The historic chart battle that took place between the same song
Chart battles have been a crucial part of popular culture for decades. The Beatles’ rivalry with The Rolling Stones was deemed the original feud in pop music. However, a decade before they used the notion of competition as a marketing tool, there was a battle between two acts that had both released a different version of the same song.
The year was 1953, and contemporary music was yet to develop into the form we recognise it as today. Radio, as we know it, was still in its infancy, and the infrastructure wasn’t yet in place that one associates with the modern industry. However, for many weeks no other song mattered in the United Kingdom than ‘Answer Me’.
The track was written by German musicians Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch in 1952 under the title of ‘Mütterlein’. Once the song became a hit in their homeland and various other neighbouring European countries, the creation was taken to the songwriting capital of the world: New York.
In America, Carl Sigman wrote an English version of the track called ‘Answer Me, My Love’. It was first recorded by Hull-born singer David Whitfield for Decca Records and published by Bourne. Around the same time, Frankie Laine also released his take on the song for Philips through the same publishing house. However, the latter’s version was titled ‘Answer Me’.
Despite Laine being an American native, ‘Answer Me’ failed to become a hit in his home country, but it was a different story in the United Kingdom. The two rival tracks were released in September 1953, and Whitfield first tasted success when his effort charted the following month.
After gradually climbing the chart for a few weeks, Whitfield secured the top spot single with his recording on November 6th. Simultaneously, Layne’s version was becoming increasingly popular, and the following week, he displaced Whitfield in the UK chart. Layne continued his stay for a month until Whitfield remarkably returned to his rightful place at the top of the pile for one final week from December 11th, giving him the esteemed Christmas number one.
According to the Official Charts Company, at one point in November, Laine occupied three of the top five spots in the chart with ‘Answer Me’, ‘I Believe’ and ‘Hey Joe’. Additionally, throughout 1953, Laine impressively achieved three number one singles, making him the first act in history to accomplish this feat.
Other acts to later record their versions of ‘Answer Me’ include Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, Engelbert Humperdinck, Bryan Ferry, Will Young and Gene Pitney.
Listen to Whitfield and Layne’s respective ‘Answer Me’ versions below.
