jmjiloveyou

<p>"<strong>How Can I Be Sure</strong>" is a popular song written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Cavaliere" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Felix Cavaliere</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Brigati" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eddie Brigati</a>, and originally recorded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_Rascals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Young Rascals</a> for their 1967 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groovin%27_(The_Young_Rascals_album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Groovin'</em></a> with a single release in August 1967 affording the group their fourth Top 10 hit peaking at #4.</p><p>"How Can I Be Sure" reached #4 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hot 100</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(magazine)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Billboard</em></a> in October 1967, ranking as the most successful (Young) Rascals' hit featuring a lead vocal by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Brigati" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eddie Brigati</a>. The single's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-side_and_B-side" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">B-side</a>, "I'm So Happy Now" (also included on the <em>Groovin'</em> album), was written and sung by Rascals guitarist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Cornish" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gene Cornish</a>. Featuring a unique guitar phase-out ending, it was the first Cornish-penned song to appear on a Rascals single.</p><h2>Background</h2><p>Of a rock-oriented band such as the (Young) Rascals introducing a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_pop" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">traditional pop</a>-style song such as "How Can I Be Sure" Cavaliere has stated: "The only reason we were brave enough to do that was [that] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Beatles</a> did '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_(song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michelle</a>' and '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday_(Beatles_song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yesterday</a>'." (Cavaliere had an especial awareness of the Beatles, having toured Europe with them in 1963 when he was a member of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Dee_and_the_Starliters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joey Dee and the Starliters</a>; the Rascals would also <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_act" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">open</a> for the Beatles at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shea_Stadium" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shea Stadium</a> 15 August 1965).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Be_Sure#cite_note-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[1]</a> The track features the sounds of a trumpet, bass, piano, drums, and strings, suggesting the sounds of cabaret music as well as a concertina, chosen so as to add to the song the vibe of a French café. The song's musical styles include <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-eyed_soul" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blue-eyed soul</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pop</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Be_Sure#cite_note-Haa1997-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[2]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Be_Sure#cite_note-Helander1999-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[3]</a></p><p>"How Can I Be Sure" was one of several songs inspired by group founder <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Cavaliere" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Felix Cavaliere</a>'s girlfriend Adrienne Becchuri, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham,_New_York" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pelham (New York)</a> high school student Cavaliere met in 1966, the year he turned 24: (Felix Cavaliere quote:) "I fell madly in love with this woman who actually turned out to be a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muses" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">muse</a>...[R]eally the only reason she was in my life [was to] spark that kind of emotion and feeling that generates those types of songs."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Be_Sure#cite_note-vinyldialogues-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[4]</a> Cavaliere and Buccheri remained a couple for a year, with Cavaliere first celebrating Buccheri in the blissful Rascals' hits "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groovin%27" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Groovin'</a>" and "A Girl Like You", and then with the introspective "How Can I Be Sure" expressing doubts about the relationship — he and Buccheri had recently become engaged — and despite the positive resolution of the song Cavaliere did in fact discover that she was too young (Felix Cavaliere quote:)"I woke up one day and said: 'What the hell am I doing? I'm going out with a kid.'").<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Be_Sure#cite_note-vinyldialogues-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[4]</a></p>