Why Don't You Believe Me?

"Why Don't You Believe Me?"
Single by Joni James
from the album Joni James' Award Winning Album
B-side	"Purple Shades"
Published	October 15, 1952 (1952-10-15) by Brandom Music Co., Chicago [1]
Released	October 18, 1952 (1952-10-18)
Recorded	June 16, 1952 (1952-06-16) [2]
Length	3:23
Label	MGM 11333
Songwriters	Lew Douglas King Laney Roy Rodde [1]
Joni James singles chronology
"You Belong to Me" (1952) "Why Don't You Believe Me?" (1952) "Purple Shades" (1952)

"Why Don't You Believe Me"
Single by The Duprees
B-side	"My Dearest One"
Released	August 1963
Recorded	1963
Genre	Doo-wop
Length	3:23
Label	Coed
Songwriters	Lew Douglas, King Laney, Roy Rodde
The Duprees singles chronology
"I Gotta Tell Her Now" (1963) "Why Don't You Believe Me" (1963) "Have You Heard" (1963)

"Why Don't You Believe Me?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, King Laney, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952. ^[1]

Notable versions

A recording by Joni James (MGM Records catalog number 11333) reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts for four weeks in November-December 1952. ^[3] Competing versions by Patti Page (Mercury Records catalog number 70025, reaching chart position No. 4) and Margaret Whiting (Capitol Records catalog number 2292, reaching chart position No. 29) also charted in 1952. The B-side to Page's version was the well-known song "Conquest". ^[4] On the Cash Box Best-Selling Record list, where all versions were combined (co-chart), the song also reached No. 1 that year.

Vic Damone's version was released as a single in July of 1965, from his album You Were Only Fooling . It bubbled under Billboard's Hot 100 chart, reaching number 127, ^[5] and peaked at number 25 on the magazine's Easy Listening chart. ^[6] It would also reach number 90 on the Cashbox singles chart ^[7] and number 103 on Record World . ^[8]

Recorded versions

• Pat Boone
• Bing Crosby sang it on four occasions on his radio show in 1953. ^[9]
• Vic Damone (1965 single)
• Dolly Dawn
• The Duprees reached No. 37 in 1963. ^[3]
• Maureen Evans
• Bobby Goldsboro
• Red Ingle
• Joni James
• Damita Jo
• The Kalin Twins
• Mickey Katz
• Herb Lance
• Brenda Lee
• Wade Legge
• Guy Lombardo
• Joe Loss with Rose Brennan
• Dean Martin
• Jane Morgan
• Patti Page
• Norrie Paramor
• Jimmy Roselli
• Lita Roza
• Semprini, pianoforte with Rhythm accompaniment recorded it as the first song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No. 19) - Hit medley of foxtrots" along with "Cry My Heart" and "Even Now" in London on January 14, 1953. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10441
• Semprini, pianoforte with Rhythm accompaniment recorded it as the first song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No 30) - Hit Medley of foxtrots" along with "Downhearted" and "Till I Waltz Again with You" in London on March 11, 1953. The medley was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10457
• Donna Stark (RCI Records catalog number 2341) reached No. 92 on the Billboard country music charts in 1980.
• Nancy Umeki
• Jerry Vale
• June Valli
• Bobby Vinton
• Robin Ward
• Lawrence Welk
• Margaret Whiting
• O. V. Wright
• Jimmy Young

See also

• List of number-one singles of 1952 (U.S.)

References

1. Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1952). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1952 Published Music Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 6 Pt 5A. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
2. "MGM 78rpm numerical listing discography: 11000 - 11499". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
3. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 261.
4. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research.
5. Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 44. ISBN   978-0-8982-0047-8.
6. Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. p. 68. ISBN   978-0-89820-169-7.
7. Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 84. ISBN   1-56308-316-7.
8. "Record World Up Coming Singles" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 20, no. 948. August 7, 1965. p. 28. Retrieved October 28, 2025– via worldradiohistory.com.
9. "A Bing Crosby Discography". Bingmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved December 30, 2018.