About The Song
“My Elusive Dreams” is a country single by American singer Charlie Rich, released in February 1975 by Epic Records (catalog 8-50115). Written by Billy Sherrill and Curly Putman, the song was originally recorded by Putman in March 1967 and released in June 1967 on ABC Records, peaking at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It gained prominence as a duet by David Houston and Tammy Wynette, which topped the country chart in 1967. Rich’s solo version, a countrypolitan reimagining, runs 3:37 and served as the lead single from his 1975 album It’s All Over, capitalizing on his recent string of hits including “Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)” from the prior year.
The single debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart at No. 74 in late February 1975, climbing steadily through consistent radio airplay. It entered the Top 10 by mid-May and peaked at No. 3 during the week of June 21, 1975, spending 15 weeks on the chart total—Rich’s ninth Top 10 country entry. On the Billboard Hot 100, it bubbled under at No. 101, missing the main chart but gaining limited pop crossover. It reached No. 25 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, it hit No. 12 on the RPM Country Tracks chart. Cash Box ranked it at No. 4 on its Country Top 100. This marked the sixth charting version of the song since 1967, following originals by Putman, Houston/Wynette, Rusty Draper, Johnny Darrell, and Bobby Vinton’s 1970 cover.
Recording took place in late 1974 at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, produced by Billy Sherrill, who co-wrote the song and had shaped Rich’s sound since signing him to Epic in 1971. Sherrill assembled the Nashville A-Team: pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins on acoustic piano, steel guitarist Pete Drake for subtle swells, bassist Henry Strzelecki, drummer Jerry Carrigan maintaining a mid-tempo 4/4 beat at 96 BPM, and string arrangements by Bergen White. The Nashville Edition provided choral backing harmonies. Rich delivered his lead vocal in three takes, emphasizing his baritone phrasing with light reverb. The B-side, “Pride,” another Sherrill/Putman composition, did not chart independently. The track was mastered in mono for the 45 RPM single, optimizing for AM radio compatibility.
Epic Records promoted the single aggressively amid Rich’s 1975 schedule, which included over 150 U.S. dates and a European tour. Initial shipments exceeded 400,000 copies, distributed via CBS networks, with trade ads in Billboard and Cashbox highlighting it as a “timeless standard” from Sherrill’s catalog. By June 1975, U.S. sales surpassed 600,000 units, contributing to the single’s gold certification potential when bundled with album sales. The release aligned with Rich’s post-CMA controversy momentum, where his onstage antics had drawn media attention but not derailed his chart dominance.
The parent album It’s All Over (KE 33454), released in April 1975, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and peaked at No. 3, spending 22 weeks on the list. It reached No. 178 on the Top LPs & Tape chart, selling over 300,000 copies. The 10-track LP, produced entirely by Sherrill, blended covers like “Since I Fell for You” with originals such as “Good Morning Country Rain.” Structurally, Rich’s version follows the original verse-chorus format in G major, with a bridge leading to a key change to A for the final chorus, clocking in longer than the 1967 duet at 3:37 due to extended instrumental breaks.
Publishing was handled through Algee Music (Sherrill) and Tree Publishing (Putman), both BMI affiliates, generating royalties split among Epic and the writers. Session documentation from Columbia indicates the basic rhythm track was cut in two hours, with Rich adding vocals and overdubs the following day. Reissues of Rich’s version appear on Epic/Legacy’s 1999 16 Biggest Hits, the 2006 Greatest Hits, and the 2011 box set The Essential Charlie Rich, all RIAA gold.
Covers of the song number over 50, including a 1973 duet by Wynette and George Jones on their Let’s Build a World Together album, a 1993 pairing of Wynette and Joe Diffie, and an Irish version by Philomena Begley and Ray Lynam in 1974. The original Epic 45 RPM pressing with picture sleeve (depicting Rich in a tailored suit) remains collectible, valued at $10–25 in near-mint condition. Rich’s interpretation, noted by critics in American Songwriter for its “elegant restraint,” helped extend the song’s lifespan into the 1970s countrypolitan era, bridging classic Nashville songcraft with Rich’s mature vocal style.
Video
Lyric
[Verse 1]
You followed me to Texas, you followed me to Utah
We didn’t find it there, so we moved on
You went with me to Alabam’, things looked good in Birmingham
We didn’t find it there, so we moved on[Chorus]
I know you’re tired of following my elusive dreams and schemes
For they’re only fleeting things, my elusive dreams[Verse 2]
You had my child in Memphis, then I heard of work in Nashville
But we didn’t find it there, so we moved on
To a small farm in Nebraska, to a gold mine in Alaska
We didn’t find it there, so we moved on[Verse 3]
Now we’ve left Alaska because there was no gold mine
But this time only two of us moved on
Now all we have is each other and a little memory to cling to
And still you won’t let me go on alone[Chorus]
I know you’re tired of following my elusive dreams and schemes
For they’re only fleeting things, my elusive dreams[Outro]
My elusive dreams