"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer

Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...

, while both were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. The song was recorded on May 7 for

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

; produced by

Jim Vienneau James Francis Vienneau (born September 18, 1926) is an American retired music producer. He is best known for producing "It's Only Make Believe" by Conway Twitty. Childhood Jim Vienneau was born on September 18, 1926, to Marian Catherine "Mary" ( ...

, it featured Floyd “Lightnin’” Chance on double bass. It was released on side B of "I'll Try" on July 14, 1958. Known as Harold Lloyd Jenkins until changing his name in 1957, Twitty was a relatively unknown

rock n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

singer at the time. That all changed when side B finally hit the chart in September, then made No. 1 twice, on November 10 and 24. The single topped both U.S. and the UK Singles Chart, and became the only No. 1 pop single of his career. Years later, on a segment of 'Pop Goes The Country', Twitty stated it was a hit in 22 countries, and sold over 8 million copies. He did not become a country music star until he crossed over in 1966. Though Twitty recorded subsequent versions of "It's Only Make Believe", his original 1958 hit never entered the Country & Western charts. He recorded a 1970

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

with Loretta Lynn, on their first collaborative album, ''

We Only Make Believe ''We Only Make Believe'' is the first collaborative studio album by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. It was released on February 1, 1971, by Decca Records. This was the first of ten albums Twitty and Lynn would release. The album's first track i ...

''. Twitty joins in on the last verse in a 1988 uptempo cover by Ronnie McDowell, which was a No. 8 hit on the country music charts. Additionally, Twitty contributed to an alternative cover by McDowell.

Chart performance

Conway Twitty version

All-time charts

Cover versions

*In 1964, Billy Fury had a UK No. 10 hit with his version, which also went to No. 1 in Singapore. * Glen Campbell's 1970 recording for ''

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album'' is the 19th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1970. Track listing Side one #"It's Only Make Believe" ( Conway Twitty, Jack Nance) – 2:18 #"MacArthur Park" (Jimmy Webb) – 4: ...

'' became a top ten hit in both the United States and United Kingdom. * Ronnie McDowell had a No. 8 single on the Billboard country chart in 1988 after recording the song as a duet with Twitty. *The pop band

Child A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

released the song as a single in 1978, reaching the top ten in the UK Charts. *Canadian country music singer Carroll Baker covered the song on her 1991 compilation ''Her Finest Collection''. It was released as the album's first single and peaked at number 28 on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Country Tracks chart.

Chart performance

Glen Campbell version

Year-end chart

References

{{authority control 1958 singles 1970 singles 1987 singles Conway Twitty songs Glen Campbell songs Ronnie McDowell songs Carroll Baker songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Songs written by Conway Twitty MGM Records singles Capitol Records singles Curb Records singles 1958 songs Billy Fury songs Schlager songs Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom 1950s ballads

Chart performance

Conway Twitty version

All-time charts

Cover versions

Chart performance

Glen Campbell version

Year-end chart

See also

References