It's Only Make Believe

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"It's Only Make Believe"
TwittyIOMB.jpg
Single by Conway Twitty
from the album Conway Twitty Sings
A-side "I'll Try"
ReleasedJuly 14, 1958
RecordedMay 7, 1958
Studio Bradley Studios, [1] Nashville
Genre
Length2:10
Label MGM
Songwriter(s) Jack Nance, Conway Twitty
Producer(s) Jim Vienneau
Conway Twitty singles chronology
"I Need Your Lovin'"
(1957)
"It's Only Make Believe"
(1958)
"The Story of My Love"
(1958)
Audio sample

"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer Conway Twitty, while they were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. Twitty was a relatively unknown rock n' roll singer at the time, and this song was his first hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard chart in November 1958 for two weeks.

Contents

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Billy Fury, Child, and Ronnie McDowell, whose recording features contributions from Twitty. Glen Campbell had a top 10 hit with the song in 1970.

Background

The song was written mainly by Jack Nance, a member of Twitty's band, during an intermission in a show they were playing at the Flamingo Lounge in Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada, with Conway Twitty providing the finishing touches to the song. [4] They recorded a demo of the song, and sent it together with "I'll Try" to Twitty's manager, Don Seat. [4] MGM Records became interested in the songs and arranged for these and other songs to be recorded in Nashville on May 7, 1958. The song was recorded by Twitty with the Jordanaires on backing vocals. [5] Musicians who played on the song included Floyd Cramer on piano, Grady Martin on guitar, and Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance on double bass. [4] The song was produced by Jim Vienneau, who suggested that Twitty should keep the growl in his voice when recording. "It's Only Make Believe" was released by MGM Records on side B of "I'll Try" on July 14, 1958. [4]

The A-side "I'll Try" failed to catch on with the public in the States, and Twitty, believing that the record had failed, went home to work on the farm. However, a DJ in Columbus, Ohio took an interest in the B-side "It's Only Make Believe" and it became a hit in the city. [4] It spread nationally and the song hit the Billboard chart in September, 1958, eventually reaching No. 1, on November 10 [6] and 24. [7] The single topped both U.S. [8] and the UK Singles Chart, [9] and became the only No. 1 pop single of his career. Twitty stated years later, on a segment of 'Pop Goes The Country', that it was a hit in 22 countries, and had sold over 8 million copies. [10] He did not become a country music star until he crossed over in 1966.

Though Twitty recorded subsequent versions of "It's Only Make Believe", his original 1958 hit never entered the Country & Western charts. He recorded a 1970 duet with Loretta Lynn, on their first collaborative album, We Only Make Believe . Twitty joins in on the last verse in a 1988 uptempo cover by Ronnie McDowell, which was a No. 8 hit on the country music charts. Additionally, Twitty contributed to an alternative cover by McDowell.

Charts

Conway Twitty version
Chart (1958–1959)Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart5
Canada (CHUM) [11] 1
Italian Singles Chart9
Norway (VG-lista) [12] 2
UK Singles Chart [9] 1
US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 1
U.S. Billboard R&B Best Sellers in Stores [14] 12
US Cash Box [15] 1

All-time charts

Chart (1958-2018)Position
US Billboard Hot 100 [16] 307

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [17] Gold500,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Glen Campbell version

"It's Only Make Believe"
Single by Glen Campbell
from the album The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album
B-side Pave Your Way Into Tomorrow [18]
ReleasedAugust 25, 1970
RecordedDecember 18, 1967
Studio Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre Country
Length2:21
Label Capitol Records
Songwriter(s) Jack Nance, Conway Twitty
Producer(s) Al de Lory
Glen Campbell singles chronology
"Everything a Man Could Ever Need"
(1970)
"It's Only Make Believe"
(1970)
"Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)"
(1971)

Glen Campbell recorded "It's Only Make Believe" for his album The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album , one of four albums he recorded in 1970. The song was arranged and produced by Al De Lory. [19] The song was released as a single by Capitol Records backed with "Pave Your Way Into Tomorrow". [18] It became a top ten hit in both the United States and United Kingdom.

Chart performance

Chart (1970)Peak
position
Australian KMR [20] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [21] 46
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [22] 4
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [23] 5
Euro Hit 5010
Ireland (IRMA) [24] 3
New Zealand Singles Chart2
UK Singles (OCC) [25] 4
US Billboard Hot 100 [26] 10
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [27] 3
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening2

Year-end chart

Chart (1970)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [28] 99
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [29] 76
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 [30] 66

Other versions

See also

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