Many versions of the song have been released. The best-selling version was recorded by The Four Aces, whose recording reached number two in the UK Singles Chart,[1] and number one on both the Billboard and Cash Box charts in 1955.[2]
Background
The music was commissioned by 20th Century Fox for the movie Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, and it was included in the film's score that was composed and conducted by Alfred Newman. The producer Buddy Adler asked composer Sammy Fain and lyricist Paul Francis Webster to write a title song for the film.[3] The film was based on the book A Many-Splendoured Thing, and the writers wrote the song based on that title, but it was then decided that the title of the film would be better if preceded by "Love Is", and Fain and Webster wrote a second song. This second song with a new set of lyrics then became the title song, while the first song was discarded.[3]
The song was initially only used as background music in the film, later the words were subsequently sung to make it eligible for the Best Original Song category of the Academy Awards.[5] An orchestral version of "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is played at the title sequence of the film, with a vocal version performed by a chorus at the end. Don Cornell and The Four Aces quickly recorded the song before the film was released.[6] Before the Four Aces had a hit with their version, many major artists, including Nat King Cole, Eddie Fisher and Doris Day, contacted to record the song disliked it and refused to record it, although they recorded the song after it became a hit.[7][3]
The song was covered by The Four Aces featuring Al Roberts backed by the Jack Pleis Orchestra and issued by Decca Records as catalog number 29625. The film studio 20th Century Fox was said to have subsidized an album of The Four Aces so that they may release it as a single to help promote the film.[7] The song was released backed with Shine On, Harvest Moon in July 1955,[10] and first reached No. 1 on the Best Sellers chart in October 1955.[11] It also became the first number one on Billboard's first ever Top 100 chart released in November 1955.[12][13] It was ranked No. 8 on Billboard's 1955's Top Tune.[14]
Don Cornell recorded a version around at the same time as the Four Aces. It was issued by Coral Records (catalog number 61467) backed with "The Bible Tells Me So". The song reached No. 26 on Billboard' Top 100 chart.[18] A number of orchestral versions were also released in the same year and reached the Top 100 chart; David Rose and His Orchestra reached No 54,[19] while Woody Herman and His Orchestra reached No. 79.[20]
Connie Francis recorded the song in Italian in 1960 during the work for her album More Italian Favorites, although this version remains unreleased to this day. Francis also recorded the original English lyrics in 1961 for her album Connie Francis Sings 'Never on Sunday' and Other Title Songs from Motion Pictures. The instrumental playback of this 1961 recording was also used when Francis cut a German-language version, "Sag, weißt du denn, was Liebe ist", in 1966.[citation needed]
The song was also performed by Fairuz in Arabic ("Zar Bisukun Al Lail"). French-Malaysian singer Shake recorded a French version of the song in 1977 titled "Rien n'est plus beau que l'amour".[24] A disco version was recorded by Tina Charles in 1980. Jeff Lynne recorded his version for his nostalgic cover album Long Wave in 2012.
Barry Manilow recorded a version which reached No. 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 2006.[25]
