My Elusive Dreams

Last updated
"My Elusive Dreams"
My Elusive Dreams.jpg
Single by David Houston and Tammy Wynette
from the album My Elusive Dreams
B-side "Marriage on the Rocks"
ReleasedJune 1967
Genre Country
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Billy Sherrill
Curly Putman
Producer(s) Billy Sherrill
David Houston and Tammy Wynette singles chronology
"My Elusive Dreams"
(1967)
"It's All Over"
(1968)

"My Elusive Dreams" is a country music song written by Billy Sherrill and Curly Putman. Putman recorded his song in March 1967 and released it on ABC Records in June 1967, peaking at #41 on the Hot Country Singles charts and #34 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. [1] The song was later recorded by several artists. The best-known version was recorded as a duet by David Houston and Tammy Wynette, and was a No. 1 country hit in October 1967; the song also peaked at No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100. [2] Wynette recorded a second duet version of My Elusive Dreams in 1973 with George Jones; this version was included on the Let's Build a World Together album.

Contents

Song background

The song follows a restless man and his wife, as he attempts to find an ever-elusive and lasting happiness pursuing various dreams and schemes, all which are ill-fated. The man's attempts at making something work include stops in at least six states: Texas, Utah, Alabama (specifically, Birmingham), Tennessee (specifically, Memphis - where the wife gave birth to their child - and later Nashville), Nebraska and finally Alaska (it is implied that during their stint there, their child died and was buried there). The man finally admits to his resigned wife that he recognizes she's tired of following him around the country and that his dreams are fleeting.

Other versions

Chart performance

Curly Putman

Chart (1967)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles41
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 10034

David Houston and Tammy Wynette

Chart (1967)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles1
U.S. Billboard Hot 10089

Johnny Darrell

Chart (1967)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles73

Bobby Vinton

Chart (1970)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] 88
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles27
U.S. Billboard Hot 10046
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks [4] 7

Frankie Stevens

Chart (1970)Peak
position
New Zealand ( Listener ) [5] 5

Charlie Rich

Chart (1975)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles3
U.S. Billboard Hot 10049
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks16
Canadian RPM Country Tracks5
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks15

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Houston (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter

Charles David Houston was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand by Your Man</span> 1968 Tammy Wynette song

"Stand by Your Man" is a song recorded by American country music artist Tammy Wynette, co-written by Wynette and Billy Sherrill. It was released on September 20, 1968, as the first single and title track from the album Stand by Your Man. It proved to be the most successful record of Wynette's career, and is one of the most familiar songs in the history of country music. The song was placed at number one on CMT's list of the Top 100 Country Music Songs.

Billy Norris Sherrill was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Glenn Sutton are regarded as the defining influences of the countrypolitan sound, a smooth amalgamation of pop and country music that was popular during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Sherrill also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Stand by Your Man" and "The Most Beautiful Girl".

"Almost Persuaded" is a song written by Glenn Sutton and Epic Records producer Billy Sherrill and first recorded by David Houston in 1966. It is not to be confused with the Christian hymn of the same name.

Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. was an American songwriter.

<i>Lets Build a World Together</i> 1973 studio album by George Jones and Tammy Wynette

Let's Build a World Together is the fourth studio album by the country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The album was released in 1973 on the Epic Records label. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

<i>Take Me to Your World / I Dont Wanna Play House</i> 1968 studio album by Tammy Wynette

Take Me to Your World / I Don't Wanna Play House is a studio album by American country artist Tammy Wynette. It was released in January 1968 via Epic Records and contained 11 tracks. It was the third studio album of Wynette's career. The album featured several new recordings as well as covers of previously-recorded material. Among the new recordings were two singles, which both topped the American country chart: "I Don't Wanna Play House" and "Take Me to Your World". The album itself reached the top five of the American country LP's chart in 1968. It received positive reviews from several publications following its release.

<i>D-I-V-O-R-C-E</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Tammy Wynette

D-I-V-O-R-C-E is a studio album by American country artist Tammy Wynette. It was released in July 1968 via Epic Records and contained 11 tracks. Several recordings were cover tunes, including songs by Merle Haggard and The Beatles. Several new selections were also part of the collection, including the title track. Released as a single, the title track became Wynette's fourth number one song on the North American country charts in 1968. The album itself would also top the American country LP's chart in 1968. D-I-V-O-R-C-E received positive reviews from critics following its release.

"Singing My Song" is a song recorded by American country music artist Tammy Wynette, who co-wrote the song with Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton. It was released in March 1969 as the first single from her compilation album Tammy's Greatest Hits. The song was Wynette's fifth number one on the country charts as a solo artist. The single spent two weeks at number one and a total of fourteen weeks on the charts.

<i>You Lay So Easy on My Mind</i> 1974 studio album by Andy Williams

You Lay So Easy on My Mind is the thirty-fourth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams, released in November 1974 by Columbia Records. The idea for this LP was mentioned in an interview with Williams in the November 3, 1973, issue of Billboard magazine that emphasized his desire to move away from recording albums of Easy Listening covers of hits by other artists, noting that he was "planning an album to be cut in Nashville with Columbia's high-flying country-pop producer, Billy Sherrill." The article coincided with the release of his first attempt to shift directions, Solitaire, which performed poorly. A return to the Easy Listening hits formula, The Way We Were, followed in the spring of 1974 but failed to even chart, so this next attempt to eschew soft rock songs leaned heavily on Country hits.

<i>Stand by Your Man</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Tammy Wynette

Stand by Your Man is a studio album by American country artist Tammy Wynette. It was released in January 1969 via Epic Records and contained 11 tracks. It was the fifth studio album of Wynette's career and was named for its title track. The title track became Wynette's signature song and most successful single of her career.

<i>The Ways to Love a Man</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Tammy Wynette

The Ways to Love a Man is a studio album by American country artist, Tammy Wynette. It was released on January 26, 1970, via Epic Records and was the seventh studio album in Wynette's career. The disc consisted of 11 tracks which included both original material and cover recordings. Its title track was the album's only single included. It became a number one song on the North American country charts while also reaching chart positions in other musical genres as well. The album itself also reached chart positions on the country albums chart following its release. Critics and journalists gave the album a positive reception in the years that followed.

<i>Tammys Touch</i> 1970 studio album by Tammy Wynette

Tammy's Touch is a studio album by American country artist, Tammy Wynette. It was released on April 27, 1970 via Epic Records and contained 11 tracks. The album's material centered around themes of heartbreak and romance. Many of the album's songs were new recordings while others were covers. Among its new recordings was the singles "I'll See Him Through" and "He Loves Me All the Way". Both songs became chart-topping tracks on the country music charts in 1970. The album itself also reached top positions on multiple charts in the United States.

<i>The First Lady</i> (Tammy Wynette album) 1970 studio album by Tammy Wynette

The First Lady is a studio album by American country artist, Tammy Wynette. It was released on October 5, 1970 via Epic Records and contained 11 tracks. It was the ninth studio album in Wynette's career. The disc featured both new material and covers of previously-recorded material. Many of the recordings featured on the disc centered around themes about housewives keeping their spouses happy. The First Lady reached positions on both the American country albums and pop albums charts. Its only single, "Run, Woman, Run", topped the country charts. The album was met with mixed reviews following its release.

<i>My Elusive Dreams</i> (David Houston and Tammy Wynette album) 1967 studio album by David Houston and Tammy Wynette

My Elusive Dreams is a studio album by American country artists David Houston and Tammy Wynette. It was released on Epic Records in August 1967 and contained ten tracks. It was the duo's first and only collaborative album together. My Elusive Dreams contained mostly duets between Houston and Wynette. The album was named for the title track, which topped the American country songs chart in 1967. Another single titled "It's All Over" also became a commercially-successful country song. The album received positive reviews following its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tammy Wynette singles discography</span>

The singles discography of American country musician Tammy Wynette contains 65 singles, 6 music videos, 3 promotional singles and 2 featured singles. Wynette signed with Epic Records in 1966 and her debut single "Apartment No. 9" was released the same year. Her single "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" (1967) became a major hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Its follow-up singles: "My Elusive Dreams", "I Don't Wanna Play House", "Take Me to Your World" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E", became number 1 hits on the Hot Country Singles chart.

"It's All Over" is a song written by Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton. It was originally recorded by American country artists David Houston and Tammy Wynette. It was released as a single in 1968.

<i>Darlin, Darlin</i> 1985 studio album by David Allan Coe

Darlin', Darlin' is an album released by the country musician David Allan Coe on Columbia Records in 1985.

<i>The World of Tammy Wynette</i> Compilation album by American Country music artist Tammy Wynette

The World of Tammy Wynette is a compilation album by American country artist Tammy Wynette. It was released in May 1970 via Epic Records and contained 20 tracks of previously recorded material. The album comprised a series of recordings that originally appeared on Wynette's studio albums but were not issued as a singles. Some of the album's material were covers of songs first recorded by other music artists. It was originally issued on two separate discs and was later re-released in 2009. The World of Tammy Wynette appeared on both the Billboard country albums chart and the pop chart. The disc received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Kids Say the Darndest Things</i> (album) 1973 compilation album by Tammy Wynette

Kids Say the Darndest Things is a compilation album by American country artist, Tammy Wynette. It was released on April 23, 1973 via Epic Records and contained 11 tracks. The disc was a concept album centering around children and domestic life. The title track was the lead single from the album and topped the country charts in 1973. The album itself also made the American country albums chart. It received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. Whitburn, p. 478
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 478. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 330. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 250.
  5. Flavour of New Zealand, 10 April 1970