It's Only Make Believe

"It's Only Make Believe"
Single by Conway Twitty
from the album Conway Twitty Sings
B-side "I'll Try"
Released July 14, 1958
Format 7" single
Genre Country, Rockabilly, Pop
Length 2:28
Label MGM
Writer(s) Jack Nance, Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty singles chronology
"I Need Your Lovin'"
(1957)		 "It's Only Make Believe"
(1958)		 "The Story of My Love"
(1959)

"It's Only Make Believe" is the title of a song written by Jack Nance and American country music artist Conway Twitty, released by Twitty as a single in July 1958. The single topped both U.S. [1] and British national charts, and was Twitty's only number-one single on the pop charts of either country.

Twitty recorded many subsequent versions of "It's Only Make Believe", including a 1970 duet with Loretta Lynn on their very 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 #8 hit on the country music charts. Additionally, Twitty contributed to an alternative cover by McDowell. One interesting fact about Twitty's original recording of this song was that Twitty's voice sounded so similar to that of Elvis Presley that many people thought that the song was actually recorded by Presley, using "Conway Twitty" as a pseudonym.

Contents

Content

The song's lyrics describe the thoughts and feelings of a man who is a victim of unrequited love. He hopes and prays that, at some point in the future, the woman whom he is in love with will return his love, but laments that, at present, "it's only make believe."

Chart performance

Chart (1958-1959) Peak
position
U.K. Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
Canadian Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart 2
Australian Singles Chart 5
Italian Singles Chart 9

Cover versions

Billy Fury had a UK #10 hit with his version in 1964, which also went to #1 in Singapore. Glen Campbell's 1970 recording became a top ten hit in both the United States and United Kingdom. Ronnie McDowell had a #8 single on the Billboard country chart in 1988 after recording the song as a duet with Twitty. The pop band Child releaswed the song as a single in 1978, reaching the top ten in the UK Charts. The horror punk band Misfits have a cover version on their 2003 covers album Project 1950, retitled "Only Make Believe". Queen guitarist Brian May has also covered it, his band consisting of Cozy Powell, Jamie Moses, Spike Edney & Neil Murray. Brian's cover can be found on the b-side of his 1998 single "Why Don't We Try Again". Clay Aiken recorded the song for his 2010 album Tried and True.

Chart performance

Chart (1970) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report 1[2]
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 4
Canadian RPM Top Singles 5
Euro Hit 50 10
Irish Singles Chart 3
New Zealand Singles Chart 2
U.K. Singles Chart 4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles 3
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening 2

Year-End Chart

Chart (1970) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 99
Canadian RPM Top Singles 76
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 66

See also

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 647. 
  2. ^ http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19701226.html
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