All I Have to Do Is Dream

For the 1968 album by Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry, see All I Have to Do Is Dream (album).

"All I Have to Do Is Dream"
Single by The Everly Brothers
B-side	"Claudette"
Released	April 1958
Format	45 rpm, 78 rpm
Recorded	March 6, 1958
Length	2:17
Label	Cadence Records 1348
Writer(s)	Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
"This Little Girl of Mine" (1958) "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1958) "Bird Dog" (1958)

"All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a popular song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and published in 1958. The song is ranked #142 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is in AABA form.

The Everly Brothers' version

By far the best-known version was recorded by The Everly Brothers and released as a single in April 1958. It had been recorded in just two takes on March 6, 1958 and features Chet Atkins on guitar. It was the only single ever to be at #1 on all of Billboard's singles charts simultaneously, on June 2, 1958. It first reached #1 on the "Most played by Jockeys" and "Top 100" charts on May 19, 1958, and remained there for five and three weeks, respectively; with the August 1958 introduction of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song ended the year at #2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" also hit #1 on the R&B charts as well as becoming The Everly Brothers' third #1 on the country chart. The Everly Brothers briefly returned to the Hot 100 in 1961 with this song. It entered the UK singles chart on May 23, 1958, reaching the #1 position on July 11 and remaining there for six weeks and spending 21 weeks on the singles chart.

The song has also featured on several notable lists of the best songs or singles of all time, including Q's 1001 best songs ever in 2003. It was named one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2004.

The B-side, "Claudette," was the first major songwriting success for Roy Orbison and was named for his wife. As a result of this song he terminated his contract with Sun Records and affiliated himself with the Everly's publisher, Acuff-Rose Music.

The song appears in the game Mafia II, even though the game is set in 1951, 7 years before the song was released.

Hit recordings

"All I Have to Do Is Dream"
Single by Richard Chamberlain
from the album Richard Chamberlain Sings
B-side	"Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo"
Released	1963
Format	7" single
Length	2:30
Label	MGM
Writer(s)	Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Richard Chamberlain singles chronology
Love Me Tender (1962) All I Have to Do Is Dream / Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo (1963) I Will Love You / True Love (1963)

Another well known version was released by Richard Chamberlain on his 1962 album, Richard Chamberlain Sings. This version became a hit when released as a single in 1963, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Other hit versions of the song include duets by Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell in 1969 (#27 U.S. pop, #6 U.S. country, #3 UK, #6 Euro Hit 50, #6 Sweden).

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version hit #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.

Cliff Richard, singing with Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, took the song to #14 on the UK singles chart in 1994.

Other versions

• 1963: Roy Orbison released the song on his album In Dreams.
• 1981: Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal released the song as a single and it was the last single by Gibb. The song was the only single by Victoria Principal.
• 1981: Juice Newton released the song on her album Juice.
• 1984: Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen recorded a duet of the song for the film Starman.
• 1986: R.E.M. released a version of the song as "Dream (All I Have to Do)." That version appeared in the film Athens, GA: Inside/Out, and on the 1993 reissue of their album Life's Rich Pageant.
• 1994: Linda Ronstadt and Kermit the Frog recorded a duet cover for the Muppet album Kermit Unpigged.
• 1996: PJ & Duncan (now known as Ant & Dec) released the song as a single and was due to be on their album The Cult of Ant & Dec but was dropped at the last minute.
• 2005: The Dandy Warhols recorded a version of the song for the video game Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse.
• 2006: Andrea Corr and Laurent Voulzy released a version of the song as a duet on Voulzy's album La Septième Vague and The Corrs' greatest hits Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection.
• 2010: On November 4, Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello ended "The Colbert Report" with a duet of the song with the full version of which appeared on the ColbertNation web site by the following morning.

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "Witch Doctor" by David Seville	Billboard Top 100 number-one single (Everly Brothers version) May 19, 1958	Succeeded by "The Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley
Preceded by "Twilight Time" by The Platters	Billboard R&B Best Sellers number-one single (Everly Brothers version) May 19, 1958 - June 16, 1958	Succeeded by "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters
Preceded by "Oh Lonesome Me" by Don Gibson	Billboard C&W Best Sellers in Stores number-one single (Everly Brothers version) June 2, 1958 - June 16, 1958	Succeeded by "Oh Lonesome Me" by Don Gibson