I'm a Believer

In addition to the Monkees, Diamond also suggested the song to the Fifth Estate, who recorded it as a 1967 album cut to follow up their hit "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" on their album of the same name. Diamond recorded his own version of the song for his second album, Just For You, in 1967. This version became a minor chart hit in 1971. A new recording by Diamond, featuring additional lyrics, appears on his 1979 album September Morn. Diamond also performed it in a duet with Linda Ronstadt as part of a medley of his songs on an episode of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour in 1970. Charts Neil Diamond ==Recording==

Session guitarist Al Gorgoni (who played on "The Sound of Silence" and later on "Brown Eyed Girl") had worked on Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" and also contributed to "I'm a Believer". Other personnel on the record include Sal DiTroia on rhythm guitar, Neil Diamond on acoustic guitar, Russ Savakus on bass, George Butcher on electric piano, Stan Free on organ, George Devens on tambourine, and Buddy Saltzman on drums. The song is listed at number 48 on Billboards All Time Top 100. In 2021, it was listed at number 341 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ==Personnel==

The Monkees • Micky Dolenz – lead and backing vocals • Davy Jones and Peter Tork – backing vocals Additional personnel • Al Gorgoni, Sal DiTroia – electric guitars • Neil Diamond – acoustic guitar • Stan Free – Vox Continental organ • George Butcher – electric piano • George Devens – tambourine • Russ Savakus – bass • Buddy Saltzman – drums • Jeff Barry – producer • Artie Butler – arranger ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts All-time charts ==Certifications==

The American pop rock band Smash Mouth covered the song in 2001 as part of the soundtrack to the movie Shrek, along with their previous Grammy-nominated hit "All Star". The band also released the song on their self-titled album. Eddie Murphy, portraying the character Donkey, also performed a rendition of the song in the film. The song was chosen for its opening line, "I thought love was only true in fairy tales", which matched the fairy tale theme of the film. The Smash Mouth version peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 20 in New Zealand and Spain. In Australia, the cover reached number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart. The band had a second version of the song that was featured on the CD singles for the song. This version was slower and featured an arrangement more different from the original Monkees version. The version has a longer intro and a shorter outro than the soundtrack version. It is in "concert pitch" compared to the soundtrack version which is slightly sharp. The singles refer to this version as the "Album Version" and the soundtrack version as the "Pop Radio Mix" or "Film Version - Radio Edit" depending on the release. This is despite the soundtrack version is also the version that appears on the band's self-titled album. Some modern streaming services retroactively title the version on the self-titled album as "Radio Edit". Music video The music video for Smash Mouth's version was directed by Scott Marshall. It depicts lead vocalist Steve Harwell attempting to return a set of keys to a blond-haired woman. The video begins with the band performing in a tent; then, the scene switches to them walking out of a movie theater, complete with cardboard advertisements of Shrek and the characters. There, Harwell accidentally bumps into the woman, causing her to walk away without her keys. He tries to catch up with her, but instead finds a man with blond hair. Afterward, the woman walks into a "fairy tale convention" at a hotel. Harwell follows the woman into the hotel. He searches for her in different rooms; however, there are short clips from Shrek behind each door. Finally, he tries one more door and thinks it is the woman. However, a blond-haired chimpanzee is dancing with a woman dressed as a banana. With no luck, Harwell walks out of the hotel, but the woman speeds off in her red convertible. Hoping to catch up, Harwell sneakily takes a red jacket and borrows a silver Lexus car driven by a costumed gingerbread man who is injured and using crutches. Then, Harwell winks at the camera as the chase begins. While driving, he throws the jacket up and into the street. He then stops at a party where the woman is and goes into a tent (the same one where the band's performance takes place). However, he observes several similar blonde-haired women, all dancing and wearing the same red shirt. Harwell recognizes the woman again and catches up with her just as she boards a boat. He asks the boat captain for assistance, and the band performs on the boat during a heavy storm. Meanwhile, Harwell and the captain search for the woman. Finally, he catches her on a dock and informs her that she forgot her keys. The woman recognizes him as Steve from Smash Mouth and asks for his number. Harwell declines and leaves quickly. The woman chases after him, yelling, "Wait! Please! I love you!" Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications Release history ==Other covers and later uses==

An Italian cover by Caterina Caselli, "" ("I'm a liar"), was released in 1967 on her album Diamoci del tu. It was used in Ridley Scott's 2021 biopic House of Gucci. British Canterbury scene musician Robert Wyatt issued a cover version of the song as a single on the Virgin label in 1974. The record was produced by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and reached number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. Wyatt performed the song on BBC's Top of the Pops in September of that year. American experimental rock and new wave band Tin Huey recorded a cover version that was included on the first volume of Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's. The song was also covered by EMF with Vic and Bob (Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer) in 1995 and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. In 1966, Yugoslav rock band Elipse recorded a cover for Television Belgrade show Koncert za ludi mladi svet (Concert for Crazy Young People), making a video at the Belgrade Zoo, performing in front of a cage with monkeys. A year later, the song appeared in the Yugoslav Black Wave film When I Am Dead and Gone directed by Živojin Pavlović. The song appears in the singing competition scene, performed by singer Predrag Jovanović, who would later gain prominence as a member of the German band Jane and Yugoslav band Dʼ Boys. The song was initially used in the home video version of the Coen brothers' 1984 film Blood Simple, but after licensing issues were settled, it was replaced in the 2001 director's cut of the film by the song used in the theatrical version, Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song." American rock band Weezer performed a cover for the 2010 animated film Shrek Forever After. In 2018, Hot Dad performed a cover for Shrek Retold. ==References==