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Daydream Believer

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"Daydream Believer"
Song
B-side"Goin' Down"

"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio.

It was originally recorded by The Monkees, with Davy Jones singing lead vocals. The single hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart. It was the Monkees' last number one hit in the U.S. In 1979, "Daydream Believer" was recorded by Canadian singer Anne Murray, whose version reached number three on the U.S. country singles chart and number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been recorded by many others, including a 1971 version by John Stewart himself.

Stewart said that it was supposed to be the third in a trilogy of songs about suburban life. Married couples start out in an idealistic haze, but after a few years it wears off, and each sees the other as they really are. This is when genuine love is proven.[1]

The Monkees original version

Background

Producer Chip Douglas was friends with John Stewart and ran into him at a party at Hoyt Axton's home in Hollywood's Laurel Canyon. Douglas told Stewart that he was now producing the Monkees and asked if he had any songs that might work for the group. Stewart offered "Daydream Believer."

It was recorded during the sessions for their 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., but was ultimately included on their 1968 album The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees. All four Monkees appear on the track, with Michael Nesmith on lead guitar, Peter Tork on piano (he created the catchy piano introduction; the orchestral arrangement was created by noted jazz trumpeter and composer, Shorty Rogers, who included the same seven-note phrase preceding the chorus that can be heard on the Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda") and Micky Dolenz on backing vocals.

Many people did not think the song would be popular. It had been turned down by the We Five and Spanky and Our Gang), and even Davy Jones was "pissed off" about that. He recorded the vocal with a hint of annoyance at the ongoing takes.[2]

RCA Records did not like it as Stewart wrote it either, and insisted on changing a critical word. Stewart originally wrote "Now you know how funky I can be," but RCA wanted to change that to "Now you know how happy I can be." One meaning of "funky" is "smelly."

Stewart initially objected because it completely reverses the meaning of the line and makes no sense in the context of the song. But he relented because RCA was adamant and he realized it could well be a hit—which it was. In 2007, Stewart said that the proceeds of Daydream Believer "[didn't just] pay the rent. It kept me alive all these years."[1]

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, re-released "Daydream Believer" as a follow-up single, remixed with a heavier drum track by Michael Lloyd who had produced "That Was Then, This Was Now."

in 1971, Stewart recorded it for his solo album The Lonesome Picker Rides Again as a parody of the Monkees version. It contains many lyrical changes, including replacing "daydream believer and a homecoming queen" with "daydream deceiver and an old closet queen."

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1967) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 2
Austrian Singles Chart [3] 7
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[4] 8
German Singles Chart 4
Irish Singles Chart 1
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart 4
Norwegian VG-lista Singles Chart [3] 2
Swiss Singles Chart [3] 10
UK Singles Chart 5
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 1
Chart (1986) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 79
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100
number one single
December 2–23, 1967 		Succeeded by


Anne Murray version

Background

Anne Murray recorded a cover version for her Platinum-certified 1979 album, I'll Always Love You. The following year, Murray's single became her eighth number 1 hit on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.[6] , and number twelve on Billboard's list of the most popular country songs[7]. She re-released the song as a duet with Nelly Furtado on her 2007 album, Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles 17
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 12
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[10] 1
Preceded by Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart) number-one single
March 1, 1980 		Succeeded by
"Give It All You Got" by Chuck Mangione
Preceded by RPM Country Tracks
number-one single
March 22, 1980[12] 		Succeeded by

Other versions

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "John Stewart interview on writing "Daydream Believer"". Archives of Music Preservation. 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  2. ^ "You can tell from the vocal that I was pissed off!" Davy Jones, The Monkees Tale, Last Gasp Press, 1986
  3. ^ a b c norwegiancharts.com The Monkees - Daydream Believer
  4. ^ "The Monkees - Daydream Believer". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  5. ^ "The Monkees Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 176.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 242.
  8. ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for March 15, 1980". RPM. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  12. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for March 22, 1980". RPM. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  13. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for March 29, 1980". RPM. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
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