John Stewart interview on writing "Daydream Believer"

[@washingtontriofan]

I miss this man dearly. Anyone who reads this owes it to themselves to explore the vast library of John's music. He was so much more than a Daydream Believer. RIP Mr. Stewart.

[@jackarcher7495]

Look for "Bombs Away Dream Babies." A terrific album.

[@stevepowsinger733]

He will always be the Kingston Trio rebirth to me.

[@mauriceortiz8817]

I heard that.

[@charliekucharski2079]

You're right. John Stewart in my opinion is one of the best singer songwriters who came down the block. Very underrated.

[@once-sharp]

I remember going to the Boarding House in San Francisco.. Enjoying his music.. First the Kingston Trio then his solo career.. I even recall enjoying one of his concerts at the Boarding House in San Francisco with Buffy Ford… God Bless you John …

[@DJ-bj8ku]

Davy’s voice made that song but it was also an anthem for the 1960s-sweet, uplifting and made you want to sing.

[@stephaniemccord6100]

I had the privilege of meeting John Stewart at one of his shows in Georgetown in the early 70s and had the opportunity to spend an hour with him where we discussed each of our lives and his songwriting following the show. Just one of those moments in time that you never forget and that make you ponder why you were so lucky to cross paths.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

One of the best ever songs IMO 😃

[@davidharrison4881]

"There's people out there turnin' music into gold"

[@jackarcher7495]

Yup!

[@bif3578]

I never knew that THAT John Stewart wrote this song! It’s always been one of my favorites.

[@scorpiorising3741]

I jump into my car and I throw in my guitar

[@johnsain]

Got the single as one of my gifts on Christmas morning 1967....played it to death....my sister got her own single too....thanks Mom!

[@ianmcleod3281]

One of if not greatest country/pop singers of all time. His voice gives me goosebumps. His voice is amazing and I love the reverb In his voice

[@sbrrymom]

Folk, rock, pop Is in Folk hall of fame.

[@eowyn1964]

Ah, John, I'm glad you were smart enough to agree to the lyric change. We all benefitted!

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Yep....record company executives were not ALWAYS idiots.

[@plane_guy6051]

@@chuckschillingvideos Nope, I totally disagree and I think 'funky' would have worked just fine, but they simply didn't want to take any risk at all. Just totally closed-minded a-holes as always.

[@bdematteis]

I am so glad I came to learn of the genius of John Stewart. I was in the third grad when "Daydream Believer" as sung by Davy Jones/The Monkees came out. Oh, how I love that song, and how I loved The Monkees!!! 'Great story. What memories!!!

[@tombovitale2597]

John Stewart n stevie nicks are great together. Song GOLD 1979 awesome song

[@davidvasquezjr.4094]

What about Lindsey Buckingham? Doesn't he get any credit?

[@sti9754]

@@davidvasquezjr.4094 Why should Lindsey Buckingham get any credit ?? Jusk askin'.

[@7harrylime]

I agree, although John Stewart apparently hated it.

[@alanriley9621]

@@sti9754 because he also sang on that song.

[@once-sharp]

Always went to John’s concerts in San Francisco.. Back in the day.. At the Boarding house … I can remember the first time I heard Daydream believer.. Loved it.. still do.. My daughter to this day is a … Daydream Believer…

[@inkey2]

just goes to show you how a song is produced is everything. Without a good producer the best isn't brought out in a song

[@javierdelatorre9702]

Thank you John. I’m 60 and it’s still my favorite song.

its a very well written and creative melody...i play it on the piano..and he places chords where you wouldnt normally place them...which is why it is not predictable...thats part of its greatness...very unique chord-wise...extremely creative

[@stanleychen2394]

So so so so awesome!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

[@billymjr]

John was a friend of mine; he influenced my group, The Frontiersmen, and we always met up with him be it with TKT or solo tour with David Batti thru the many years.

[@glicmathan1771]

T hats so cool he was your friend. Daydream Believer is one of my all time faves and I still play it on piano.

[@TheHManShow]

I wish more people knew about the man who created one of the most iconic songs of all time

[@chewycenter7690]

Legend has it that Davy didn't like the song initially and had no real idea of what a homecoming queen was.

[@TheHManShow]

RIP John Stewart! Thank you for all the songs you wrote and especially this masterpiece!

[@marknewton6984]

"Ballad of the Quiet Fighter" with Kingston Trio 😎

[@MichaelTurner856]

Such a beautiful song to play and sing and listen to! The lyrics and music makes me nostalgic for the 60s in a way not many others do and I'm 14. It's amazing how playing an instrument connects you to the music even more and differently then listening to it . it's such a unique and wonderful feeling. I'd recommend it to anyone to learn an instrument and thanks for writing that song.

[@Bill-jc1fy]

John was a great singer/songwriter whom I saw perform in LA, Nashville and Phoenix. I still listen to his music and I consider " California Bloodline " to be one of the best albums of all time. We miss you, John RIP

[@aledakivett9255]

Sunstorm was my introduction to John too. Lost many albums when my house burned but have replaced most. Named my first Quarter Horse foal Sunstorm.

[@ianbolton9650]

Yes. And by the way, congratulations on being one of the few people who use the word ‘whom’ correctly, and also on using a comma correctly in the last line of your post.

[@mjcamck]

My husband gifted my teen daughter & I w/ tickets to the 2013 Monkees tour. With Davy gone, who? we wondered was going to sing lead on "Daydream Believer." Mickey announced none of them could possibly replace Davy, so an audience member was invited up to, along w/ the fans, be the lead. All stood up & joined in; the loving energy in that room was amazing. THANK YOU, John Stewart, for ALL of your musical work, especially this classic. Interesting story; posting appreciated. Best Wishes, Peace.

[@bobdavis4848]

Great, thanks for telling your fantastic story! :-) Micky's first name has no "e." Stay safe. :-)

[@deadpan80]

I was at one of those shows - that moment in the show was very touching and shows how much they all were class acts for doing it

[@mjcamck]

@@deadpan80 - I Agree. Amazing staying power demonstrated. As you know, their TV & recording debut was over 50 years ago, and we're still talking about them. Best Wishes & Peace to you.

[@dmlevitt]

what a great interview of a fantastic artist. daydream believer is a classic.

[@michaelkneringer3194]

Gold helped my fascination to music as a teenager. Theres a old video from 79' out there somewhere, wonderful ladies and a cool sound tract.

[@sheriff5119]

Thank you Mr Stewart. Since I first heard it as a boy Daydream has been one of my favourite songs ever. I'll pass from this life happy that I was fortunate enough to hear it!

[@mach6893]

It takes immense creativity to write a song that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet. John Stewart is among the very few that accomplished that feat.

[@normanmacfarlane2867]

It is an amazing song and it is still one of my favourite songs to this day .

[@jeffokriya3389]

The success comes from the happy intro piano riff at the very beginning, those notes are unbelievably special, can warm up your day. Then, the whole composition is amazing.

[@PeterGray-tt2dq]

Peter Tork of the Monkees arranged and played the piano part. On stage in ‘68 Peter couldn’t be on bass and piano at the same time and decided to stick with the bass, still uptempo but with a definite nod to Stewart original

[@TheHManShow]

Thank you John for creating one of the most iconic songs ever written

[@sloanlance]

I like that John Stewart was tickled that The Edge, during U2's Pop Mart tour of 1997, sang this song, including one performance with "surprise" guest singer Davey Jones.

[@sundialsoft]

I actually saw him live in a little pub in Scotland many years ago. I went along because I am a Monkees fan. His version is quite different and just as good.

[@marknewton6984]

I have it on film, taken by his son! 😎

[@SteinarAndresenWedvik89]

One single dislike, someone out there does not know what real music is like..

[@FririkurEllefsen]

And what a wonderful catchy song it is. Kudos for writing such a beautiful hit song

[@BlankUberEverybody]

I remember when he joined the Kingston Trio and I immediately dug his stuff....jeez, that was like 56 years ago.

[@petersonlafollette3521]

tell me about it- listen to his solo albums and try not to listen- he's a national treasure...

[@marknewton6984]

Only he could have replaced Dave Guard. And he did a great job!

[@zenmeister451]

John Stewart - an awesome song writer!

[@marknewton6984]

The Best!

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

It's incredible how you can write one worldwide hit song and be able to live off that one for the rest of your life.

[@micsayre]

used to...

[@ianmcleod3281]

And all the other great songs

[@80dale]

I was 15 , I was in love with Valerie , we all were in a deluge of music in the 60s. Daydream Believer is still a favorite that I will never pass up a chance to sing along

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

You know, The Monkeys also had a hit with a song called "Valerie" - is it that song or a girl you were in love with ? The song "Valerie" got stuck in my brain from the first time I heard it.

[@MichaelDBauer]

One of my all-time favorite songs. If it comes on the radio, the channel will not change until it's done.

[@PaulAdamssongs]

I miss him. I wish I could’ve met him. Had a chat with him once on AOL. I think we were talking about aviation

[@scottyh8494]

John seems like he was a real decent guy. RIP man. You wrote a beauty of a song there with Daydream Believer.

[@ianmcleod3281]

I have loved his voice since 1969 when when a UK DJ PLAYED LIVE VERSION OF JULY your woman

[@kyotocoversjimanderson782]

In Japan it's the signature tune of Seven/Eleven convenience stores. Everybody instantly recognizes it. Brilliantly catchy, and so well done by the Ms!

[@iamrodneyy]

How I STILL love hearing this song after all these years! One of my all-time favorites.

[@davidedmundson8402]

Great story. Great song.

[@jmweed1861]

My brother gave me the .45 of it for Christmas in 1967. Still have it. One of my favorite rock songs, and a lot better than " I'm a Believer "

[@glicmathan1771]

Great interview about a great song by a great songwriter!

[@techminds1579]

Great song :)

[@benkleschinsky]

I think that's really powerful when he said, "you don't know a hit until it becomes a hit". I wonder what other great songs exist out there that were never realized because no one ever took a chance on it? It really makes you wonder. Pretty incredible reading the bands that turned this down.

[@markhenderson4001]

Well said.

[@mozehey]

To this day, one of my favorite songs.

[@ianmcleod3281]

I have loved this man and his music since 1989

[@helmuttdvm]

We were fortunate enough to see him perform several times and always loved his songwriting and stories during his shows. Unite a career from the Kingston Trio to Daydream Believer. RIP.

[@knopfler720]

I miss John. What an Americana delight he was. I wonder how many people know he wrote this song.

[@sheriannis]

My cousins used to take me to his concerts in LA/Malibu when I was 8-12 years old (at local clubs). I would always request this song and he would kindly play it, since was a kid, I presume. I didn't request it when I saw him as an adult but his kindness (and his talent) always made me smile.

[@marknewton6984]

And many others...!

[@JrJVintage1956]

One of my childhood heroes as a songwriter and musician , I still cherish his music!

[@Charon58]

He used to play at the Cactus Cafe in Austin every year or so. He had so many good songs in his catalog. Great guy super humble and approachable.

[@JDLamps1]

it's great to know the story

[@BuffaloC305]

His LONESOME PICKER has been a favorite since the '70s. Just an amazing collection of songs.

[@marknewton6984]

Great album.

[@StephenStephens-jy9jj]

Good memories. So this is the man who wrote one of my all time favourite songs. I’d agree that bit about ‘happy,’ though!

[@dalemcnamee2427]

John also wrote and sang "Midnight Wind" with Stevie Nicks... A very hauntingly beautiful song ! I also love " Daydream Believer" ! ❤

[@macgopaleen]

"Happy" worked real well for all concerned. Thanks for posting this interview.

[@anthonyclarke5579]

It still sounds GREAT!

[@Shroommduke]

Great story! I love this kind of story told by people like him!

[@Mrpackermittinsm]

Great song, good old days!

[@anthonyscully2998]

best johnny cash interview i have ever seen

[@richardphillips6392]

One of the best songs ever.

[@ianmcleod3281]

One of the greatest songs ever sung by him from this brilliant

[@Ronin4614]

John Stewart really got notice when joined Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane as a member of the storied “Kingston Trio”. I’ve know him best from there when he replaced Dave Guard. I believe Johns brother Michael, was a member of the “We Five” , another well known 60s group. Thank you for everything, John.

[@marknewton6984]

Talented brothers!😮

[@elypevets5633]

Fascinating to hear from the mouth of JS how he turned music into gold

[@ianmcleod3281]

One of the greatest singer storietellellers of all time so much ignored

[@marknewton6984]

He was my hero.😎

[@dphotos007]

Good interview.

[@tod3msn]

Great story. Nice man.

[@historicusjoe121]

He was being modest. His song "Gold" (featuring Stevie Nicks) was a big for John years after "Daydream Believer".

[@MojoMedicineMan]

A huge talent 🎉

[@GES8215]

That’s amazing

[@Zepster77]

I was just thinking about his song “Lost Her in the Sun” the other day. Never suspected he wrote “Daydream Believer”. WOW.

[@marknewton6984]

" Wolves in the Kitchen"! 😎

[@farber2]

Imagine turning this song down, and then hearing it on the radio.

[@writereducator]

I'm happy for this man.

[@TheJaybird53]

❤Beautiful uplifting song

[@dahur]

Glad to hear they didn't screw him out of his songwriting royalties, which happened to so many back then. Norman Petty changed one or two words on Buddy Holly's songs, and took 1/3 the songwriting credits. And still didn't pay him.

[@elliotgoldberg5657]

The Monkees deserve alot of credit. It's Peter Tork playing the piano intro. They took a good song and made it great. Anne Murray also had a hit with it. But The Monkees hit the grand slam!

[@mikejones9080]

One of my favorite Monkees songs.

[@destroysilence]

I love the "happy" lyric to be honest; I take it as sarcasm, and I think it works so well that way! I feel like it captures the undertones of regret in the song without disrupting happy-go-lucky surface. But I see how "funky" really fit the idea of disappointing a woman by bucking society's norms at the time. John Stewart wrote a great song. To me, there's something timeless in the meaning.

[@merseybeat1963]

Because Davey Jones sang it. It is a wonderful song but it needed needed the Wonderfull voice and attitude of Davey Jones to complete it. Thanks for that song. I love that song.

[@robjontay5052]

" You don't know it's a hit until its a Hit..."

[@gli7utubeo]

What a humble genius.

[@lwallace3ZZ]

That's right, "happy" doesn't make sense there. I've wondered about that lyric before. Glad to have it cleared up.

[@ianmcleod3281]

He was 2:58 one of the greatest singer songwriters of All time

[@jeanwelsh6128]

LOVE !

[@joepalooka2145]

Great story, great songwriter and an inspiration to all songwriters. However, unfortunately today in 2021 the world has changed and you can't write Number One Worldwide Hits anymore in the same way, because the whole market is different. Digital has killed the entire hit song industry. What a tragedy and what a loss.

[@soapy3204]

Bravo, well said.

[@eslermanu47]

Fantastic song

[@ianmcleod3281]

I heard this in the 19060s and it is now more relevant than evet

[@simba30]

John Stewart is a classic

[@marknewton6984]

From "Molly Dee" til the end...a wonderful talent!

[@teddyer951]

Gold!

[@markroberts171]

That is so very cool

[@michaelterry1000]

“You don’t know it is a hit until it is a hit” 100% True, and today most people would say, “How could you have NOT known that Daydream Believer was a hit ?” I was once in the position of being able to watch major motion pictures before they were released to the public and way too often I was 100% wrong in my prediction of the film’s success. I wasn't alone.

[@bladerunner3887]

Not true I predicted hits since 1966 and never wrong.

[@misfit2022]

The piano on this song does the groundwork for the song to be a classic. I thought it was Davy when I was younger who played that due to the vid but realised later it was Peter Tork.

[@bertvanstaveren3178]

Dude's so cool....

[@dw8773]

Great little song

[@G-inspire]

Genius 👌🏾

[@mustafa1name]

One amazing aspect of this story, if you listen carefully, is that the producer who transformed this rejected song into a hit had originally auditioned for Dave's part in the Monkees himself. Chip Douglas: meta-monkee, believer in Believer.

[@3Pitous]

Thanks.