Daydream Believer
"Daydream Believer" | ||||
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The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees | ||||
B-side | "Goin' Down" | |||
Released | October 25, 1967 | |||
Recorded | June 14, 1967 August 9, 1967 | |||
Studio | RCA Victor Studios Hollywood | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:00 | |||
Label | Colgems #1012 | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Stewart | |||
Producer(s) | Chip Douglas | |||
The Monkees singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Daydream Believer" on YouTube |
"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by American songwriter
In 1979, "Daydream Believer" was recorded by Canadian singer Anne Murray, whose version reached No. 3 on the U.S. country singles chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been recorded by others, including a 1971 version by Stewart.
The song title was featured in the name of the 2000 biopic about the band, Daydream Believers: The Monkees' Story.[3][4]
The 2022 American drama Women Talking and The Quarry features this song.[5]
Background
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2019) |
John Stewart wrote "Daydream Believer" as the third in a trilogy of songs about suburban life,[6] recalling: "I remember going to bed thinking, 'What a wasted day — all I’ve done is daydream.' And from there I wrote the whole song. I never thought it was one of my best songs. Not at all".[7]
The song was turned down by
Jones claimed he had been "pissed off" recording the song, with his lead vocal showing a hint of annoyance at the ongoing takes.[8]
According to Billboard Hot 100 chart historian
RCA Records did not like the song as written by Stewart, and insisted on changing a critical word. Stewart originally wrote: "Now you know how funky I can be," but RCA wanted to change it to "Now you know how happy I can be," as one meaning of "funky" is "smelly." Stewart initially objected because the change would completely reverse the meaning of the line and would not make sense in the context of the song. He relented because RCA was adamant and Stewart realized that the song could be a hit. In 2006, Stewart said that the proceeds from "Daydream Believer" "...kept me alive for all these years."[6]
In 1986, three of the four Monkees (Dolenz, Jones and Tork) mounted a successful reunion tour and had a major hit with the newly recorded "That Was Then, This Is Now." Arista Records, which owned the Monkees' masters at the time, rereleased "Daydream Believer" as a followup single, remixed with a new and heavier percussion track by Michael Lloyd, who had produced "That Was Then, This Is Now."
Personnel
The Monkees
- Davy Jones – lead and backing vocals
- Micky Dolenz – harmony vocals
- Michael Nesmith – electric guitar
- Peter Tork – piano
Additional personnel
- Chip Douglas – bass, percussion, producer
- Bill Martin – bell
- Eddie Hoh – drums
- Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Alex Murray, Erno Neufeld – violin
- Pete Candoli, Al Porcino, Manuel Stevens – trumpet
- Manuel Stevens – piccolo trumpet
- Richard Noel – trombone
- Richard Leith, Philip Teele – bass trombone
- Shorty Rogers – arrangement
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ)[23] | Gold | 100,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[25] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
John Stewart version
"Daydream Believer" | |
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Song by John Stewart | |
from the album The Lonesome Picker Rides Again | |
Released | November 1971 |
Genre | Folk |
Length | 3:28 |
Label | Warner Bros. |
Songwriter(s) | John Stewart |
Producer(s) | Michael Stewart |
In 1971, songwriter John Stewart recorded his own version and included it as the ninth track on his fourth studio album, The Lonesome Picker Rides Again. His version was released on Warner Bros. Records and was produced by his brother Michael Stewart.
Anne Murray version
"Daydream Believer" | ||||
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Single by Anne Murray | ||||
from the album I'll Always Love You | ||||
B-side | "Do You Think Of Me?" | |||
Released | December 1979 | |||
Recorded | 1979 | |||
Genre | Country pop | |||
Length | 2:26 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Stewart | |||
Producer(s) | Jim Ed Norman | |||
Anne Murray singles chronology | ||||
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Background
Canadian singer
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Chart (1979-1980) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Canadian RPM Top Singles | 17 |
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 1 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[29] | 3 |
US Billboard Hot 100[30] | 12 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[31] | 1 |
Year-end chart (1980) | Rank |
---|---|
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[32] | 61 |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1967 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles of 1968 (Ireland)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1980 (U.S.)
References
- ^ Lanza, Joesph (November 10, 2020). "Strobe Lights and Sweet Music". Easy-Listening Acid Trip - An Elevator Ride Through '60s Psychedelic Pop. Port Townsend: Feral House. p. 29.
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 24, 2018). "The Number Ones: The Monkees' "Daydream Believer"". Stereogum. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
...Douglas effortlessly pulls in the strings and horns of that first baroque pop period...adapting the Monkees' starry-eyed pop to the psychedelic moment.
- ^ Dewitt, David (June 28, 2000). "Television Review; Fakers Who Realize That They're the Real Thing". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Boedeker, Hal (June 28, 2000). "Hey, Hey These Are the Monkees?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- IMDb.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c "John Stewart interview on writing "Daydream Believer"". Archives of Music Preservation. 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Zollo, Paul (13 January 2020). "The Story Behind The Monkees' "Daydream Believer"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ "You can tell from the vocal that I was pissed off!" Davy Jones, The Monkees Tale, Last Gasp Press, 1986
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. November 4, 1967. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 4, 1967. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 4, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
- ^ Morris, Chris (23 October 2017). "Before There Was Bieber, the Monkees' 'Daydream Believer' Took the Teen World by Storm". Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Monkees - Daydream Believer". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "The Monkees - Daydream Believer". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- ^ "Flavour of New Zealand, 1 March 1968". Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles of 1967". Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Go-Set Magazine Charts". www.poparchives.com.au. Barry McKay. January 2007. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1968". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – Monkees – Daydream Believer" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved May 20, 2021. Select 2014年1月 on the drop-down menu
- ^ "British single certifications – Monkees – Daydream Believer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – The Monkees – Daydream Believer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 176.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 242.
- ^ "Anne Murray - Duets: Friends & Legends". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "1980 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 51. December 20, 1980. p. TIA-10. Retrieved 5 April 2020.