It's Only Make Believe

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"It's Only Make Believe"
Single by Conway Twitty
from the album Conway Twitty Sings
A-side"I'll Try"
ReleasedJuly 14, 1958
RecordedMay 7, 1958
StudioBradley Film & Recording,[1] Nashville
Genre
Length2:10
LabelMGM
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.

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[edit]

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[edit]

Conway Twitty version
Chart (1958–1959) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 5
Canada (CHUM)[11] 1
Italian Singles Chart 9
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[edit]

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

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Gold 500,000‡

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

Glen Campbell version[edit]

"It's Only Make Believe"
Single by Glen Campbell
from the album The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album
B-sidePave Your Way Into Tomorrow[18]
ReleasedAugust 25, 1970
RecordedDecember 18, 1967
StudioCapitol Studios, Hollywood, California
GenreCountry
Length2:21
LabelCapitol 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[edit]

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 50 10
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 3
New Zealand Singles Chart 2
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 10
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[27] 3
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening 2

Year-end chart[edit]

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[edit]

  • In 1964, Billy Fury had a top 10 hit with his version in the UK and Ireland,[31][24] which also went to No. 1 in Singapore.[31]
  • Brendan O'Brien and The Dixies recorded the song and it reached No. 4 on the Irish chart in 1964.[32]
  • Ronnie McDowell had a No. 8 single on the Billboard country chart in 1988 after recording the song as a duet with Twitty.
  • The pop band Child released the song as a single in 1978, reaching the top ten in the UK Singles Chart.[33]
  • The rockabilly revival singer Robert Gordon covered the song,[34] which reached No. 99 on the Billboard Country chart in 1979.[35]
  • Canadian country music singer Carroll Baker covered the song on her 1991 compilation Her Finest Collection. It was released as the album's first single and peaked at number 28 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.[36]
  • R&B singer Sam Moore recorded a version with Mariah Carey and Vince Gill that appeared on Moore's 2006 Overnight Sensational album.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (2012). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. p. 50. ISBN 9780199920839.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (January 22, 2018). "The Number Ones: Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 3, 2023. "It's Only Make Believe" manages to be both a rock 'n' roll song and a country one...
  3. ^ Harris, Craig (2014). The Band: Pioneers of Americana Music. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 47. ISBN 9780810889057.
  4. ^ a b c d e Homer, Sheree; McDowell, Jay (2015). Dig That Beat! Interviews with Musicians at the Root of Rock 'n' Roll. McFarland. pp. 95–96. ISBN 9780786474462.
  5. ^ Bronson, Fred (1997). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books. p. 44. ISBN 9780823076413.
  6. ^ "Hits for week of Nov 10". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Hits for week of Nov 24". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 647.
  9. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 92–3. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  10. ^ "Conway Twitty on Pop Goes The Country". YouTube. 2007-08-10. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  11. ^ "Songs from the Year 1958". Tsort.info. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "Conway Twitty – It's Only Make Believe". VG-lista.
  13. ^ "Conway Twitty Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 595.
  15. ^ "The Cash Box Best-Selling Singles: Week ending November 15, 1958". Tropicalglen.com.
  16. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  17. ^ "American single certifications – Conway Twitty – It's Only Make Believe". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Top 20 Pop Spotlight". Billboard. August 29, 1970. p. 54.
  19. ^ "More Pressure, Challenge Now". Billboard. October 10, 1970. p. 58.
  20. ^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 26 December 1970". Poparchives.com.au. 1970-12-26. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
  21. ^ "Glen Campbell – It's Only Make Believe" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6964." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3717." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – It's Only Make Believe". Irish Singles Chart.
  25. ^ "Glen Campbell: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  26. ^ "Glen Campbell Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  27. ^ "Glen Campbell Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  28. ^ "Top Records of 1970: Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 52. 1970-12-26. p. TA-30.
  29. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3740." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  30. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1970". Tropical Glen.
  31. ^ a b "Hits of the World: Singapore". Billboard. November 7, 1964. p. 29.
  32. ^ "Brendan O'Brien". Irish Charts.
  33. ^ "Child". The Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ Read, Philip M. (2017). Memories from the Meadowbrook: America Through Time. Fonthill Media.
  35. ^ "Robert Gordon : Hot Country Songs". Billboard.
  36. ^ "RPM Country Tracks". RPM. February 23, 1991. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
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