If I’m Dreaming My Life

Written by: David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
Recorded: February-June 1999
Producers: David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
Engineer: Kevin Paul

Released: 4 October 1999

Available on:
‘hours…’
VH1 Storytellers

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, keyboards
Reeves Gabrels: guitar, synthesizer
Chris Haskett: guitar
Mark Plati: acoustic guitar, electric 12-string guitar, bass guitar
Mike Levesque: drums

‘If I’m Dreaming My Life’ is the fourth song on ‘hours…’, David Bowie’s 22nd studio album.

At 7:05, it is by some way the longest track on ‘hours…’, and was one of the final new songs recorded for the album.

It was recorded at Philip Glass’s Looking Glass Studios in Manhattan, during an overdub session. It was the only song on the album to feature guitarist Chris Haskett, who had worked with Reeves Gabrels in the previous months. Haskett was to have been part of Bowie’s touring band for a planned tour in 2000, which never happened.

We were casually working on some overdubs at Looking Glass Studio. DB stumbled onto a chord sequence he liked so he and I took a break and wrote this song.

We wrote the lyrics (mostly David) and it was a song. Mark Plati was there mixing (but his bass was never far). Mike Levesque (drummer who played on all but 3 album tracks) was there.

Chris Haskett (Henry Rollins Band) stopped by. We had a band! So we recorded. Done.

Live performances

David Bowie performed ‘If I’m Dreaming My Life’ live on just two occasions.

The first was on 23 August 1999 at the Grand Ballroom in New York’s Manhattan Center, for Bowie’s episode of VH1 Storytellers.

The song was not included in the original transmission, or on the CD release, but was included as one of four bonus tracks on the DVD, digital download and vinyl editions.

The second and final performance of ‘If I’m Dreaming My Life’ was on 17 October at the Libro Music Hall in Vienna, Austria. It was the European launch of the Hours Tour, attended by BowieNet members.