All I Have to Do Is Dream

"All I Have to Do Is Dream"
Single by The Everly Brothers
B-side	"Claudette"
Released	April 1958
Format	45 rpm, 78 rpm
Recorded	March 6, 1958, RCA Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:17
Label	Cadence 1348
Writer(s)	Boudleaux Bryant
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
"This Little Girl of Mine" (1958) "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1958) "Bird Dog" (1958)

"All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a popular song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant,^[1] and published in 1958. The song is ranked No. 142 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is in AABA form.^[2]

The Everly Brothers' version

By far the best-known version was recorded by The Everly Brothers^[1] and released as a single in April 1958. It had been recorded by The Everly Brothers live in just two takes^[3] on March 6, 1958, and features Chet Atkins on guitar. It was the only single ever to be at No. 1 on all of Billboard's singles charts simultaneously, on June 2, 1958. It first reached No. 1 on the "Most played by Jockeys" and "Top 100" charts on May 19, 1958, and remained there for five and three weeks, respectively; with the August 1958 introduction of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song ended the year at No. 2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart^[4] as well as becoming The Everly Brothers' third chart topper on the country chart.^[5] The Everly Brothers briefly returned to the Hot 100 in 1961 with this song. It entered the UK Singles Chart on May 23, 1958, reaching the No. 1 position on July 11 and remaining there for six weeks and spending 21 weeks on the chart.^[6]

The song has also featured on several notable lists of the best songs or singles of all time, including Q's 1001 best songs ever in 2003. It was named one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2004.

The B-side, "Claudette," was the first major song writing success for Roy Orbison (who also covered the song) and was named for his wife.^[7] As a result of this song he terminated his contract with Sun Records and affiliated himself with the Everly's publisher, Acuff-Rose Music.

The song is featured rather prominently in the 2001 film Riding in Cars with Boys: first the original recording is heard when the father (actor James Woods) is driving his young daughter (actress Mika Boorem), who is singing along; at the end the father (actor James Woods again) and the daughter (actress Drew Barrymore) jointly are singing their beloved oldie whilst huddling together and reminiscing.

The song appears in the game Mafia II, even though the game is set in 1951, seven years before the song was released.

This version of the song was also included at the end credits of the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Hit recordings

"All I Have to Do Is Dream"
Single by Richard Chamberlain
from the album Richard Chamberlain Sings
B-side	"Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo"
Released	1963
Format	7" single
Length	2:30
Label	MGM
Writer(s)	Boudleaux Bryant
Richard Chamberlain singles chronology
Love Me Tender (1962) All I Have to Do Is Dream / Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo (1963) I Will Love You / True Love (1963)

Another well known version was released by Richard Chamberlain on his 1962 album, Richard Chamberlain Sings. This version became a hit when released as a single in 1963, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Other hit versions of the song include duets by Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell in 1969 (#27 U.S. pop, #6 U.S. country, #3 UK, #6 Euro Hit 50, #6 Sweden).

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version hit #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.

Cliff Richard, singing with Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, took the song to No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994.

Other versions

• 1963: French chanteuse Sheila released a single with a French version of the song titled Pendant les Vacances. It was also included on her first album Le Sifflet Des Copains.
• 1981: Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal released the song as a single and it was the last single by Gibb. The song was the only single by Victoria Principal.
• 1984: Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen sang the song in the film Starman, and a recording of them singing it together is included on the film's soundtrack.
• 1996: PJ & Duncan (now known as Ant & Dec) released the song as a single and was due to be on their album The Cult of Ant & Dec but was dropped at the last minute.
• 2005: The Dandy Warhols covered the song for the Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse video game soundtrack.
• 2012: Rita Wilson released the song on her AM/FM album.^[8]

References

1. The Everly Brothers interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
2. Covach, John (2005), "Form in Rock Music: A Primer", in Stein, Deborah, Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis, New York: Oxford University Press, p.70, ISBN 0-19-517010-5 .
3. Archived November 3, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 194.
5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 117.
6. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 86–8. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
7. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 37–8. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
8. Hilton, Perez (11 April 2012). "Rita Wilson Serenades Us To Sleep | PerezHilton.com". PerezHilton.com. Retrieved 4 April 2016.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics