Although
Roy Orbison had recorded the song in 1963, it is Reeves' version of "Distant Drums" which has endured over the years. During its time at the top of the UK chart, the song beat off stiff competition from several major (and living) artists of the day. These included
The Beatles - who had entered the UK chart around the same time with their
double A-sided release "
Eleanor Rigby"/"
Yellow Submarine" - and the
Small Faces, who had also charted in the UK with "
All or Nothing". It was an unexpected achievement for a song that Reeves had recorded for its composer,
Cindy Walker, under the impression it was for her private use only and had earlier been dismissed by both the
RCA record company and
Chet Atkins (a noted guitarist and record producer who worked with Reeves) as unsuitable for wider public release. Following Reeves' death, the track was overdubbed with an orchestral backing and released to the public as the version that later climbed up the music charts in both the United States and the UK. "Distant Drums" first entered the UK Singles Chart during the summer of 1966, before reaching the No. 1 position on 22 September, where it remained for five weeks. It was named the UK's "song of the year" and Reeves became the first overseas performer to receive this special award. "Distant Drums" remained at No. 1 on the
UK Singles Chart for a total of five weeks.{{cite book ==Chart performance==