"My Elusive Dreams" | ||||
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Single by David Houston and Tammy Wynette | ||||
from the album My Elusive Dreams | ||||
B-side | "Marriage on the Rocks" | |||
Released | June 1967 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Billy Sherrill Curly Putman | |||
Producer(s) | Billy Sherrill | |||
David Houston and Tammy Wynette singles chronology | ||||
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"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. A 1975 Irish version by Philomena Begley and Ray Lynam is referenced in The Pogues’s A Pair of Brown Eyes.
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.
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 41 |
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 34 |
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 89 |
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 73 |
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] | 88 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 27 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 46 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks [4] | 7 |
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
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New Zealand ( Listener ) [5] | 5 |
Chart (1975) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 3 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 49 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 16 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 5 |
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 15 |
Billy Norris Sherrill was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger associated 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.
"A Pair of Brown Eyes" is a single by The Pogues, released on 18 March 1985. The single was their first to make the UK Top 100, peaking at Number 72. It featured on the band's second album, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, and was composed by Pogues front man Shane MacGowan. Its melody is loosely based on that of “Wild Mountain Thyme", a song by Francis McPeake in a traditional folk style.
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.
Philomena Begley is a country music singer from Northern Ireland. In 1975, Begley had a hit with her version of the Billie Jo Spears' song Blanket on the Ground reaching higher sales than Spears in Ireland. In 2020, Begley became the first lady to be inducted into ICMA Hall Of Fame. Today, Begley is affectionately known as 'The Queen of Country'.
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.
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.
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.
Ray Lynam is an Irish country music singer, born on 29 November 1951 in Moate, County Westmeath.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Darlin', Darlin' is an album released by the country musician David Allan Coe on Columbia Records in 1985.
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.