I'm a Believer

History

In addition to the Monkees, 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" on their album of the same name.

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

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 electric piano, Stan Free on organ, George Devens on tambourine, and Buddy Saltzman on drums.

The song is listed at number 48 on Billboards All Time Top 100. In 2021, it was listed at number 341 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

Personnel

The Monkees

• Micky Dolenz – lead and backing vocals
• Davy Jones and Peter Tork – backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Al Gorgoni, Sal DiTroia – electric guitars
• Neil Diamond – acoustic guitar
• Stan Free – organ
• George Butcher – electric piano
• George Devens – tambourine
• Russ Savakus – bass
• Buddy Saltzman – drums
• Jeff Barry – producer
• Artie Butler – arranger

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Smash Mouth version

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 their 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. 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.

The band had a second version of the song that was featured on the CD singles for the song. This version was slower and featured an arrangement more different from the original Monkees version. The version has a longer intro and a shorter outro than the soundtrack version. It is in "concert pitch" compared to the soundtrack version which is slightly sharp. The singles refer to this version as the "Album Version" and the soundtrack version as the "Pop Radio Mix" or "Film Version - Radio Edit" depending on the release. This is despite the soundtrack version is also the version that appears on the band's self-titled album. Some modern streaming services retroactively title the version on the self-titled album as "Radio Edit".

Music video

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

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Other covers and later uses

An Italian cover by Caterina Caselli, "Sono bugiarda" ("I'm a liar"), was released in 1967 on her album Diamoci del tu. It was used in Ridley Scott's 2021 biopic House of Gucci.

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. Wyatt performed the song on BBC's Top of the Pops in September of that year.

American experimental rock and new wave band Tin Huey recorded a cover version that was included on the first volume of Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's.

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.

In 1966, Yugoslav rock band Elipse recorded a cover for Television Belgrade show Koncert za ludi mladi svet (Concert for Crazy Young People), making a video at the Belgrade Zoo, performing in front of a cage with monkeys. A year later, 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.

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."

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.

References

References

1. (2005). "The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation". [[Thunder Bay Press]].
2. Sandoval, Andrew. (2017). "More of the Monkees (Super Deluxe Edition)". [[Rhino Entertainment.
3. Marsh, Dave. (1979). "The Rolling Stone Record Guide". [[Random House]].
4. Stanley, Bob. (13 September 2013). "Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop". Faber & Faber.
5. 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.[[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1967]]
6. "flavour of new zealand - search listener".
7. (December 3, 1966). "Spotlight Singles". Billboard.
8. (December 3, 1966). "CashBox Record Reviews".
9. (December 3, 1966). "Single Picks of the Week".
10. (August 14, 1971). "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
11. (August 14, 1971). "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
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 Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs".
15. (September 15, 2021). "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
16. . (January 2007). ["Go-Set Magazine Charts"](http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1967/top1967.html). *Barry McKay*.
17. (January 2, 1967). "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
18. Nyman, Jake. (2005). "Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja". Tammi.
19. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za.
20. ''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990'' - {{ISBN. 0-89820-089-X
21. "Cash Box Top 100 2/11/67".
22. . (January 2007). ["Go-Set Magazine Charts"](http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1967/top1967.html). *Barry McKay*.
23. "''RPM'' Top 100 Singles of 1967".
24. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1967".
25. "Top 100 Hits of 1965/Top 100 Songs of 1965".
26. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 23, 1967".
27. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart".
28. (December 30, 1967). "Cash Box - Holland".
29. (March 11, 1967). "Singing Monkees Wrapping Europe Around Their Tails".
30. Murrells, Joseph. (1985). "Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory". Arco Pub..
31. (September 23, 1968). "The Monkees' Man Invades the Kiddie Ghetto". New York Magazine.
32. "Canadian Top 20 in 2001".
33. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001". ARIA.
34. "BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001". [[Jam!]].
35. (December 29, 2001). "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks".
36. (December 20, 2002). "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002".
37. (August 13, 2001). "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 13th August 2001". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
38. "新譜発売日一覧 9月分". [[Universal Music Japan]].
39. "House of Gucci Soundtrack".
40. "Tunefind".
41. (January 27, 2017). "Robert Wyatt and Nick Mason on 'I'm a Believer': "We made our own rules and did what we liked"".
42. (January 27, 2017). "Robert Wyatt and Nick Mason on 'I'm A Believer': "We made our own rules and did what we liked"".
43. (February 19, 2017). "I'm A Believer (Previously Unreleased Extended Version)".
44. (1994). "Various - Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 1".
45. "EMF/REEVES & MORTIMER".
46. (2009). "Istorija YU rock muzike od početaka do 1970.". Tabernakl.
47. Janjatović, Petar. (2024). "Ex YU rock enciklopedija 1960-2023". self-released / Makart.
48. Beckett, David. (March 27, 2013). "Blood Simple - Director's Cut (2013) DVD".
49. (April 7, 2016). "Vampire Weekend "Refused to Capitalize on Weezer's Misfortune" by Replacing Them on Shrek Soundtrack".