I Just Can't Help Believing

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I Just Can’t Help Believing is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was first released in 1968 by Barry Mann, but the version that became famous came from later recordings.

B.J. Thomas version (1970)
- Release and album: B. J. Thomas released the song as a single in June 1970, from the album Everybody’s Out of Town. The B-side was “Send My Picture to Scranton, PA.”
- Length and style: The track runs about 2 minutes and 57 seconds and is an easy listening ballad.
- Credits: Written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil; produced by Chips Moman; released on Scepter Records.
- Chart success: It was a hit in the United States, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending a week at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart. It also charted in Canada (RPM) and Cash Box (Top 100).

Elvis Presley version (1970)
- Album and recording: Elvis Presley recorded the song in 1970 for his album That’s the Way It Is. A live version was released as a single in the UK in November 1971.
- Release details: The Elvis single’s B-side was “How the Web Was Woven.” It was recorded on August 11, 1970, at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Style: The song is often described as a country and blue-eyed soul ballad.
- International charts: Elvis’s version reached the Top 10 in several countries, including:
- Australia: No. 8
- Belgium: No. 10
- Ireland: No. 12
- Netherlands: No. 4
- Sweden: No. 3
- United Kingdom: No. 6 (and the UK single charted around that spot for the live version)
- South Africa: No. 6
- Overall impact: Elvis’s rendition helped the song gain international popularity and remain a memorable part of his live and studio performances.

Other cover versions
- The song has been recorded by many artists over the years. The earliest release was Barry Mann’s own version on Capitol Records in 1968.
- Other artists who covered the song include Bobby Vee (1969), Bobby Doyle (1969), Leonard Nimoy (1969), and David Frizzell (1970), whose version reached No. 36 on the U.S. country chart.
- Nora Aunor, a Filipino singer, released it on her 1971 studio album.
- In 1983, Boys Town Gang issued a disco cover in the UK that charted there.
- Barry Mann also recorded the song again in 2000 for his album Soul & Inspiration.

Summary
I Just Can’t Help Believing was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It became a major hit for B.J. Thomas in 1970, reached the top 10 in several countries with Elvis Presley’s 1970 version, and has been covered by many artists, making it a well-known ballad from that era.