More Than I Can Say

"More Than I Can Say" is a song written by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, both former members of Buddy Holly's band the Crickets. They recorded it in 1959 soon after Holly's death and released it in 1960. Their original version hit No. 42 on British Record Retailer Chart in 1960. It has been notably performed by singers Bobby Vee, Leo Sayer, and Sammy Kershaw.

"More Than I Can Say"
Single by The Crickets
from the album In Style With the Crickets
B-side"Baby My Heart"
ReleasedApril 1960 (UK)
May 1960 (US)
Length2:38
LabelCoral
Songwriter(s)Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison
Producer(s)Norman Petty
The Crickets singles chronology
"When You Ask About Love"
(1959)		 "More Than I Can Say"
(1960)		 "Don't Cha Know"
(1960)

The Crickets version

"More Than I Can Say" was the third single from the Crickets' second release, In Style With the Crickets. The song was written by guitarist Sonny Curtis and drummer Jerry Allison around an hour in 1959.[1] The hook was left unfinished at the time, and at the time of recording, the hook was left this way with no lyrics, only the "wo-wo yay-yay," which became a memorable part of the song. The single went on to become a minor hit in the UK, entering the Top 40 and peaking at 26. Curtis considers this song to be one of his most enduring, looking back at the success subsequent artists have had performing it.

Personnel

Charts
Chart Peak
position
UK singles chart[3] 26

Bobby Vee version

Vee is an American pop music singer whose prominence in the music industry arose from tragedy. After Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash in February 1959, a then-teenaged Vee was one of a group of local musicians recruited to play at the next leg of a scheduled concert in Fargo, North Dakota.[4] In 1961, Vee (whose other hit singles include "Take Good Care of My Baby" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes") recorded "More Than I Can Say", and it reached No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[4] It was a bigger hit in the United Kingdom, where the song and its B-side, "Staying In", peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] He also reached No. 8 in New Zealand.[6]

Beatles cover version

According to eminent author Mark Lewisohn in "The Complete Beatles Chronicles" (p. 364) The Beatles performed More Than I Can Say live from at least 1961 through 1962 (in Hamburg and Liverpool and elsewhere). Author Allen J. Weiner in "The Beatles The Ultimate Recording Guide" (p. 206) affirms this with the note that it came from a setlist made at the time by Harrison. It is unclear whether the lead vocal was by John Lennon, Paul McCartney or George Harrison. No recording is known to survive.

Leo Sayer version
"More Than I Can Say"
Single by Leo Sayer
from the album Living in a Fantasy
B-side
  • "Only Fooling" (Most of the world)
  • "Millionaire" (US)
ReleasedOctober 5, 1980
GenreSoft rock, adult contemporary
Length3:34
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison
Producer(s)Alan Tarney
Leo Sayer singles chronology
"When the Money Runs Out"
(1979)		 "More Than I Can Say"
(1980)		 "Once in a While"
(1980)

Sayer's cover version of "More Than I Can Say" spent five weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1980 and January 1981, kept from the top spot by "Lady" by Kenny Rogers and "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon.[7] Sayer's version of the song was certified a Gold Record by the RIAA.[7] It also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.[4] In the U.K., the song peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart,[8] while it spent two weeks atop the Kent Music Report in Australia. Sayer has stated that while looking for an "oldie" to record for his album Living in a Fantasy, he saw a TV commercial for a greatest hits collection by Vee and chose the song on the spot: "We went into a record store that afternoon, bought the record and had the song recorded that night."[4]

The Sayer version was covered in French (as "Personne ne le sait") by Canadian singer Renée Martel on her 1981 album Un coin du ciel.[9]

The music video for the song was frequently aired on MTV when that channel launched on August 1, 1981

Chart performance

Other cover versions

Irish singer Darren Holden covered "More Than I Can Say" in 1997, reaching #20 in Ireland.

See also

References
  1. International Songwriters Association (1959-02-04). "International Songwriters Association (ISA) Songs And Songwriting • Sonny Curtis Interview". Songwriter.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  2. "Who's Who On The Cricket's Recordings". Rockin50s.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  3. "CRICKETS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  4. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  5. "Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  6. "flavour of new zealand - Lever hit parades". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  8. "Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  9. Renée Martel - Personne ne le sait at YouTube
  10. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – More Than I Can Say". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  12. http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/singles?chart=2920
  13. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  14. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  17. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1980". Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  18. "Chart File". Record Mirror. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 21 March 1981. p. 37.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2016-12-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4689&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062
  21. Musicoutfitters.com
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