Conway Twitty - It's Only Make Believe: The Early Years 1957-62

Talented multi-genre artist and all round ‘good guy’, Conway Twitty had an extraordinary career. He mastered rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, pop and country music, and was a gifted songwriter and performer. Few artists, after enjoying global smash hits in one genre, would change tack to pursue their art in another; but this is exactly what Twitty did.

A rarity in the music industry, he never drank, never smoked, and treated everyone with humility and respect, and was described by critics as “the best friend a song ever had”. With over 16 million records sold by the mid-eighties, Twitty racked up 41 number one hit singles in both the pop and country charts; that’s more than Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and George Jones achieved.

This carefully curated 18 track LP homes in on his early career as he embraced his rockabilly roots. Aside from his iconic No.1, the brooding and dramatic It’s Only Make Believe, he enjoyed thirteen other chart entries during this period, including the US No.6 Lonely Blue Boy and the UK No.5 Mona Lisa, before forging a niche as a leading force in the country market. This collection manages to showcase not only his fine voice, but his versatility in performing material, from out-and-out rock ‘n’ roll to ballads and country-flavoured tunes with equal panache.

SIDE A
1) I NEED YOUR LOVIN' - Conway Twitty (Harold Jenkins, Jimmy Ray Paulman) 1957
2) SHAKE IT UP - Conway Twitty (Conway Twitty) 1957
3) IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE - Conway Twitty (Conway Twitty, Jack Nance) 1958
4) THE STORY OF MY LOVE - Conway Twitty (Conway Twitty, Jack Nance) 1958
5) HEY LITTLE LUCY! (DON'TCHA PUT NO LIPSTICK ON) - Conway Twitty (Aaron Schroeder, Sharon Silbert, George David Weiss) 1959
6) MONA LISA - Conway Twitty (Raymond Evans, Jay Livingston) 1959
7) DANNY BOY - Conway Twitty (Frederick Weatherly, Conway Twitty) 1959
8) LONELY BLUE BOY - Conway Twitty (Fred Wise, Ben Weisman) 1959
9) WHAT AM I LIVING FOR - Conway Twitty (Art Harris, Fred Jay) 1960

SIDE B
1) IS A BLUE BIRD BLUE - Conway Twitty (Dan Penn) 1960
2) SHE'S MINE - Conway Twitty (Conway Twitty, Jack Nance) 1960
3) WHAT A DREAM - Conway Twitty (Chuck Wills) 1960
4) WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' GOIN' ON - Conway Twitty (David Curlee Williams) 1960
5) C'EST SI BON - Conway Twitty (Ange Eugene Betti, Andre Hornez, Jerry Seelen) 1960
6) NEXT KISS (IS THE LAST GOODBYE) - Conway Twitty (David Hill, Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee) 1961
7) SWEET SORROW - Conway Twitty (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) 1961
8) PORTRAIT OF A FOOL - Conway Twitty (Louis Todd Innis, Buddy Killen) 1961
9) THE PICKUP - Conway Twitty (Conway Twitty) 1962