Cover Me: Let It Be Me

If you were an American television viewer in the 1950s, you might have come across an anthology series called Climax! (also known as Climax Mystery Theater).

Every Thursday night, Climax! brought to life a different story. Sometimes it was a classic like The Long Goodbye or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. More often it was a lesser-known tale, and occasionally it was a story destined to become a classic. (Its third-season adaptation of Casino Royale, for example, was the first-ever screen adaptation of a James Bond novel.)

(Yes, I included that clip just for the introduction of Bond… Jimmy  Bond.)

Midway through the 1956-57 season, Climax! featured an episode entitled “Let It Be Me,” featuring an intriguing synopsis: “Corruption in the recording industry plays out just as the music plays in. ”

The music that played in was sung by the episode’s featured actress, Jill Corey. Corey’s performance of “Let It Be Me” proved popular enough for it to be released as a single, which peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Let it Be Me” was credited in part to American lyricist Manny Curtis, but also to French songwriter Gilbert Bécaud.

Bécaud, who was known in France as “Monsieur 100,000 Volts” based on his electrifying performances  (not unlike a certain New Jersey rocker), had recorded the song in its original French form as “Je t’appartiens” in 1955. In the video below, we can see why Bécaud earned his nickname.

Bécaud’s original has considerably more vigor than Corey’s sentimental reading, but it was Corey’s arrangement that influenced The Everly Brothers when Phil and Don covered it in 1959.

That version of “Let It Be Me” was considerably more successful, notching as high as #7 and inspiring an even more successful cover by  Betty Everett and Jerry Butler that went to #5 in 1964.

While the song’s lush orchestration and gorgeous harmonies contribute much to its enduring popularity, there’s no doubt that part of the allure of “Let It Be Me” comes from the unabashedly romantic lyrics. Perhaps that’s also why the song was on Bruce Springsteen’s mind throughout his 1988 Tunnel of Love Express Tour.

While Bruce never actually performed “Let It Be Me” in concert, he performed it at sound check frequently–and three of those performances were actually captured on tape.

The earliest of the three was in Chapel Hill, just eight days into the tour. In this performance, we can eavesdrop on Bruce and the E Street Band working out their plan of attack for the first ninety seconds or so before the band kicks in. Bruce’s vocals enter about a minute later, and the E Streeters quickly coalesce in a beautiful performance.

Just a few short weeks later in Atlanta, Bruce took another crack at “Let It Be Me,” this time in a much more intimate arrangement that centered around vocals by Bruce and Patti (who were growing much more intimate as well).

“Let It Be Me” next surfaced on May 6th, before Bruce’s show in Tacoma. What makes this last performance notable is the lead vocal switch from Bruce to Nils at around the 45-second mark. The soaring melody of “Let It Be Me” proved perfectly suited for Nils’ range, and by the final verse the song belonged fully to him.

Each of those three performances featured different arrangements, which suggest that Bruce never quite hit on an approach he was satisfied with. That might explain why “Let It Be Me” never made it to the official concert stage, but at least we have these glimpses of what might have been.

Let It Be Me
First sound checked: March 4, 1988 (Chapel Hill, NC)
Last sound checked: May 8, 1988 (Tacoma, WA)