I'm a Believer
Encyclopedia
"I'm a Believer" is a song composed by Neil Diamond
and recorded by The Monkees
in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz
. The single, produced by Jeff Barry
, hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the last #1 hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling record for all of 1967. Because of 1,051,280 advance orders, it went gold within two days of release. It is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.
, while his original recording can be found on several albums, including his greatest hits album, The Essential Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond also suggested it to The Fifth Estate
who recorded it as a 1967 album cut to follow up their hit "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead". The Monkees' recording kept the novelty hit, "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
" by The Royal Guardsmen
, at number two for four weeks, from reaching the Hot 100's summit.
A cover by British
singer-songwriter
Robert Wyatt
was an unlikely hit in the UK
in 1974, with a version featuring Fred Frith
on violin and Andy Summers
(later of The Police
) on guitar, and drums by Nick Mason
of Pink Floyd
, who also produced the recording. It was Wyatt's first recording, after the accident which left him in paraplegic.
In 1995, British comedian Vic Reeves
teamed up with then-popular band EMF
for a version which reached #3 on the UK singles chart.
The Neil Diamond version was featured in the Coen brothers' film "Blood Simple" in its US home video version, but was later replaced by the Four Tops "It's the Same Old Song," which was the original choice for the film.
This song was also covered by Smash Mouth
and Eddie Murphy
in 2001, as part of the soundtrack to the movie Shrek
(the band also released the song on its self-titled album
). Eddie Murphy
, portraying the character "Donkey", also performed a rendition of the song in the film. The song was chosen for its opening line, "I thought love was only true in fairy tales," which matched the fairy tale theme of the film. Subsequently, the song was played as exit music for the Broadway musical adaptation of the film, for comic effect. A year into the show's run, it was inserted into its finale. A nod to the version by Reeves & Mortimer with EMF is included in Shrek; though the "Oi!" does not appear in any album version of Smash Mouth's cover, it is inserted into the song when it is played in the film's finale, shouted by Snow White's Seven Dwarfs. A different cover, by Weezer, appears in Shrek Forever After
.
In 2008, this song ranked #1 on Dallas station KLUV 98.7FM's Top 500 Memorial Day
Countdown, as voted on by the listeners. The song is listed at #48 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-50.shtml
In 2010, Neil Diamond
recorded a stripped down, slow tempo version of the song on his Dreams album, and Paije Richardson performed an I'm a Believer/Hey Ya!
mash-up
on series seven
of The X Factor
.
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
and recorded by The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
. The single, produced by Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
, hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the last #1 hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling record for all of 1967. Because of 1,051,280 advance orders, it went gold within two days of release. It is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.
History
Neil Diamond had already recorded this song before it was covered by The Monkees, and it still sometimes appears in his live concerts. A revised recording by Neil Diamond, featuring additional lyrics, appears on the album September MornSeptember Morn (album)
September Morn is an album by Neil Diamond released in 1979 as an update of Neil Diamond's 1960s roots, with a disco version of the Motown classic "Dancing in the Street" and a remake of "I'm a Believer".- Track listing :-Personnel:...
, while his original recording can be found on several albums, including his greatest hits album, The Essential Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond also suggested it to The Fifth Estate
The Fifth Estate (band)
The Fifth Estate was a rock and roll band, originally formed in Stamford, Connecticut as The D-Men in early 1964.-Early years :...
who recorded it as a 1967 album cut to follow up their hit "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead". The Monkees' recording kept the novelty hit, "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
"Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" is a novelty song written by Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler and recorded in 1966 by the Florida based rock band, The Royal Guardsmen. The song was recorded at the Charles Fuller Productions studio in Tampa, Florida, and was released as a single on Laurie Records...
" by The Royal Guardsmen
The Royal Guardsmen
The Royal Guardsmen are an American rock band, best known for their 1966 hit single "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron".-Snoopy vs. the Red Baron:...
, at number two for four weeks, from reaching the Hot 100's summit.
A cover by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
was an unlikely hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1974, with a version featuring Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
on violin and Andy Summers
Andy Summers
Andy Summers is an English guitarist born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. Best known as the guitarist for rock band The Police, he has also recorded twelve solo albums, collaborated with many other artists, toured extensively under his own name, published several books, and composed...
(later of The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
) on guitar, and drums by Nick Mason
Nick Mason
Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, who also produced the recording. It was Wyatt's first recording, after the accident which left him in paraplegic.
In 1995, British comedian Vic Reeves
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
teamed up with then-popular band EMF
EMF (band)
EMF were an indie dance band from the United Kingdom. The band, from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During its initial eight year run , EMF had released three studio albums and had gone on hiatus and reformed twice...
for a version which reached #3 on the UK singles chart.
The Neil Diamond version was featured in the Coen brothers' film "Blood Simple" in its US home video version, but was later replaced by the Four Tops "It's the Same Old Song," which was the original choice for the film.
This song was also covered by Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
and Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
in 2001, as part of the soundtrack to the movie Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
(the band also released the song on its self-titled album
Smash Mouth (album)
Smash Mouth is the self-titled third album by rock band Smash Mouth released in late 2001. It was notable in that it was their first album with new drummer Michael Urbano and its release was delayed a few months due to the death of lead vocalist Steve Harwell's son, Presley Scott Harwell.The San...
). Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
, portraying the character "Donkey", also performed a rendition of the song in the film. The song was chosen for its opening line, "I thought love was only true in fairy tales," which matched the fairy tale theme of the film. Subsequently, the song was played as exit music for the Broadway musical adaptation of the film, for comic effect. A year into the show's run, it was inserted into its finale. A nod to the version by Reeves & Mortimer with EMF is included in Shrek; though the "Oi!" does not appear in any album version of Smash Mouth's cover, it is inserted into the song when it is played in the film's finale, shouted by Snow White's Seven Dwarfs. A different cover, by Weezer, appears in Shrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United...
.
In 2008, this song ranked #1 on Dallas station KLUV 98.7FM's Top 500 Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
Countdown, as voted on by the listeners. The song is listed at #48 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-50.shtml
In 2010, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
recorded a stripped down, slow tempo version of the song on his Dreams album, and Paije Richardson performed an I'm a Believer/Hey Ya!
Hey Ya!
"Hey Ya!" is a song written and produced by André 3000 for his 2003 album The Love Below, part of the hip hop duo OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The song takes influence from funk and rock music...
mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
on series seven
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
.
Selected list of recorded versions
- 1966 The MonkeesThe MonkeesThe Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
single, also on the 1967 album More of The MonkeesMore of The MonkeesMore of The Monkees is the second full-length album by The Monkees. It was recorded in late 1966 and released on Colgems label #102 on January 9, 1967. It was number one on the Billboard 200 for 18 weeks—the longest of any Monkees album. It also went to number one in the UK. In the U.S... - 1967 The Fifth EstateThe Fifth Estate (band)The Fifth Estate was a rock and roll band, originally formed in Stamford, Connecticut as The D-Men in early 1964.-Early years :...
on the album "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead". - 1967 The Four Tops on the album Reach Out
- 1967 The VenturesThe VenturesThe Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
on the 1967 album Guitar Freakout - 1967 Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
on the album Just for YouJust for You (Neil Diamond album)Just for You is the name of Neil Diamond's second album. Like his debut, it has never been released on CD, though all but two of the tracks were made available on the Classics: The Early Years compilation...
, reissued on the 1983 album Classics: The Early YearsClassics: The Early YearsClassics: The Early Years is a compilation album by Neil Diamond released in 1983 featuring the early recordings he made for Bang Records in 1966 and 1967. After Columbia Records acquired the Bang Records catalogue, the twelve best recordings were reissued on this album. Columbia gave Diamond, a... - 1967 Caterina CaselliCaterina CaselliCaterina Caselli is an Italian record producer and former singer and actress.In 1966 she debuted in the Sanremo Festival with "Nessuno mi può giudicare", a song discarded by Adriano Celentano, scoring a notable success. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc...
single, sung in ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
with the title Sono bugiarda (I am a liar) - 1974 Robert WyattRobert WyattRobert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
single, also on the 2004 album His Greatest Misses - 1979 Bram TchaikovskyBram TchaikovskyBram Tchaikovsky is the lead singer of an eponymous power pop band. The group scored a U.S. Top 40 hit in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, with "Girl Of My Dreams". In the Netherlands "Sarah Smiles" was a minor hit, reaching #33 in February 1979.Tchaikovsky was vocalist and guitarist for his band...
on the album Strange Man, Changed Man - 1979 Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
on the album September Morn (with new lyrics) - 1979 Tin HueyTin HueyTin Huey is an experimental rock and New Wave band from Akron, Ohio that formed in the mid/late 1970s.-Original lineups:The band was originally known as Rags and started out with three members: Mark Price, Michael Aylward, and Stuart Austin. Later, the band decided to rename themselves after...
on the album Contents Dislodged During ShipmentContents Dislodged During ShipmentContents Dislodged During Shipment is a mostly experimental rock album released by Tin Huey and Warner Bros. Records originally in 1979-Track listing:#"I'm a Believer" 3:16#"The Revelations of Dr... - 1985 Barbara MandrellBarbara MandrellBarbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
on the album Get to the HeartGet to the HeartGet to the Heart is the eighteenth studio album by American country artist Barbara Mandrell. The album was released in August 1985 on MCA Records and was produced by Tom Collins... - 1990 Lulu SantosLulu SantosLulu Santos, stage name of Luiz Maurício Pragana dos Santos is a Brazilian singer and guitarist, considered one of the great names of Brazilian rock.- Career :...
on the album Honululu (with Portuguese lyrics) - 1992 The Frank and WaltersThe Frank and WaltersThe Frank and Walters are an alternative rock band from Cork city in Ireland. The band was founded in 1990 by Paul Linehan , his brother Niall Linehan , who was replaced by Kevin Pedreschi in 2004, and Ashley Keating . They took the band name in honour of two eccentric Cork characters...
on the charity album Ruby Trax - 1995 Reeves & MortimerVic and BobVic Reeves and Bob Mortimer , more commonly known simply as Vic and Bob or Reeves and Mortimer, are a British comedy double act...
with EMFEMF (band)EMF were an indie dance band from the United Kingdom. The band, from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During its initial eight year run , EMF had released three studio albums and had gone on hiatus and reformed twice...
, non-album track (#3 UK Singles Chart) - 1996 Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
on the album In My Lifetime - 2001 CadetCadetA cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
on the album Cadet - 2001 Smash MouthSmash MouthSmash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
on the ShrekShrekShrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
Soundtrack and on their self-titled album Smash MouthSmash Mouth (album)Smash Mouth is the self-titled third album by rock band Smash Mouth released in late 2001. It was notable in that it was their first album with new drummer Michael Urbano and its release was delayed a few months due to the death of lead vocalist Steve Harwell's son, Presley Scott Harwell.The San... - 2001 Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
on the ShrekShrekShrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
Soundtrack - 2005 Daniel O'DonnellDaniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
on his Rock n' Roll Tour - 2008 Brooke WhiteBrooke WhiteBrooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &...
during the Top 5 Neil Diamond week in season 7 of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment... - 2010 WeezerWeezerWeezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
on the Shrek Forever AfterShrek Forever AfterShrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United...
Soundtrack - 2010 Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
on the album Dreams