{"id":28660,"date":"2021-08-07T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/?p=28660"},"modified":"2021-08-07T08:00:06","modified_gmt":"2021-08-07T15:00:06","slug":"cover-me-let-it-be-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/08\/07\/cover-me-let-it-be-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Cover Me: Let It Be Me"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you were an American television viewer in the 1950s, you might have come across an anthology series called <em>Climax!\u00a0<\/em>(also known as\u00a0<em>Climax Mystery Theater<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Every Thursday night, <i>Climax! <\/i>brought to life a different story. Sometimes it was a classic like <em>The Long Goodbye<\/em> or\u00a0<em>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.<\/em> More often it was a lesser-known tale, and occasionally it was a story destined to become a classic. (Its third-season adaptation of <em>Casino Royale<\/em>, for example, was the first-ever screen adaptation of a James Bond novel.)<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-28660-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/download\/ClimaxCasinoRoyale\/Climax-casinoRoyale.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/download\/ClimaxCasinoRoyale\/Climax-casinoRoyale.mp4\">https:\/\/archive.org\/download\/ClimaxCasinoRoyale\/Climax-casinoRoyale.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>(Yes, I included that clip just for the introduction of Bond&#8230;\u00a0<em>Jimmy<\/em>\u00a0 Bond.)<\/p>\n<p>Midway through the 1956-57 season,\u00a0<em>Climax!\u00a0<\/em>featured an episode entitled &#8220;Let It Be Me,&#8221; featuring an intriguing synopsis: &#8220;Corruption in the recording industry plays out just as the music plays in. &#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The music that played in was sung by the episode&#8217;s featured actress, Jill Corey. Corey&#8217;s performance of &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; proved popular enough for it to be released as a single, which peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mKiLw5D9I5o?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Let it Be Me&#8221; was credited in part to American lyricist Manny Curtis, but also to French songwriter Gilbert B\u00e9caud.<\/p>\n<p>B\u00e9caud, who was known in France as &#8220;Monsieur 100,000 Volts&#8221; based on his electrifying performances\u00a0 (not unlike a certain New Jersey rocker), had recorded the song in its original French form as &#8220;Je t&#8217;appartiens&#8221; in 1955. In the video below, we can see why B\u00e9caud earned his nickname.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k4n4UQtJRpw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>B\u00e9caud&#8217;s original has considerably more vigor than Corey&#8217;s sentimental reading, but it was Corey&#8217;s arrangement that influenced The Everly Brothers when Phil and Don covered it in 1959.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lvA-STM7oJk?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>That version of &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; was considerably more successful, notching as high as #7 and inspiring an even more successful cover by \u00a0Betty Everett and Jerry Butler that went to #5 in 1964.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YwTh4OkPTb0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>While the song&#8217;s lush orchestration and gorgeous harmonies contribute much to its enduring popularity, there&#8217;s no doubt that part of the allure of &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; comes from the unabashedly romantic lyrics. Perhaps that&#8217;s also why the song was on Bruce Springsteen&#8217;s mind throughout his 1988 Tunnel of Love Express Tour.<\/p>\n<p>While Bruce never actually performed &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; in concert, he performed it at sound check frequently&#8211;and three of those performances were actually captured on tape.<\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;s vocals enter about a minute later, and the E Streeters quickly coalesce in a beautiful performance.<\/p>\n<div id=\"v-a3W1Ufzd-1\" class=\"video-player\"><iframe title='VideoPress Video Player' aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='758' height='426' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/a3W1Ufzd?hd=1&amp;cover=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1&amp;muted=0&amp;controls=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;useAverageColor=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write'><\/iframe><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" src='https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/video\/assets\/js\/next\/videopress-iframe.js'><\/script><\/div>\n<p>Just a few short weeks later in Atlanta, Bruce took another crack at &#8220;Let It Be Me,&#8221; this time in a much more intimate arrangement that centered around vocals by Bruce and Patti (who were growing much more intimate as well).<\/p>\n<div id=\"v-xRkEfMqZ-1\" class=\"video-player\"><iframe title='VideoPress Video Player' aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='758' height='568' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/xRkEfMqZ?hd=1&amp;cover=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1&amp;muted=0&amp;controls=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;useAverageColor=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write'><\/iframe><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" src='https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/video\/assets\/js\/next\/videopress-iframe.js'><\/script><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; next surfaced on May 6th, before Bruce&#8217;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 &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; proved perfectly suited for Nils&#8217; range, and by the final verse the song belonged fully to him.<\/p>\n<div id=\"v-yjejxWkw-1\" class=\"video-player\"><iframe title='VideoPress Video Player' aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='758' height='426' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/yjejxWkw?hd=1&amp;cover=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1&amp;muted=0&amp;controls=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;useAverageColor=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write'><\/iframe><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" src='https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/video\/assets\/js\/next\/videopress-iframe.js'><\/script><\/div>\n<p>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 &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; never made it to the official concert stage, but at least we have these glimpses of what might have been.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let It Be Me<br \/>\nFirst sound checked:<\/strong> March 4, 1988 (Chapel Hill, NC)<br \/>\n<strong>Last sound checked:<\/strong> May 8, 1988 (Tacoma, WA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Frequently sound checked but never performed, the unabashedly romantic &#8220;Let It Be Me&#8221; seemed perfectly suited for the Tunnel of Love Tour. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[3238,2141],"class_list":["post-28660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-me","tag-let-it-be-me","tag-the-everly-brothers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/letitbeme.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9w3Lk-7sg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33666,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/02\/cover-me-lowlands-soul-driver\/","url_meta":{"origin":28660,"position":0},"title":"Cover Me, Lowlands: Soul Driver","author":"Ken","date":"April 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Let's continue our spotlight series on covers of lesser-known Springsteen songs by turning our attention to Human Touch as we celebrate its 30th anniversary this week. Human Touch is full of overlooked gems, largely (I would argue) because its heavy-handed production tends to overpower the songs themselves. And on an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lowlands.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lowlands.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lowlands.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lowlands.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lowlands.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33405,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2006\/01\/11\/cover-me-shenandoah\/","url_meta":{"origin":28660,"position":1},"title":"Shenandoah","author":"Ken","date":"January 11, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Performed only once and buried deep within its album, Bruce's version of \"Shenandoah\" is faithful and true to the song's spirt.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shenandoah.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shenandoah.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shenandoah.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shenandoah.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shenandoah.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20596,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/07\/12\/matr-roy-orbison-bruce-springsteen-and-friends-running-scared\/","url_meta":{"origin":28660,"position":2},"title":"Running Scared","author":"Ken","date":"July 12, 1988","format":false,"excerpt":"One time only: Bruce joins Roy Orbison and an all-star backing band in a show-stopping performance of \"Running Scared.\"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Roy-Orbison-Running-Scared-1522163688-640x634-1.jpg?fit=640%2C634&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Roy-Orbison-Running-Scared-1522163688-640x634-1.jpg?fit=640%2C634&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Roy-Orbison-Running-Scared-1522163688-640x634-1.jpg?fit=640%2C634&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31161,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/28\/cover-me-the-whiskey-treaty-roadshow-the-rising\/","url_meta":{"origin":28660,"position":3},"title":"Cover Me, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow: The Rising","author":"Ken","date":"November 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"From their January 2021 \"Recovered\" benefit comes this wonderful Americana version of Bruce's 9\/11 anthem.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/recovered.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/recovered.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/recovered.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/recovered.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/recovered.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29805,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/23\/cover-me-its-my-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":28660,"position":4},"title":"Cover Me: It&#8217;s My Life","author":"Ken","date":"November 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Years before Darkness on the Edge of Town, Bruce gave his fans a glimpse at his dark side with his stunning cover of The Animals' \"It's My Life.\"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/itsmylife.jpg?fit=1011%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/itsmylife.jpg?fit=1011%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, 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