"Make Believe It's Your First Time" is a song written by Bob Morrison and Johnny Wilson. Originally recorded by

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is a American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid trib ...

, the song was twice recorded by

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praise ...

, both as a solo act and as a member of

the Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

Bobby Vinton version

Vinton's version was released as a single in late 1979 (backed with "I Remember Loving You") and reached No. 78 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 17 on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart. It is Vinton's last ''Billboard'' Hot 100 entry to date and the second of two Vinton songs to have crossed over onto the country music singles chart (the other being 1970's "

My Elusive Dreams "My Elusive Dreams" is a country music song written by Billy Sherrill and Curly Putman. Putman recorded his song in March 1967 and released it on ABC Records in June 1967, peaking at #41 on the Hot Country Singles charts and #34 on the Bubbling ...

").

Karen Carpenter versions

Solo rendition

Between 1979 and 1980, Karen Carpenter went to New York to record a solo album with Phil Ramone as producer. "Make Believe It's Your First Time" was one of twenty songs recorded. This version was ultimately shelved until 1996, with the release of her

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous album, ''

''. Karen's solo version is far more subdued with only a piano, bass and drums as her accompaniment.

''Voice of the Heart'' rendition

The Carpenters recorded this version of "Make Believe It's Your First Time" for their 1981 album '' Made in America''. The song, like Karen's solo version, went unreleased in her lifetime and was not included on the album. After Karen's death in 1983, the song was placed on the Carpenters' next album, ''

Voice of the Heart ''Voice of the Heart'' is the posthumous eleventh studio album by American pop duo The Carpenters, Carpenters. It was released in 1983 after Karen Carpenter, Karen's death and contains the two songs from her final recording sessions, "Now" and "Y ...

'', and was released as a single. Richard Carpenter's arrangement uses far more instrumentation, adds a bridge written specifically for this version, key modulation during the last chorus, and the inclusion of background vocals.

Personnel

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

* Richard Carpenter -

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

Joe Osborn Joseph Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

Ron Tutt Ronald Ellis Tutt (March 12, 1938 – October 16, 2021) was an American drummer who played concerts and recording sessions for Elvis Presley, the Carpenters, Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond, and Jerry Garcia. Early life Born in Dallas, Texas, United ...

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Tony Peluso Anthony F. Peluso (March 28, 1950 – June 5, 2010) was an American guitarist and record producer. He was lead guitarist for pop duo Carpenters from 1972 to 1983. Peluso played the fuzz guitar solo on the Carpenters' song "Goodbye to Love". He al ...

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

*Tim May -

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

*Jay Dee Maness -

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

*Sheridon Stokes -

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

*Earle Dumler -

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

*The O.K. Chorale -

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

Chart performance

Bobby Vinton version

Carpenters version

Other cover versions

*"Make Believe It's Your First Time" was also recorded by

Dave & Sugar Dave & Sugar was a pop-styled American country music trio which enjoyed its peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. The trio consisted of lead singer Dave Rowland and initially on backing vocals, Vicki Hackeman and Jackie Frantz. Over time, the ...

on their 1980 album ''New York Wine & Tennessee Shine''.

References

1979 songs 1979 singles 1983 singles Bobby Vinton songs The Carpenters songs Karen Carpenter songs Songs written by Bob Morrison (songwriter) Songs written by Johnny Wilson (songwriter) {{1970s-pop-song-stub