1. History
    Charts 

2. Recording

3. Chart history
    Weekly charts  Year-end charts 

4. Later uses

5. Smash Mouth version
    Music video  Charts and certifications  Weekly charts  Year-end charts  Certifications 

6. Other versions

7. References

8. External links

"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,^[1] becoming the last No. 1 hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling record for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 5 song for 1967.^[1] Because of 1,051,280 advance orders, it went gold within two days of release. It is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold more than 10 million physical copies worldwide. While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC).

The song was No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in January and February 1967 and reached the top spot in numerous countries, including Australia, New Zealand,^[2] Canada, and Ireland.^[3]

The song appeared in four consecutive episodes of The Monkees TV show in December 1966.

History

Neil Diamond had already recorded this song before it was covered by the Monkees, and it still sometimes is performed in his live concerts. A revised recording by Diamond, featuring additional lyrics, appears on the album September Morn, while his original recording appeared on the 1967 album Just for You. 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 No. 2 for four weeks, and from reaching the Hot 100's summit.

Diamond's version was not released as a single until 1971. It became a modest hit in the U.S. and Canada, also reaching the Top 40 on the Adult Contemporary charts of both nations as well as parts of Europe.

Charts

Neil Diamond

Recording

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 piano, Stan Free on Vox Continental organ, George Devens on percussion, and Buddy Saltzman on drums.^[7]

The song is listed at No. 48 on Billboard{{'}}s All Time Top 100.^[8]

Chart history

The Monkees

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Later uses

The song was originally used in the home video version of the Coen brothers' 1984 film Blood Simple, but after licensing issues were settled, was replaced in the 2001 director's cut by the song used in the theatrical version: Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song".^[20]

When Marvin Andrews scored for Rangers, or won the Man of the Match at Ibrox Stadium, the song was played.

Smash Mouth version

American pop rock band Smash Mouth covered the song in 2001, as part of the soundtrack to the movie Shrek, along with "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 hit No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 20 in New Zealand and Spain. In Australia, the cover reached No. 9 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

The music video for Smash Mouth's version was directed by Scott Marshall. It 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, Harwell bumps into a blond-haired girl by accident and then tries to catch up with her. However, a man with blond hair comes up as Harwell freaks out and screams. Afterwards, the girl walks into a "fairy tale convention" at a hotel. Harwell continues to follow the girl into the hotel. Once in the hotel, Harwell tries to find the girl 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's the girl. However, it is a blond-haired monkey, who dances with a girl dressed as a banana. With no luck, Harwell walks out of the hotel, but the girl speeds off in her red convertible. Hoping to catch up, he sneakily takes a red cape and borrows a silver Lexus car driven by a costumed gingerbread man who is injured on crutches. Then, Harwell winks at the camera as the chase begins. While driving, he throws his red cape up and into the street. He then stops at a party where the girl is and goes into a tent. However, he sees multiple blond-haired girls with the same red shirt on, all dancing. By the time he catches up to her, the girl goes on a boat. Harwell asks a boat captain for assistance to win the girl. The band then performs on the boat during a heavy storm. Meanwhile, Harwell and the captain are on the lookout of the girl. He finally catches her on a dock and says that she forgot her keys. Just as he is about to leave, the girl recognizes him as Steve from Smash Mouth and asks for his number. However, Harwell declines and says he has to go. Finally, the girl then chases him and yells, "Wait! Please! I love you!"

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Other versions

On select prints of the Shrek soundtrack, a prototype version of the Smash Mouth song has a different arrangement, and doesn't sound like the more prominent song in the movie.

In 1966, French band Les Sextans recorded it in French as "Ils aiment la vie", an independent single.

British singer-songwriter Robert Wyatt had a Top 30 hit in the UK in September–October 1974 (it reached No. 29 on the UK charts) with a version of "I'm a Believer" that features Fred Frith on violin, 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 June 1973 accident that left him a paraplegic.

In 1995, British comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer teamed up with the band EMF for a version which reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 17 on the Irish Singles Chart.^[23][24]

References

External links

• {{MetroLyrics song|monkees|im-a-believer}}

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