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I'm a Believer

"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the American band 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 [3] becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the number-five song for 1967.[4] While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC), with administration passed to Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.

"I'm a Believer"
US single cover
Single by the Monkees
from the album More of the Monkees
B-side"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"
ReleasedNovember 1966 (1966-11)[1]
RecordedOctober 15 and 22–25, 1966[1]
Genre
Length2:47
LabelColgems
Songwriter(s)Neil Diamond
Producer(s)Jeff Barry
The Monkees singles chronology
"Last Train to Clarksville"
(1966) 		"I'm a Believer"
(1966) 		"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"
(1967)
Official audio
"I'm a Believer" (2006 Remaster) on YouTube
The Monkees - "I'm a Believer"
16 seconds (of 2:47)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in January and February 1967. Also, it reached number one in several other countries, including Australia, New Zealand,[5] Canada, and Ireland.[6]

Billboard described the song as "an easy-go dance mover" that "will hit with immediate impact".[7] Cash Box said the single is a "medium-paced rocker [that] is full of the group's top-notch harmonies and is laced with infectious sounds."[8] Record World said it was "sensational."[9]

The song was featured in four consecutive episodes of the television series The Monkees in December 1966. The members of the Monkees later performed it live during domestic and overseas tours at that time and many years later at reunion concerts.[citation needed]

History

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Diamond also suggested the song to the Fifth Estate, who recorded it as a 1967 album cut to follow up their hit "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead".

Diamond recorded his own version of the song for his second album, Just For You, in 1967. This version became a minor chart hit in 1971. A new recording by Diamond, featuring additional lyrics, appears on his 1979 album September Morn. Diamond also performed it in a duet with Linda Ronstadt as part of a medley of his songs on an episode of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour in 1970.

Charts

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Neil Diamond

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[10] 21
Canada RPM Top Singles[11] 61
Germany 23
Netherlands 29
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 51
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 31
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 52

Recording

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Session guitarist Al Gorgoni (who played on "The Sound of Silence" and later on "Brown Eyed Girl") had worked on Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" and also contributed to "I'm a Believer." Other personnel on the record include Sal DiTroia on rhythm guitar, Neil Diamond on acoustic guitar, Russ Savakus on bass, George Butcher on electric piano, Stan Free on organ, George Devens on tambourine, and Buddy Saltzman on drums.[13]

The song is listed at number 48 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.[3] In 2021, it was listed at number 341 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[14]

Personnel

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The Monkees

Additional personnel

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Netherlands — 100,000[28]
Norway (IFPI Norway)[29] Silver 25,000[29]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[30] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom
Original release 		— 750,000[31]
United Kingdom (BPI)[32]
2005 release 		Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 4,000,000[33]
Summaries
Worldwide — 10,000,000[31]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Smash Mouth version

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"I'm a Believer"
 
Single by Smash Mouth
from the album Shrek: Music from the Original Motion Picture and Smash Mouth
ReleasedAugust 13, 2001 (2001-08-13)
Length3:02
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)Neil Diamond
Producer(s)Eric Valentine
Smash Mouth singles chronology
"Waste"
(2000) 		"I'm a Believer"
(2001) 		"Pacific Coast Party"
(2001)
Music video
"I'm a Believer" on YouTube

The American pop rock band Smash Mouth covered the song in 2001 as part of the soundtrack to the movie Shrek, along with their previous Grammy-nominated hit "All Star." 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. (Weezer also had a version of the song at the end of Shrek's 2010 sequel Shrek Forever After, which was inserted into the musical's finale a year into its run.) The Smash Mouth version peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 20 in New Zealand and Spain. In Australia, the cover reached number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart, received a Platinum certification for sales exceeding 70,000 and came in at number 36 on ARIA's year-end chart for 2001.

Music video

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The music video for Smash Mouth's version was directed by Scott Marshall. It first depicts the band performing in a tent; then, the scene switches to them walking out of a movie theater, complete with cardboard advertisements of Shrek and the characters. Then, lead vocalist Steve Harwell accidentally bumps into a blond-haired woman and tries to catch up with her. However, a man with blond hair comes up as Harwell freaks out and screams. Afterward, the woman walks into a "fairy tale convention" at a hotel. Harwell continues to follow the woman into the hotel. Once in the hotel, Harwell tries to find the woman by looking through different rooms. However, there are short clips from Shrek each time he opens the door. Finally, he tries one more door and thinks it is the woman. However, a blond-haired chimpanzee is dancing with a woman dressed as a banana. With no luck, Harwell walks out of the hotel, but the woman speeds off in her red convertible.

Hoping to catch up, Harwell sneakily takes a red jacket and borrows a silver Lexus car driven by a costumed gingerbread man who is injured and using crutches. Then, Harwell winks at the camera as the chase begins. While driving, he throws the jacket up and into the street. He then stops at a party where the woman is and goes into a tent, the same one where the band's performance takes place). However, he observes several similar blonde-haired women, all dancing and wearing the same red shirt. Harwell somehow recognizes the woman again and catches up with her just as she boards a boat. He asks the boat captain for assistance, and the band performs on the boat during a heavy storm. Meanwhile, Harwell and the captain search for the woman. Finally, he catches her on a dock and informs her that she forgot her keys. Just as he is about to leave, the woman recognizes him as Steve from Smash Mouth and asks for his number. However, Harwell declines and says he has to go. The woman then chases him and yells, "Wait! Please! I love you!"

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Platinum 70,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[53] Silver 200,000‡

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

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Australia August 13, 2001 CD Interscope [54]
Japan September 19, 2001 Universal Music Japan [55]

Other covers and later uses

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An Italian cover by Caterina Caselli, "Sono bugiarda" ("I'm a liar"), was released in 1967. It was used in Ridley Scott's 2021 biopic House of Gucci.[56][57]

British Canterbury scene musician Robert Wyatt issued a cover version of the song as a single on the Virgin label in 1974. The record was produced by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and reached number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.[58] Wyatt performed the song on BBC's Top of the Pops in September of that year.[59][60]

The song was also covered by EMF with Vic and Bob (Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer) in 1995 and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[61]

The song appeared in the Yugoslav Black Wave film When I Am Dead and Gone directed by Živojin Pavlović. The song appears in the singing competition scene, performed by singer Predrag Jovanović, who would later gain prominence as a member of the German band Jane and Yugoslav band Dʼ Boys.[62]

The song was initially used in the home video version of the Coen brothers' 1984 film Blood Simple, but after licensing issues were settled, it was replaced in the 2001 director's cut of the film by the song used in the theatrical version, Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song."[63]

American rock band Weezer performed a cover for the 2010 animated film Shrek Forever After. In 2018 Hot Dad performed a cover for Shrek Retold.[64]

References

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  1. ^ a b Sandoval, Andrew (2005). The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation. San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press. pp. 63–64, 65. ISBN 978-1-59223-372-4 – via the Internet Archive.
  2. ^ Stanley, Bob (September 13, 2013). "Bubblegum is the Naked Truth: The Monkees". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 276. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  3. ^ a b "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  4. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1967
  5. ^ a b "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 200. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. December 3, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 3, 1966. p. 40. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 3, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  10. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. August 14, 1971. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  11. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. August 14, 1971. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  12. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  13. ^ 'More of the Monkees' deluxe reissue, Rhino Records 2017, booklet, Pages 17 and 20, containing personnel as listed by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, sourced directly from official Musicians' Union records
  14. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  15. ^ "Go-Set Magazine Charts". poparchives.com.au. Barry McKay. January 2007. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  16. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. January 2, 1967. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  17. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 210. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  18. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I’m A Believer". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  19. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  20. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  21. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 2/11/67". tropicalglen.com.
  22. ^ "Go-Set Magazine Charts". poparchives.com.au. Barry McKay. January 2007. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  23. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles of 1967". Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  24. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1967". Rock.co.za. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1965/Top 100 Songs of 1965". Musicoutfitters.com.
  26. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 23, 1967". Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  27. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  28. ^ "Cash Box - Holland" (PDF). Cash Box. December 30, 1967. p. 46. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Singing Monkees Wrapping Europe Around Their Tails". Billboard. March 11, 1967. p. 68. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  30. ^ "Spanish single certifications – The Monkees – I'm a Believer". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  31. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 227. ISBN 0668064595. It sold over three million in America in its first two months on the market, and over 750,000 in Britain on the RCA label... Global sales are estimated at around ten million
  32. ^ "British single certifications – Monkees – I'm a Believer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  33. ^ Dietz, Lawrence (September 23, 1968). "The Monkees' Man Invades the Kiddie Ghetto". New York Magazine. 1 (25): 46. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  34. ^ "American single certifications – The Monkees – I'm a Believer". Recording Industry Association of America.
  35. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  36. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  37. ^ "Canadian Top 20 in 2001" (PDF). Cross Canada Countdown. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2005. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  38. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  39. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Smash Mouth". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  40. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer". Top Digital Download. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  41. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  42. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer". Top 40 Singles.
  43. ^ "Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  44. ^ "Smash Mouth Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  45. ^ "Smash Mouth Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  46. ^ "Smash Mouth Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  47. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  48. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001". ARIA. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  49. ^ "BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on July 26, 2002. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  50. ^ "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. December 29, 2001. p. YE-82.
  51. ^ "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 16.
  52. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  53. ^ "British single certifications – Smash Mouth – I'm a Believer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  54. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 13th August 2001" (PDF). ARIA. August 13, 2001. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 22, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  55. ^ "新譜発売日一覧 9月分" [New Release Date List for September] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Archived from the original on February 8, 2002. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  56. ^ "House of Gucci Soundtrack". Soundtracktracklist.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  57. ^ "Tunefind". Tunefind.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  58. ^ "Robert Wyatt and Nick Mason on 'I'm a Believer': "We made our own rules and did what we liked"". January 27, 2017.
  59. ^ "Robert Wyatt and Nick Mason on 'I'm A Believer': "We made our own rules and did what we liked"". January 27, 2017.
  60. ^ "I'm A Believer (Previously Unreleased Extended Version)". February 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
  61. ^ "EMF/REEVES & MORTIMER". officialcharts. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  62. ^ Janjatović, Petar (2024). Ex YU rock enciklopedija 1960-2023. Belgrade: self-released / Makart. p. 72.
  63. ^ Beckett, David (March 27, 2013). "Blood Simple - Director's Cut (2013) DVD". Film 365. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  64. ^ "Vampire Weekend "Refused to Capitalize on Weezer's Misfortune" by Replacing Them on Shrek Soundtrack". Pitchfork. April 7, 2016.
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