I Believe (Frankie Laine song)

Last updated
"I Believe"
Song
Written1953
Genre Traditional pop
Songwriter(s)

"I Believe" is a popular song written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Abraham (as "Irvin Graham"), Jack Mendelsohn (as "Jimmy Shirl") and Al Stillman in 1953. [1] The most popular version was recorded by Italian-American singer Frankie Laine, and spent eighteen weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. [2]

Contents

Background

"I Believe" was commissioned and introduced by Jane Froman on her television show, and became the first hit song ever introduced on television. Froman, troubled by the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, asked Drake, Graham, Shirl and Stillman to compose a song that would offer hope and faith to the populace. [3] Froman's commercial recording reached No. 11 in the Billboard charts during a 10-week stay. [4] "I Believe" has been recorded by many others, and has become both a popular and religious standard.

Frankie Laine recording

"I Believe"
Single by Frankie Laine
with Paul Weston and his Orchestra
B-side "Your Cheatin' Heart"
Published6 February 1953
Released30 January 1953
Recorded8 January 1953
Studio Radio Recorders, Hollywood
Genre Ballad, traditional pop
Length2:09
Label Columbia Records
Songwriter(s) Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman
Producer(s) Mitch Miller

Frankie Laine's original version was recorded for Columbia Records on 8 January 1953 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. [5] It featured Paul Weston and his Orchestra accompanying Laine. [6]

Laine's recording spent eighteen non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart. [2] As of 2020, this record remains unbeaten. [7] "I Believe" was the best-selling single of 1953 in the UK, spending 36 weeks on the chart. It entered the listings on 3 April 1953, and first reached No. 1 in its fourth week on chart, spending nine weeks at the top. On 26 June, it was replaced at No. 1 for a week by "I'm Walking Behind You" by Eddie Fisher featuring Sally Sweetland, but returned to the top spot on 3 July for another six weeks. On 14 August, it was again replaced at the top for a week, this time by Mantovani's "Song From the Moulin Rouge". On 21 August, "I Believe" returned to No. 1 for its final run at the top, for three weeks, bringing its total time at No. 1 to eighteen weeks. [8] [9] Laine also had the most successful version in the US, where his recording reached No. 2, staying there for three weeks. [10]

Laine would later re-record the song for other labels on a number of occasions. The first of these was on December 18, 1964 in Hollywood, with orchestra arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael. The recording was released on the Capitol album I Believe the following year. [11] [12] [13] A recording made by Laine on February 25, 1970 for Amos Records in Hollywood, with orchestra arranged by Jimmie Haskell, was issued on the album Frankie Laine's Greatest Hits that year. [11] [13] In June 1977, with Pete Moore's Orchestra and Ray Barr on piano, Laine recorded "I Believe" for a fourth label. This version was included on the Polydor album 20 Memories in Gold, an album largely consisting of re-recordings of his earlier hits, which was released in September that year. [11] [13] In May 1980, Laine recorded "I Believe" at a session of his hit re-recordings used by K-Tel. The recordings were backed by an orchestra conducted by Don Jackson with The Worlettes, and released on the 1982 album The Music Of Frankie Laine. "I Believe" was also recorded as part of a different collection of Laine hit remakes in January 1982, again with the Don Jackson Orchestra. This album, The World Of Frankie Laine, was released by Ronco the same year. In all, Laine recorded "I Believe" for six different record companies over a period spanning from 1953 to 1982. [11] [14]

Contemporary chart performance and recordings

In the US, only the versions by Froman and Laine charted, whilst only Laine's charted in the UK. [15] It was commonplace at the time for multiple artists to record versions of a new song, and others were released. In the UK, "I Believe" entered the sheet music sales chart on 11 April 1953, and reached No. 1 on 13 June, its tenth week on chart. It spent a week at the top, and returned on 24 October for another week, with a total of two weeks at No. 1 on the sheet music chart. [16]

The Frankie Laine version was the first to be issued in the UK, in February 1953. April saw recordings by Jane Froman, Ronnie Ronalde and David Whitfield. Subsequent releases were of versions by Eve Boswell, Allan Jones, Victor Silvester and his Ballroom Orchestra, and Ethel Smith (organ). The song spent forty weeks on the sheet music sales chart, whilst Laine's recording was on the singles chart for 36 weeks. [16] [9]

Other notable recordings

Quodlibet with Ave Maria

In 1972, Shawnee Music published a new arrangement of "I Believe" that includes a quodlibet with Bach/Gounod, "Ave Maria". This version is frequently performed by choirs at Christmas time.[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1953.
  2. 1 2 Myers, Justin (23 March 2018). "The songs that spent the longest at Number 1". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Stone, Ilene (2003). Jane Froman: Missouri's First Lady of Song. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. p. 82. ISBN   0826214584.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p.  166. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
  5. ↑ "Frankie Laine, part 1". Praguefrank's Country Discography 2. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Kutner, Jon (2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits. Spencer Leigh. London: Music Sales. ISBN   978-0-85712-360-2. OCLC   978493833.
  7. ↑ White, Jack (10 April 2020). "The songs that have had three or more stints at UK Number 1". Official Charts. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  8. ↑ "Biggest Songs of Every Year". Official Charts. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  9. 1 2 British hit singles : Guinness world records (16th ed.). London: Gullane. 2003. ISBN   0-85112-190-X. OCLC   51779766.
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  11. 1 2 3 4 Praguefrank (2016-12-18). "Praguefrank's Country Discography 2: Frankie Laine, part 1". Praguefrank's Country Discography 2. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
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  13. 1 2 3 "Frankie Laine". www.rocky-52.net. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  14. ↑ "Frankie Laine, part 2". Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies.
  15. ↑ "I Believe (song by Frankie Laine) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". MusicVF.com. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  16. 1 2 Henson, Brian; Morgan, Colin (1989). First hits, 1946-1959. London: Boxtree. ISBN   1-85283-268-1. OCLC   19389211.
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