For a few years in the mid-'60s, Johnny Mathis left his longtime home at Columbia Records for the presumably greener pastures of Mercury. The Wonderful World of Make Believe was his third album for the new label and, while it may not have completely bombed, it made the poorest chart showing of any of his hit albums up to that point. It isn't a bad album -- it has Mathis singing his usual mixture of traditional and Continental pop songs and show tunes in an orchestral setting. The theme is fantasy, from imaginary locations ("Camelot," "Shangri-La") to fanciful yearnings ("I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "When You Wish Upon a Star") to vague, idealized realms ("Beyond the Sea," "Beyond the Blue Horizon"). Mercury didn't tamper with Mathis' established style on this album (unlike his first singles for the label, which seemed geared toward a younger audience), so the arrangements are in keeping with his Columbia work, if a bit more swirly and ornate as the material seemed to require. The Wonderful World of Make Believe is strictly an album effort -- no standout single tracks here -- but it's an enticingly dreamy effort and Mathis sings superbly.