"I Believe You" is a love ballad composed by Don and Dick Addrisi which was a 1977 single for

Dorothy Moore Dorothy Moore (born October 13, 1946) is an American blues, gospel, and R&B singer best known for her 1976 hit song, "Misty Blue". Career Moore's parents were Mary Moore and Melvin Hendrex Senior. Her father performed under the stage name Melv ...

; taken from her self-titled ''Dorothy Moore'' album. "I Believe You" reached #5 R&B and crossed over to the US Pop Top 30 at number 27. The track also reached number 20 in the UK.

Carpenters cover

The song was recorded by the

Carpenters Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tra ...

and released as a single in June 1978. While it reached number 9 on the ''Billboard''

Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

, it peaked at a disappointing #68 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, owing significantly to the fact that its accompanying album was delayed indefinitely (it would be three more years until their next album was released), reportedly due to Karen's health issues, although Richard at the time was also dealing with his own addiction to quaaludes. In June 1981 the album '' Made in America''—which included "I Believe You"—was finally released. The potential success "I Believe You" might have had it been issued in conjunction with an LP was underscored when the album's eventual lead single, "

Touch Me When We're Dancing "Touch Me When We're Dancing" is a song written by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace and Ken Bell. Skinner and Wallace headed the Muscle Shoals, Alabama session group Bama, who first recorded this song and released it as a single in 1979 reaching numbe ...

", became the first Carpenters hit to reach the Hot 100's Top 20 as well as number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart since " There's a Kind of Hush" did the same in early 1976.

Personnel

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praise ...

– lead and backing vocals * Richard Carpenter – backing vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano,

celesta The celesta or celeste , also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box ( ...

, vocal arrangements *

Joe Osborn Joseph Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018Larrie Londin Ralph Gallant (October 15, 1943 − August 24, 1992), better known by the stage name Larrie Londin, was an American drummer and session musician. According to journalist James Byron Fox, "If not the best known, Larrie is one of the most listene ...

– drums *Tim May – acoustic and electric guitars *Jerry Steinholtz –

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s *Uncredited -

bell tree A bell tree, also known as tree bellsBeck, John. ''Encyclopedia of Percussion.'' Taylor and Francis, 1995. or Chinese bell tree (often confused with the mark tree), is a percussion instrument, consisting of vertically nested inverted metal bowl ...

, flute,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

shaker Shaker or Shakers may refer to: Religious groups * Shakers, a historically significant Christian sect * Indian Shakers, a smaller Christian denomination Objects and instruments * Shaker (musical instrument), an indirect struck idiophone * Cock ...

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, an ...

Paul Riser Paul Riser (born September 11, 1943) is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of the ...

- orchestration

Chart history

;Dorothy Moore ;The Carpenters

Other cover versions

*"I Believe You" was also featured on the 1978 album '' Moods'' by

Barbara Mandrell Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American country music singer and musician. She is also credited as an actress and author. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was considered among country's most successful music artist ...

References

1977 songs 1977 singles 1978 singles Dorothy Moore songs The Carpenters songs Malaco Records singles A&M Records singles {{1970s-pop-song-stub