I Believe (Frankie Laine song)

"I Believe" is the name of a popular song written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman in 1953.

"I Believe" was commissioned and introduced by Jane Froman on her television show, and became the first hit song ever introduced on TV. Froman, troubled by the uprising of the Korean War in 1952 so soon after World War II, asked Drake, Graham, Shirl and Stillman to compose a song that would offer hope and faith to the populace. In addition to Froman, "I Believe" has been recorded by many others, and has become both a popular and religious standard.

Frankie Laine's version spent eighteen non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.^[1] Laine also had the most successful version in America, where he reached #2 for three weeks.

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.

Selected list of recorded versions

• The Chordettes (recorded 1953, released the next year)
• Perry Como on his 1953 album I Believe ~ Songs of All Faiths Sung by Perry Como].^[2]
• Marcel Mouloudji (1953, as "Je Crois en Toi")
• Allan Jones, tenor with The Peter Knight Singers with orchestra cond. by George Melachrino (recorded in London on April 16, 1953. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10490).
• Joni James (on her 1956 album, Give Us This Day)
• Elvis Presley from Elvis' Christmas Album (1957)
• Andy Williams (on his 1960 album, The Village of St. Bernadette)
• Roger Whittaker (on his 1989 album, Love Will Be Our Home)
• David Whitfield (1960)
• Tammy Wynette
• The Bachelors (1961)
• Doris Akers (1963) (RCA Victor 2644)
• Donna Hightower (1964) as "Je Crois En Toi," in French as adapted by J. Brousolle
• The Musical Hearts from Texas (recorded in September 1964. It was released on the extended play, Harmoni HEP 216.
• The Earls (1964)
• Donna Loren (1965) (Capitol 5548)
• The Lettermen (on their 1965 album You'll Never Walk Alone, and as the B-side of "Sweet September"). The band also closes out each live performance with this song, always performed a capella.
• Kong Ling (江玲), Hong Kong female singer, on her 1966 Kong Ling LP album with Diamond Records.
• Louis Armstrong (1967; Please note he performed another song with the same title as well.) ^[3]
• The Young Rascals from their 1966 debut album The Young Rascals
• Dolly Parton on 1970s Golden Streets of Glory
• Donny Osmond (on his 1973 album A Time for Us)
• The Ebonys (1973)
• Arik Lavie (1974, as "Ani Ma'amin")
• Cissy Houston (1984)
• Jackie Wilson on the Mr Excitment album (1992)
• Crystal Gayle (on her 1995 album, Someday)
• Robson and Jerome, released together with "Up on the Roof" as the B-side in 1995, and it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.^[4] It has sold 1.11 million copies in the UK.^[5]
• Barbra Streisand (on her 1997 album, Higher Ground)
• Patti LaBelle (on her 1998 album Live One Night Only)
• The GoldTones (2004) from their doo-wop CD entitled Street Corner Gold.
• Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge on their 2002 CD Peace On Earth and Songs Of Inspiration (2007)
• In 2002 the song was included on the Art Greenhaw Records album We Called Him Mr. Gospel Gospel Music: The James Blackwood Tribute Album, which went on to win a Grammy Award for "Best Album of the Year" in a Gospel category. Performers were Larry Ford, The Jordanaires and The Light Crust Doughboys.^[6]
• Brian Ormond (on the 2003 album Pop Idol: The Idols – Xmas Factor)
• On 26 November 2007, the track was released by British child singer Connie Talbot (who was discovered on the British television talent show Britain's Got Talent), on her debut album, Over The Rainbow. This album was re-released on the 16 June 2008 (with the Christmas tracks replaced).
• In 2010, a surf-pop version of the song was included on the album Wills & The Light Crust Doughboys: 80th Anniversary, Together Again and performed by Art Greenhaw.^[7]
• The Righteous Brothers
• Eve Boswell
• Frank Sinatra
• Larry Chance and The Earls
• Jane Froman
• Frankie Laine (Original Recording)
• Frank Rendo from Inspired: Songs from Broadway & Film
• Marco T.
• LeAnn Rimes
• Sandler and Young (together with Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria")
• Benny Hill (parodied The Bachelors version of "I Believe" in his song, "I'll Never Know")
• Gé Korsten
• Mahalia Jackson
• Ray Price recorded the song for his posthumous farewell album Beauty Is... Ray Price, the final sessions (2014).

References