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Daydream Believer

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This article is about the song. For other uses, seeDaydream Believer (disambiguation).
"Daydream Believer"
US single cover
Singlebythe Monkees
from the albumThe Birds, The Bees & The Monkees
B-side"Goin' Down"
ReleasedOctober 25, 1967
RecordedJune 14, 1967
August 9, 1967
StudioRCA Victor Studios
Hollywood
Genre
Length3:00
LabelColgems#1012
Songwriter(s)John Stewart
Producer(s)Chip Douglas
The Monkeessingles chronology
"Pleasant Valley Sunday"
(1967) 		"Daydream Believer"
(1967) 		"Valleri"
(1968)
"That Was Then, This Is Now"
(1986)
"Daydream Believer (remix)"
(1986)
"Heart and Soul"
(1987)
Music video
"Daydream Believer"onYouTube

"Daydream Believer"is a song composed by American songwriterJohn Stewartshortly before he leftthe Kingston Trio.It was originally recorded bythe Monkees,withDavy Jonessinging the lead. The single reached No. 1 on the U.S.BillboardHot 100chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at No. 5 on theUK Singles Chart.It was the Monkees' third and last No. 1 hit in the U.S.

In 1979, "Daydream Believer" was recorded by Canadian singerAnne Murray,whose version reached No. 3 on the U.S. country singles chart and No. 12 on theBillboardHot 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 dramaWomen TalkingandThe Quarryfeature this song.[5]

Background[edit]

John Stewartwrote "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 byWe FiveandSpanky and Our Gang.While attending a party atHoyt Axton's home in Hollywood'sLaurel Canyon,producerChip Douglastold Stewart that he was now producing the Monkees and asked if Stewart had any songs that might work for the group. Stewart offered "Daydream Believer."[6]The song was recorded during the sessions for the Monkees' 1967 albumPisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.,but was ultimately included on their 1968 albumThe Birds, The Bees & the Monkees.All four Monkees appear on the track; in addition to the lead vocals by Jones,Michael Nesmithplays lead guitar,Peter Torkplays piano andMicky Dolenzsings backing vocals. Tork created the piano introduction, and the orchestral arrangement was created by jazz trumpeter and composerShorty Rogers,who included the same seven-note phrase preceding the chorus that can be heard on the Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda."[citation needed]

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 toBillboardHot 100 chart historianJoel Whitburn's mid-1980s bookThe Billboard Book of Number One Hits,the recording was originally scheduled to be theB-sideof theBarry Mann/Cynthia Weilsong "Love Is Only Sleeping" (fromPisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.), featuring lead vocals by Michael Nesmith. However, a week before release, it was discovered that theEuropeansingle masters for "Love Is Only Sleeping" were not ready, but the masters for "Daydream Believer" were. A last-minute switch meant that "Daydream Believer" now became theA-sideand "Goin' Down,"a song written by all four Monkees withDiane Hildebrandin the style ofMose Allison,became the flip side. Nesmith would not be given a lead vocal on a Monkees single A-side until 1969's "Listen to the Band."Allegedly,Colgems Recordsdid not like Nesmith's voice, preferring the voices of both Dolenz and Jones, and was further aggrieved when Nesmith insisted on the inclusion of at least two of his songs per album.[citation needed]Previously, Nesmith's lead vocal version of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere"was replaced with Dolenz on lead vocals for the B-side of the single"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You".

Billboarddescribed the single as a "well written easy beat rhythm ballad" with a "clever opening."[9]Cash Boxsaid that it has "fascinatingarrangementsthat develop from a simple piano opening to a compelling ork ensemble and the hypnotic repetition of a very catchyrefrain."[10]Record Worldsaid "it has a magnetic melody and lyrics."[11]According toVariety,the song's lyrics focus on the endgame of a comfy but increasingly distant relationship, with the narrator "caught in mid-gaze before the bathroom mirror, reflecting on the quiet dissolution of his materialistic marriage – a union between 'a daydream believer and a homecoming queen,' now curdled, driven more by money than by romance."[12]

RCA Recordsdid 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 byMichael Lloyd,who had produced "That Was Then, This Is Now."

Personnel[edit]

The Monkees

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[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

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.
^Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

John Stewart version[edit]

"Daydream Believer"
SongbyJohn Stewart
from the albumThe Lonesome Picker Rides Again
ReleasedNovember 1971
GenreFolk
Length3:28
LabelWarner 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 brotherMichael Stewart.

Anne Murray version[edit]

"Daydream Believer"
SinglebyAnne Murray
from the albumI'll Always Love You
B-side"Do You Think Of Me?"
ReleasedDecember 1979
Recorded1979
GenreCountry pop
Length2:26
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)John Stewart
Producer(s)Jim Ed Norman
Anne Murraysingles chronology
"Broken Hearted Me"
(1979) 		"Daydream Believer"
(1979) 		"Lucky Me"
(1980)

Background[edit]

Canadian singerAnne Murrayrecorded a cover version of "Daydream Believer" for herplatinum-certified1979 studio albumI'll Always Love You.Produced byJim Ed Normanand issued onCapitol Recordsthe following year, Murray's single became her eighth No. 1 hit on the U.S.Adult Contemporarychart.[26]It reached No. 12 on theBillboardHot 100 chart and No. 3 onBillboard's country chart.[27]For her 2007 albumAnne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends,Murray rerecorded the song as a duet withNelly Furtado.[28] Cover Version in 1989, Hong Kong singer Bowie Lam covered this song in Cantonese.

Chart performance[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1979-1980) Peak
position
CanadianRPMCountry Tracks 1
CanadianRPMTop Singles 17
CanadianRPMAdult Contemporary 1
USHot Country Songs(Billboard)[29] 3
USBillboardHot 100[30] 12
USAdult Contemporary(Billboard)[31] 1
Year-end chart (1980) Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[32] 61


See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^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.
  2. ^abBreihan, Tom (October 24, 2018)."The Number Ones: The Monkees'" Daydream Believer "".Stereogum.RetrievedNovember 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.
  3. ^Dewitt, David (June 28, 2000)."Television Review; Fakers Who Realize That They're the Real Thing".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 11,2020.
  4. ^Boedeker, Hal (June 28, 2000)."Hey, Hey These Are the Monkees?".Orlando Sentinel.RetrievedOctober 11,2020.
  5. ^IMDb, An Amazon Company (February 24, 2023)."Women Talking Soundtrack".IMDb.RetrievedFebruary 24,2023.
  6. ^abc"John Stewart interview on writing" Daydream Believer "".Archives of Music Preservation. 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-19.RetrievedDecember 22,2016.
  7. ^Zollo, Paul (13 January 2020)."The Story Behind The Monkees'" Daydream Believer "".American Songwriter.Retrieved15 September2020.
  8. ^"You can tell from the vocal that I was pissed off!" Davy Jones,The Monkees Tale,Last Gasp Press, 1986
  9. ^"Spotlight Singles"(PDF).Billboard.November 4, 1967. p. 12.Retrieved2021-02-24.
  10. ^"CashBox Record Reviews"(PDF).Cash Box.November 4, 1967. p. 22.Retrieved2022-01-12.
  11. ^"Single Picks of the Week"(PDF).Record World.November 4, 1967. p. 1.Retrieved2023-06-09.
  12. ^Morris, Chris (23 October 2017)."Before There Was Bieber, the Monkees' 'Daydream Believer' Took the Teen World by Storm".Variety.Retrieved15 September2020.
  13. ^abc"The Monkees - Daydream Believer".Norwegiancharts.Retrieved23 October2023.
  14. ^"The Monkees - Daydream Believer".ultratop.be.Retrieved2013-03-05.
  15. ^Nyman, Jake (2005).Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja(in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 210.ISBN951-31-2503-3.
  16. ^"Flavour of New Zealand, 1 March 1968".Archived fromthe originalon 1 June 2016.Retrieved13 January2018.
  17. ^"SA Charts 1965–March 1989".Retrieved5 September2018.
  18. ^"RPMTop 100 Singles of 1967 ".Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2016.Retrieved23 October2023.
  19. ^"Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967".Musicoutfitters.Retrieved23 October2023.
  20. ^"Go-Set Magazine Charts".poparchives.au.Barry McKay. January 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 27 March 2015.Retrieved13 July2017.
  21. ^"Top 20 Hit Singles of 1968".Retrieved2 December2018.
  22. ^"Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart".Billboard.Retrieved10 December2018.
  23. ^"Japanese digital single certifications – Monkees – Daydream Believer"(in Japanese).Recording Industry Association of Japan.RetrievedMay 20,2021.Select2014 năm 1 nguyệton the drop-down menu
  24. ^"British single certifications – Monkees – Daydream Believer".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedDecember 15,2021.
  25. ^"American single certifications – The Monkees – Daydream Believer".Recording Industry Association of America.RetrievedDecember 15,2021.
  26. ^Whitburn, Joel(2002).Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001.Record Research. p. 176.
  27. ^Whitburn, Joel(2004).The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition.Record Research. p. 242.
  28. ^"Anne Murray - Duets: Friends & Legends".Discogs.Retrieved2020-02-16.
  29. ^"Anne Murray Chart History (Hot Country Songs)".Billboard.
  30. ^"Anne Murray Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.
  31. ^"Anne Murray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)".Billboard.
  32. ^"1980 Talent in Action – Year End Charts: Pop Singles".Billboard.Vol. 92, no. 51. December 20, 1980. p. TIA-10.Retrieved5 April2020.

External links[edit]

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