with music, constant reinvention, and the never-ending drive to create. Growing up outside of London, he turned to music after an injury ended his football career, and left his idyllic home for the gritty London streets of the ‘70s, where he began collaborating and performing with various musicians, including a young waitress named Annie Lennox.

The chemistry between Stewart and Lennox was undeniable, and an intense romance developed. While their passion proved too much off-stage, they thrived musically and developed their own sound. They called themselves Eurythmics, and launched into global stardom with the massively popular album, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).”

For the first time, Stewart shares the never-before-told stories of his life in music—the drugs and the parties, the A-list collaborations and relationships, and the creative process that brought us blockbusters like Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” Bon Jovi’s “Midnight in Chelsea,” Celine Dion’s “Taking Chance,” and many more. From great friendships and creative partnerships including the group SuperHeavy with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley, and A.R. Rahmanm, to intimate moments in the studio, Stewart highlights the musicians that he admires and calls friends, from Bono and Bon Jovi to Stevie Nicks and Katie Perry.

With a behind-the-scenes look at Stewart’s innovative endeavors that keep him on the cutting-edge of the music business, Sweet Dreams Are Made of This is a one-of-a-kind look into the creative heart of one of its most gifted and enterprising contributors.




From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Pop Culture, Cultural, Autobiography

384 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2016

About the author

David Allan Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for Eurythmics, his successful professional partnership with Annie Lennox.] He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named Dave Stewart. He won Best British Producer at the 1986, 1987 and 1990 Brit Awards.

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never thought stories about meeting some of my musical idols would be boring, but Dave Stewart's misshapen, run-on "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" managed to make a creative, celebrity life tedious.

There's no question Stewart is talented. He also thinks in unusual ways, which is what has attracted so many other notables -- including Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and U2 -- to work with him.

But his book, after the initial more interesting chapters about his childhood and early professional days, turns into "and then I worked with" or "and then we did." Meanwhile, the guy is coming down with almost-fatal illnesses or inhaling enough mind-altering substances to knock lesser mortals off this planet -- but there's virtually no introspection, no curiosity about how this all comes to be. Nor are there shrewd short takes on his famous colleagues besides how much he admires them. He simply takes it for granted that, say, when he gets sick he calls his friend Paul Allen (as in Microsoft's co-founder), who offers him a plane and access to the finest doctors in Los Angeles.

Now, Stewart seems like a nice guy. Certainly the kind of guy you'd love to meet at a party, jam with or even have a drink with (if you can keep up with his intake). He'd also be a great friend to have in a jam -- he comes across as upbeat and generous. That's all well and good.

But it doesn't make for a very good memoir. Most aggravating: He talks about how one event for Nelson Mandela changed the life of his former partner, Annie Lennox, who is as introverted and perhaps withdrawn as Stewart is extroverted and ecstatic. "I've found my whole meaning and purpose," she tells Stewart afterwards. And that's that. I guess we'll have to read Lennox's memoir to find out the details.

Also: After going into the hospital for diverticulitis and a growth on his adrenal gland, he talks about how what followed as "a really bad year." Given all the incredibly active years that came before and after, what's a "bad year" for Stewart? He doesn't say. Man, Philip Roth has written whole books about these kinds of things.

Anyway, I'll hold on to some bits -- a sentence here about Ringo Starr, a passage there about England in the mid-'80s, a recounting the creation of "Sweet Dreams" (an accident). But there's a reason it took me a month to get through a book that should take an afternoon. Dave, you're amazingly creative, but next time, get an editor.

[Esther · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked up at the library thinking it might be interesting. I loved the early Eurythmics stuff in the 80s. But gosh what a tedious egotistical pile of shit this was. The endless name dropping and oh let me just find a random sentence to give you an idea -' when she arrived, Bryan Ferry and I were playing tennis with Tony Blair, who was soon to become the prime minister of England..' Oh really Dave, I didn't know that....wanker. Alan Partridge of pop.

[Powersamurai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I'm a Eurythmics fan, I leaned toward buying everything Annie released and Dave's solo work only extends to a few of his solo albums in my extensive collection. If you love music, and Eurythmics of course, reading this book will constantly have you reaching for your device or computer to listen to the songs or albums he's produced and cowritten with other artists over the decades, some of which I already had but hadn't listened to in ages. My favourite Dave albums from my music collection are Vegas, LP1 (Joss Stone), SuperHeavy and Blackbird Diaries. And of course I listened to all the Eurythmics albums as I was reading. I still have all the songs going through my head, even when I'm not reading the book. Note: This is not a "heart on your sleeve" bare all memoir. As it says on the cover, "A Life in Music". And that's what it's all about music (of course with the occassional kiss-and-tell, but that takes a seat way down at the back of the bus).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book you must read with a music app. I listened to the songs as he described the making of them. The book was one long litany of dropped names, but I was surprised by how many musical collaborations he was part of. His writing is a racing free form without cohesion, stories spilling in rapid succession providing a insight into his positive, always looking to shock for a laugh, frenetic personality. His kitchen is truly a revolving door of celebrities. I rated the book a four as I enjoyed learning about the strange musical inspirations that created so many songs I grew up hearing on the radio. I also had to smile at his musical mind and experimentations with sound reminding me of my own son who is a young music producer (thankfully without the party all the time life style Dave Stewart lives).

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea.....

Really....I had no clue that Dave Stewart has essentially been everywhere in popular music over the last 30 years. His list of friends are incredible.

My though of Dave was that he was tagging along with Annie Lennox in Eurthymics. I was wrong. According to this, it was a true partnership.

Others have commented that Stewart is a bit of a loon. This book doesn't dissuade you from that observation. But he is a creative loon, and an entertaining loon. And the book reflects all that.

I went into this with zero expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. It does run out of steam at the end, and there is a WHOLE LOT of name dropping. But it's a fun read. Worth picking up. Frankly, get the Audible version.....Dave does the narration and it's a hoot.

[Julie Feighery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Stewart had led a pretty remarkable life. He has created some outstanding songs, both as a songwriter and as a producer, and he comes across in this memoir as a guy who is easy to get along with and always up for a bit of fun. It is also pretty apparent that he wrote this work without the aid of a ghostwriter. I think it would have been a stronger work if he had. There were so many insane stories in this book--his time working on the score for Showgirls, an accidental vacation at a Yugoslavian nudist colony while he was still dating Annie Lennox, and the stories behind the composition and recording of Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More," to just name a few. In each instance, however, he either is way too brief, or ends the anecdote a few paragraphs later than he should have.

Even with that complaint, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. If you're a music fan, even if you're not a Eurythmics fan, you will find a lot to like in this book, as it seems Stewart has worked with just about everybody in not just pop and rock music, but country and soul as well. I found myself hunting down songs on youtube regularly while reading.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Eurythmics music. After reading this, I went back to the CDs to listen to some of the layers Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox added under the melody, which in some cases is more complex than I realized. Dave is an interesting storyteller without embarrassing any of the big stars with whom he's worked. There's drugs, but no preaching or horror stories.

Dave seems like an interesting guy who knows music, works hard for his success, is a good father, and doesn't have too many excesses (except for all those houses).

[Monical · Rating 2 out of 5]

started out with great promise, but then degenerated into a mash up of drug use, name dropping and disjointed narrative. very disappointed because there is a great story in there.... he's a very creative guy, has done a lot. very sad to say that "Life" by Keith Richards was much better (drug use notwithstanding!).

[Jamie Lyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I think I would have enjoyed it more if he had told more of the stories in depth and spent less time name-dropping. Enjoyable, just not as interesting as it could have been.

[Peter Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent audio book...well narrated by the author
Some interesting stories and anecdotes

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great stories, but at times the writing was really hard to follow. If you're looking for a good read with smooth writing, this is not for you. That said, Dave Stewart has led an amazing life.

[Steve Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Started off looking forward to reading more but kind of got turned off by all the name dropping. He seems like a nice guy and I love the Eurythmics but it was a bit much for me.

[Kevin Bergin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet Dream are made of this: A Life in Music

I was looking for some recent info on Mick Jagger when I came across Dave Stewart’s Sweet Dreams: A life in Music memoir. I listened to the forward by Jagger and was inspired to listen to more. I knew next to nothing about Dave Stewart but of course new about Annie Lennox and the eurythmics.

I was so taken with Dave’s persistence, as we are the same age and from similar backgrounds. I to sat and listened to my brothers albums and a mono record player and spent hours writing the words to ‘desolation row’.

I also took drugs in the same way Dave did and died a few times, was locked up many times an in ‘75 came close to death again, I stopped using and am still today a recovering addict. Dave seems to wear his drug use like a badge of honour. This sickens me.

However, Dave’s journey of creativity is amazing from playing in a folk club at a very young age through many adventures and to meeting Annie and forming the eurythmics.

The magic he describes in the creation of songs is incredible, particularly the simple way ‘here comes the rain’ was born and later on songs with other bands.

I really don’t know how to rate this book as I both like and dislike it. I dislike the constant name dropping and glorification of the drug soaked lifestyle. The constant talk of buying houses and wealth. Until it seems to me the creativity is gone, swallowed by fortune, fame and greed, leaving Dave just another rich-kid.

In terms of rock n roll this applies to most stars that you and I have created, what we adored at the start is no longer present and what we see and hear are merely rewinds, placing more coin in the coffers of those who inspired us in our youth. Am I bitter and jealous? Yes a little, but mostly sad and disappointed.

This corruption of creativity does not apply so much with other creative endeavours.

I’m glad I read this book. Won’t read anymore of his work. I find the hospital club, not a venue for creativity more an old boys club.

I’m still looking for info on Jagger. I’m surprised so little has been written and most of it trash.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly uplifting and positive book that chronicles both the rise of Eurythmics and the numerous projects Dave Stewart, one half of the duo, collaborated on and/or instigated with other musicians and artists, famous and emerging, from the Eighties to the present. This is a real insider's look at the music scene over the last four decades and one of the most delightful books I've read this year.

Of course, there's a lot of name dropping, but it's essential in this chronicle and completely authentic. Annie Lennox, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Joss Stone, Stevie Nicks, Martina McBride, Shiobhan Fahey, Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Celine Dion, Bob Geldof, Daryl Hall and so many more are woven into this remarkable and fully lived life. If I were asked to describe the author, the words that come to mind are creative (genius), collaborative, appreciative (of others' work and talent), upbeat, curious, optimistic, open, courageous, hard-working, and smart.

There is a youthful quality that pervades the book. Dave seems almost awe struck by his great good fortune in life, like he can hardly believe it himself, but those mile a minute ideas that just pop into his head and that he acts on with focused abandon are qualities that explain that success. I learned of projects of his, from the musical Ghost to award winning songs he wrote with and for others, movie soundtracks, photography exhibitions, film projects, and so much more. It's inspiring and exhausting and enormous fun, because every bit of it was done without a bit of mean spirit, jealousy, or scandal.

In short, I needed this book. In a world where every day brings people putting others down, even to the point of murder, and failures to creatively solve problems that face ourselves and the planet, this book was a breath of fresh air. This is a bootstraps story of a boy from the north of England who turned adversity into Platinum, and did so consistently throughout life. He never met a lemon he wouldn't joyfully turn into lemonade.

We need more people like David A. Stewart in this world.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly uplifting and positive book that chronicles both the rise of Eurythmics and the numerous projects Dave Stewart, one half of the duo, collaborated on and/or instigated with other musicians and artists, famous and emerging, from the Eighties to the present. This is a real insider's look at the music scene over the last four decades and one of the most delightful books I've read this year.

Of course, there's a lot of name dropping, but it's essential in this chronicle and completely authentic. Annie Lennox, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Joss Stone, Stevie Nicks, Martina McBride, Shiobhan Fahey, Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Celine Dion, Bob Geldof, Daryl Hall and so many more are woven into this remarkable and fully lived life. If I were asked to describe the author, the words that come to mind are creative (genius), collaborative, appreciative (of others' work and talent), upbeat, curious, optimistic, open, courageous, hard-working, and smart.

There is a youthful quality that pervades the book. Dave seems almost awe struck by his great good fortune in life, like he can hardly believe it himself, but those mile a minute ideas that just pop into his head and that he acts on with focused abandon are qualities that explain that success. I learned of projects of his, from the musical Ghost to award winning songs he wrote with and for others, movie soundtracks, photography exhibitions, film projects, and so much more. It's inspiring and exhausting and enormous fun, because every bit of it was done without a bit of mean spirit, jealousy, or scandal.

In short, I needed this book. In a world where every day brings people putting others down, even to the point of murder, and failures to creatively solve problems that face ourselves and the planet, this book was a breath of fresh air. This is a bootstraps story of a boy from the north of England who turned adversity into Platinum, and did so consistently throughout life. He never met a lemon he wouldn't joyfully turn into lemonade.

We need more people like David A. Stewart in this world.

[Wendy Sice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently started listening to the Eurythmics again after being a fan back in the 80s, so I thought I would have a read of Dave Stewart’s memoir. I suspected he was a quirky fellow, but I was not even close to how truly eccentric he really is! And a musical genius. The first few chapters of the book are pretty low key as he describes a fairly typical British upbringing playing footy and then getting into music in the 70s. Drugs play a huge part in his life and we read about many of his misadventures while under the influence, especially of hallucinogenics. As we know, he meets Annie and here he describes their beautiful friendship. After a couple of attempts at building a band, they realise that just the two of them make a successful pair of songwriters and dynamic duo on stage. This is where the book gets really exciting. They are catapulted into stardom as the Eurythmics, and sell millions of records around the world. Dave is interested in collaborating with other musicians too, which he does prolifically as the momentum of the Eurythmics wanes. We read of his creations with Bob Geldof, Bob Dylan, Katy Perry, Candy Dulfer, Bono, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty and a cast of thousands who are inspired by Stewart’s laidback, welcoming way. He is everybody’s best friend and muse. I was quite surprised just how much he has contributed to the music industry, and even though it sometimes read like name-dropping, well, how else can you really say you worked with someone famous? This is a fun, interesting and eye-opening read especially if you are into music. I have been buzzing all around YouTube since, reminding myself or seeing for the first time the many hit songs he made with his many famous friends. A cool read.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up to check off the "A book with song title lyrics in it" category on the 2018 PopSugaer Reading Challenge after realizing the library didn't have (in any version) my original selection (which was 'Would I Lie to You?'). WOW! This was crazy and wild and fantastical and totally nuts! All I knew about Dave was that is was part of the Eurythmics, but not that he'd worn all these other hats over the decades.

While reading this I was thinking 'he's either the best story-teller ever and this is a work of fiction or this is all so crazy that it might actually be true'. He also made me think of him like the Mad Hatter on speed! He was freaking all over the place, all the time. I got exhausted just reading this and he did it all. I know a handful of musicians that live here in Austin and none of them (with the possible exception of Chad Cisneros from Tritonal) are that wired on a regular basis.

There was an enormous amount of name dropping (some I knew, some I didn't), but the music industry is like the film/tv or book industry. Once you've been in it long enough, you probably DO know everyone and have stories with most of them. Personally, I enjoyed most of the stories although I did get lost on the musician jargon. Given that I didn't know what I was getting into when I started this, I ended up really liking it and laughing out loud a lot.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever read the liner notes of a record? The sections like "we would like to thank..." and "recorded at such and such studios..."? Well, that's what this book reads like. It's not really a story, it's a collection of vignettes with a bunch of name dropping and different studios and things he's bought ("It was a crazy day. By lunchtime I had already bought three limited-edition Salvador Dali bronze sculptures. They were delivered to the studio." Who writes this kind of crap?)

The tragedy here is that it reflects poorly on Stewart, who likely did not write this book, because it reads more like a series of observations and tales told to a ghost writer who then mailed it in. And if Stewart did write it, then it reflects poorly on the editor at the book publisher, who really should have pushed more for insights into some areas, and given more thought in the organization of the book.

At the end of the book, I realized I had spent 4 hours reading and learned very little that was new. Stewart is an amazingly creative, avant garde artist and groundbreaking musician who has written, performed, and produced dozens of hits over a 30 year career. Unfortunately, this book is basically a timeline of "flew here, bought this, recorded that, wrote a song, produced a movie" content.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taken from the Goodreads synoptics. "A no-holds-barred look into the remarkable life and career of the prolific musician, songwriter, and producer behind Eurythmics and dozens of pop hits.

Dave Stewart's life has been a wild ride-one filled with music, constant reinvention, and the never-ending drive to create. Growing up in industrial northern England, he left home for the gritty London streets of the seventies, where he began collaborating and performing with various musicians, including a young waitress named Annie Lennox."

I am all over the place on how I feel about this book. I am a fan, but this book was a little underwhelming. Either the stories were so drawn out that it did not get to the point fast enough and I lost interest, or they did not develop enough. I did learn some things about Dave that I had not heard but overall, it was an ok read. I wish I could have given it more than three stars, but the book needed editing.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is worth listening to through Audible because Dave Stewart reads it himself and adds bits of music and voice mails he's received from people like Bono & Mick Jagger. It's really fun & interesting. The guy has done a ton of stuff and lead an incredible life. In the Goodreads reviews, people have complained about his name-dropping. I find myself wondering, if you've worked with certain people and become friends with many of them, are you not supposed to mention them? Are you supposed to just refer to them as "a friend" or "a musician that I worked with" and not get specific? I think that's sort of a ridiculous expectation in a case like this. I, myself, wanted to know who he'd worked with and was amazed at the huge variety, from so many different types of music, etc. I think if you don't like "name-dropping", maybe the biographies of famous people aren't for you.

[Mark Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book, but probably the most gossipy and name dropping book you will ever read though. The contribution that Dave Stewart has had on the music business, aside from his work with Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics in itself is legendary, as a songwriter and producer, the author has an incredibly epic resume. The amount of stories and anecdotes in this book is golden and such a great read. From his humble upbringings to his early friendship with Lennox and his visions of punk London in the late seventies, this is an essential and entertaining account of British culture that I would recommend to anyone.

[Shan]

The biggest takeaway I got from this book is that Dave Stewart literally knows EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD! No kidding. This is just a big book of names. Oh, and it seems that every person ends up drunk or high with Stewart as well.
Painstakingly slow read for the casual fan of Eurythmics (and any other little diddies that Stewart wrote). For being in one of the biggest bands with Annie Lennox, he sure spends very little time writing about it. Spends more time lamenting about his infatuation with Stevie Nicks. Ugh.
He has written some great songs. Book writing just isn't your schtick, Dave.

[Mancman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d forgotten how many good songs the Eurythmics had made. I think that shows I’m not the biggest fan of theirs ever, but it’s a fascinating story, that reveals how they wrote and developed their sound.
Dave Stewart is very gushing about everyone, and it really is everyone, as he seems to have written songs with every musician in around 20 minutes.
For all the gushing, there are a lot of candid revelations in here too. He’s lead an interesting life for certain, and his zest for it is crystal clear.

[Len or Len · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great rock autobiography. Full of debauchery, great stories and a peek at the process of making great music. Stewart is an engaging storyteller who really seems to appreciate the wonderful life he's led. Lots of stuff about Annie Lennox and other musicians like Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Joss Stone.

[James Traxler · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's done so much and with all the drug use, it's probably hard to remember details.

I find it hard to remember details in my life and I've had it pretty boring, comparative to him, so that's understandable.

But it would be nice if he'd delved a bit deeper.

Anyway, it's still an enjoyable read, and it made me go back and listen to various tracks he's done, many of which I love anyway.

[Nicholas Why · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was just curious about the other half of Eurythmics but I was blown away by how many celebrities he came into contact with, worked with, had sex with, and nurtured. A fascinating & colourful rockstar life.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun book, especially for music fans and 80s fans in particular. (And there's a strange story about clam chowder that I'm still SMH about. Clearly DS has a great sense of humor!) Patiently waiting now for Annie Lennox book!

[Bruce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped half way through. Was somewhat interesting about his early life and the road to stardom. But just couldn’t suffer through any more stories about how many famous people he did weird boring stuff with.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

How could this be boring?

A book filled with the most notable names in rock should not be boring; however, it is. Mr. Stewart chose to provide sketches of events rather than tell Amy stories. It’s neither candid nor compelling.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts really well and is initially very interesting; unfortunately it ultimately devolves into a list of famous people he’s worked with in one of his many houses.