"Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" is a song written by Cindy Walker which was first recorded and released by

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

originally as a non-album single in 1962. It was a big international hit for Orbison, reaching number 2 in both the Australian and the UK singles charts and number 4 in the U.S. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''. It was also a top ten hit in Canada and Norway. Five months later, "Dream Baby" was included on Orbison's '' Greatest Hits'' compilation LP.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Musicians: *

- Vocal *

Fred Carter, Jr. Fred F. Carter Jr. (December 31, 1933 – July 17, 2010) was an American guitarist, singer, producer and composer. Early career Carter was raised in the delta country in Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, Un ...

- Rhythm guitar * Grady Martin - Electric guitar * Bob Moore - Double Bass * Buddy Harman - Drums * Boots Randolph - Saxophone *unknown - piano

Glen Campbell version

American country music artist Glen Campbell covered "Dream Baby" in 1971. It was released in March of that year as the lead single from his album ''

The Last Time I Saw Her ''The Last Time I Saw Her'' is the 20th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released by Capitol Records in 1971 (see 1971 in music). Track listing Side 1: # " The Last Time I Saw Her" (Gordon Lightfoot) – 4:06 # "Rose Garden" ...

''. The song peaked at number 7 on the U.S. ''

'' Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 4 on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Country Tracks chart in Canada.

Lacy J. Dalton cover

A 1983 cover by American country music artist

Lacy J. Dalton Lacy J. Dalton (born Jill Lynne Byrem; October 13, 1946) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her gritty, powerful vocals, which ''People Magazine'' likened to a country equivalent of Bonnie Raitt. Dalton had a ...

peaked at number 9 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart.

Other cover versions

The Beatles performed the song in front of a live studio audience on 7 March 1962 for the BBC radio programme ''Teenager's Turn'', which was broadcast the following day. This was the Beatles' first ever BBC radio session. It has never been officially issued. "Dream Baby" was also covered by Del Shannon in 1963, Jerry Lee Lewis in 1967 and also by Waylon Jennings.

References

1962 singles 1971 singles 1983 singles Glen Campbell songs Lacy J. Dalton songs Songs written by Cindy Walker Roy Orbison songs Monument Records singles Capitol Records singles Song recordings produced by Al De Lory 1962 songs {{1970s-country-song-stub