OLDIES SUNDAY: Ernie Smith – One Dream (1971)

On April 16, the world lost another legend. That day, the Iconic Ernie Smith transitioned to a bigger stage. One of Jamaica’s most powerful and recognizable voices, he blessed the world with great music, and people of all ages loved him. Today, we salute the legend on “Oldies Sunday“. We go back in time to check out, “One Dream“.

Produced by Richard Khouri with arrangement by Ken Lazarus for Merritone Production and released through FRM in 1971, Ernie Smith shares his definition of the ideal couple in, “One Dream”. The song finds him wishing for that one Woman whose good qualities come from combining qualities from every Woman in the world, while wishing to possess all the good qualities of every Man in the world so that their union is a perfect one. Talk about having THE dream partner. The upbeat Reggae production paired with Smith’s signature deep baritone vocals and solid songwriting instantly made “One Dream” a hit. The song went to #1 in Jamaica, and found a fanbase soon outside of the Caribbean. The song would be later featured on Smith’s “Greatest Hits” album in 1972, and would be covered by Tommy McCook, and Count Prince Miller.

Since the release of “One Dream”, Ernie Smith continued to have a very successful career which started in the 1960s, releasing even more music over the years. His voice was instantly recognizable, and was a part of many campaigns in Jamaica for Tourism, Health, a number of businesses, and even Theatre. He even voiced his displeasure of the Jamaican Government through song, which caused controversy. Smith passed away on April 16 during a Hospital admission, but his legacy lives on. “One Dream” remains one of his biggest hits.