Songfacts®:

• "Dreamin'" was originally recorded by the seven-member R&B group The Guinn Family, who released their version in 1986 on the Motown label. It didn't move the needle, but Vanessa Williams heard the song and asked Donald Robinson, who produced the original, to produce a new version with her. Robinson complied, and they spent three days recording the song together. Williams' version, released in 1988, was a hit, going to #8 on the Hot 100 and to #1 on the R&B chart.
• In this song, Williams is struggling to tell the guy she's after how she feels. Until she can, she'll just keep dreaming about him every night.
• The song was written by Geneva Paschal and Lisa Montgomery. It's the only hit for either writer.
• "Dreamin'" helped Vanessa Williams shake the stigma of her truncated run as Miss America. She won the title in 1983, but soon after, naked photos of her were published, leading her to give up her crown. At the time, it seemed scandalous - Miss America was supposed to be wholesome! But in more enlightened times it's clear that this was a young woman being exploited and unfairly chastised.
  
  Williams moved past the controversy by launching a successful career in music. Her debut album, The Right Stuff, appeared in 1988, with the first single, the title track, giving her a #1 hit on the Dance chart. "Dreamin'" followed, broadening her appeal to an older demographic. For her next album, Williams had access to top songwriters and a bigger promotional budget. She delivered with The Comfort Zone, which includes the #1 hit "Save The Best For Last."