If you were around a radio in the early 90s, you probably heard that familiar, soaring "Hey now, hey now" and assumed it was just another rerun of the 1986 Crowded House classic. Then the voice kicked in. It wasn't Neil Finn’s reedy, vulnerable tenor. It was the husky, blue-eyed soul grit of Paul Young.
Most people today remember the original. It’s a masterpiece. But for a brief window in 1991, Don't Dream It's Over Paul Young was the version keeping the song alive for a whole new generation of listeners who had missed the first boat. It wasn't just a lazy cash-in. It was a strategic, high-production reclamation of a song that nearly didn't happen for Young at all.
The 1988 Wembley Spark
Honestly, the whole thing started three years before the single even hit the shops. In 1988, Paul Young walked onto the stage at Wembley Stadium for the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute. He didn't just sing his own hits like "Every Time You Go Away." He decided to tackle the Crowded House anthem in front of a global audience of millions.
People loved it.
There was something about Young’s soulful delivery that filled the massive stadium in a way the intimate original didn't quite aim for. The reaction was so strong that the seed was planted. If he could command a stadium with it, why not a recording studio?
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A Polished 90s Reinvention
When it finally came time to record the track for his 1991 greatest hits album, From Time to Time – The Singles Collection, Young didn't go for a stripped-back indie vibe. He went big.
He teamed up with producer Dan Hartman. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the guy behind "I Can Dream About You." Hartman knew how to make a record sound expensive. He brought in a heavy-hitting team:
- Pino Palladino on bass (providing that signature fretless slide).
- Paul Carrack on keyboards and backing vocals (you can hear him clearly on the fourth chorus).
- Steve Ferrone on drums.
The result was a version of Don't Dream It's Over Paul Young that felt more "adult contemporary" and less "college rock." It was slick. It was polished. It reached number 20 on the UK charts, which—fun fact—was actually a better peak than the Crowded House original had managed in Britain up to that point.
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Why the Cover Divides Fans
Some purists hate it. They miss the "Maori strum" of the original or the quirky, slightly melancholic organ solo that Mitchell Froom improvised in the 1986 version.
Neil Finn wrote the song in about an hour in his brother's bedroom. It has this raw, desperate hope. Paul Young’s version, by contrast, feels more like a triumphant anthem. It’s less about a couple hiding from the world and more about a man standing his ground against it.
Is one better? Hard to say. Music is subjective, obviously. But Young’s version served a purpose. It reminded the world that the song was a standard, not just a one-hit-wonder moment for an Australian band.
The Visual Identity
The music video for the 1991 release was a classic "man on a journey" trope. It features Young walking through various locations, looking pensive in a long coat. It didn't have the surreal, floating-household-objects vibe of the Alex Proyas-directed original video.
Instead, it focused on Young as the "interpreter" of songs. By this point in his career, he was famous for taking other people's tracks—Marvin Gaye, Hall & Oates—and making them his own. This was just the next logical step in that journey.
What Most People Miss
The most interesting thing about the success of Don't Dream It's Over Paul Young is how it actually helped Crowded House. When the cover started climbing the charts, it gave the original band a massive boost in visibility in Europe and the UK right as they were releasing Woodface.
In a way, Paul Young was the best PR the Finn brothers ever had.
If you're looking to really appreciate this version, don't compare it to the original note-for-note. Listen to it as a piece of 90s pop history. It’s a snapshot of a time when "blue-eyed soul" was the dominant sound on the airwaves, and Paul Young was its undisputed king.
How to Experience This Version Today
- Listen for the Bass: Focus on Pino Palladino’s work. His fretless bass lines on this track are a masterclass in tasteful pop playing.
- The Paul Carrack Connection: Try to spot the moment Carrack’s voice blends with Young’s. It’s a subtle "powerhouse" moment for fans of UK soul.
- The Wembley Footage: Go back and find the 1988 live performance. It’s arguably better than the studio version because of the raw energy of the crowd.
The song has been covered by everyone from Sixpence None the Richer to Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande. But it was Paul Young who first proved that this wasn't just a Crowded House song—it was a song for everyone.