We Only Make Believe
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{{Infobox album
| name = We Only Make Believe
| type = studio
| artist = Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
| cover = Loretta Lynn-We Only Make Believe.jpg
| alt =
| released = February 1, 1971
| recorded = November 9–11, 1970
| venue =
| studio = Bradley's Barn, Mount Juliet, Tennessee
| genre = Country
| length = 29:16
| label = Decca
| producer = Owen Bradley
| chronology = Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Lead Me On
| next_year = 1972
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Conway Twitty
| type = studio
| prev_title = Hits
| prev_year = 1971
| title = We Only Make Believe
| year = 1971
| next_title = How Much More Can She Stand
| next_year = 1971
}}{{Extra chronology
| artist = Loretta Lynn
| type = studio
| prev_title = Coal Miner's Daughter
| prev_year = 1971
| title = We Only Make Believe
| year = 1971
| next_title = I Wanna Be Free
| next_year = 1971
}}{{Singles
| name = We Only Make Believe
| type = studio
| single1 = After the Fire Is Gone
| single1date = January 4, 1971
}}
}}
We Only Make Believe is the first collaborative studio album by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. It was released on February 1, 1971, by Decca Records.{{cite web|title=Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty* - We Only Make Believe|date=1971 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Loretta-Lynn-Conway-Twitty-We-Only-Make-Believe/master/700038|publisher=Discogs}}
This was the first of ten albums Twitty and Lynn would release. The album's first track is a cover of Twitty's solo hit "It's Only Make Believe", which Twitty co-wrote with Jack Nance. Lynn wrote two tracks for the album, "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry" and "We Closed Our Eyes to Shame". "I'm So Used to Loving You", another of Twitty's compositions, also appears on the album.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
| rev1Score ={{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id= r108821/review}}
| noprose=yes
|}}
Billboard magazine's review of the album in the issue dated February 20, 1971, said, ""After the Fire Is Gone" on this LP is the hit, but Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn reveal that they've established themselves as a major country duo. Standout tunes include "It's Only Make Believe" and a very sparkling "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" that has definite hit appeal. Good LP. Bound to sell big."{{cite web |title=Billboard Magazine - February 20, 1971 |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1971/Billboard%201971-02-20.pdf |website=American Radio History |publisher=Billboard Magazine |access-date=8 July 2018}}
In the February 13, 1971 issue, Cashbox published a review on the album, which read, "Needless to say, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn are two of the most highly acclaimed country singers. Singularly, each has a string of hit records too numerous to name. Having already released a single together, "After the Fire Is Gone", which is currently on both the country and pop charts, We Only Make Believe is the duo's first album effort. Their first venture includes "We've Closed Our Eyes to Shame", "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry", "Take Me", "The One I Can't Live Without", and the Twitty classic now done with Loretta, "It's Only Make Believe". LP will establish Twitty and Lynn as one of the most popular and talented country duos of all time."{{cite web |title=Cashbox - February 13, 1971 |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Cash-Box/70s/1971/Cash-Box-1971-02-13.pdf |website=American Radio History |publisher=Cashbox |access-date=8 April 2019}}
Record World's review of the album said, "This is the one everyone has been anticipating for weeks. The single, "After the Fire Is Gone," is already jumping into charts. Rock-a-billy fans will wig out over cut one, side two. Great album. "It's Only Make Believe", "Will You Visit Me on Sunday", "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries", "Hangin' On", and "Working Girl"."{{cite web |title=Record World - February 13, 1971 |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Record-World/70s/71/RW-1971-02-13.pdf |website=American Radio History |publisher=Record World |access-date=9 April 2019}}
Commercial performance
The album peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot Country LPs chart and No. 78 on the US Billboard Top LPs, the duo's highest-charting album on that chart. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA in 1988.
The album's first and only single, "After the Fire Is Gone", was released in January 1971{{cite web |title=Billboard - January 16, 1971 |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1971/Billboard%201971-01-16.pdf |website=American Radio History |publisher=Billboard |access-date=21 April 2019}} and peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart at No. 56 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, the single peaked at No. 4 on the RPM Country Singles chart.
Recording
Recording sessions for the album took place on November 9, 10 and 11, 1970, at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.{{cite web|title=Loretta's Recording Sess|url=http://www.lorettalynnfan.net/lorettasrecordingsess.htm|website=LORETTA LYNN FAN WEBSITE}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Recording date
| title1 = It's Only Make Believe
| writer1 = {{hlist|Jack Nance|Conway Twitty}}
| extra1 = November 9, 1970
| length1 = 2:35
| title2 = We've Closed Our Eyes to Shame
| writer2 = {{hlist|Doyle Wilburn|Betty Sue Perry}}
| extra2 = November 9, 1970
| length2 = 2:23
| title3 = I'm So Used to Loving You
| writer3 = Conway Twitty
| extra3 = November 10, 1970
| length3 = 2:45
| title4 = Will You Visit Me on Sunday?
| writer4 = Dallas Frazier
| extra4 = November 9, 1970
| length4 = 2:50
| title5 = After the Fire Is Gone
| writer5 = L.E. White
| extra5 = November 9, 1970
| length5 = 2:37
| title6 = Don't Tell Me You're Sorry
| writer6 = Loretta Lynn
| extra6 = November 11, 1970
| length6 = 2:24
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Recording date
| title1 = Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries
| writer1 = {{hlist|Robert McRee|Ed Thomas|Cliff Thomas}}
| extra1 = November 11, 1970
| length1 = 2:33
| title2 = Take Me
| writer2 = George Jones
| extra2 = November 11, 1970
| length2 = 2:50
| title3 = The One I Can't Live Without
| writer3 = {{hlist|James Perry Pulliam|Frances Rhodes}}
| extra3 = November 11, 1970
| length3 = 2:45
| title4 = Hangin' On
| writer4 = {{hlist|Ira Allen|Billy Mize}}
| extra4 = November 10, 1970
| length4 = 2:37
| title5 = Working Girl
| writer5 = Benjamin "Benny Joy" Eidson/Rodney Smith
| extra5 = November 10, 1970
| length5 = 2:56
}}
Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes and Decca recording session records.
- Larry Barbier – photography
- Harold Bradley – bass guitar
- Owen Bradley – producer
- Ray Edenton – acoustic guitar
- John Hughey – steel guitar
- Darrell Johnson – mastering
- The Jordanaires – background vocals
- Loretta Lynn – lead vocals
- Tommy Markham – drums
- Bob Moore – bass
- Hargus Robbins – piano
- Jerry Smith – piano
- Conway Twitty – lead vocals
- Herman Wade – electric guitar
- Jim Williamson – engineer
Charts
Album
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1971)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope = "row" | US Hot Country LPs (Billboard){{cite magazine |title=Loretta Lynn Chart History - Hot Country Albums |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/loretta-lynn/chart-history/clp/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=8 July 2018}}
|3 |
| scope = "row" | US Top LPs (Billboard){{cite magazine |title=Loretta Lynn Chart History - Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/loretta-lynn/chart-history/tlp/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=8 July 2018}}
|78 |
Singles
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" rowspan = "2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan = "2" | Year ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak position |
| US Country {{cite magazine |title=Loretta Lynn Chart History - Hot Country Songs | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/loretta-lynn/chart-history/csi/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=8 July 2018}} ! US ! scope="col" |CAN |
|---|
| scope = "row" | "After the Fire Is Gone"
| 1971 | 1 | 56 | 4 |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=We Only Make Believe|artist=Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn|award=Gold}}
{{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn}}
{{Authority control}}