Roger Daltrey – “Walking in My Sleep” (1984) Review | Through the Shadows of the Moonlight I Walk My Beat
Kronomyth 6.01: A journeyman on the ropes.
Well it’s all been sleepwalking after a fashion, hasn’t it? I know where Robert Plant and Lou Gramm stand, but Daltrey’s always been a drifter. He gives you a good fight, might even charm you, but he’s here to collect a bounty for services rendered. When the money’s gone, he’ll be back with a new producer and another dozen bullets forged by professional tunesmiths. So it went with Parting Should Be Painless, for which this was the advance single. “Walking In My Sleep” actually stayed on the US charts for nine weeks, which is impressive until you recall that even a turd will float to the surface if it’s light enough. The B side is a Eurythmics’ tune, “Somebody Told Me,” that Daltrey gives a perfunctory reading. Daltrey’s voice wags my tail (blame The Who), but parting with more than three bucks for the 7-inch single would be painfully shortsighted since you can probably buy the entire album (which includes both tracks) for a dollar more. However, the 12-inch single is a different story: it features a version of “Gimme Some Lovin'” that actually manages to sound original.
The Product
A1. Walking in My Sleep (Jack Green/Leslie Adey) (3:20)
B1. Somebody Told Me (Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart) (3:10)
12-inch single version
A1. Walking in My Sleep
B1. Somebody Told Me
B2. Gimme Some Lovin’
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch and 12-inch single in February 1984 in the UK (WEA, U9686/T), the US (Atlantic, 7-89704), France, Germany and Italy (WEA, 25 9686-7/25-9628-0) with picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 12-inch single in 1984 in the US (Atlantic, PR 572) feat. A only. Reached #56 on the UK charts and #62 on the US charts (charted 2/18/84 for 9 weeks).
