How Can I Be Sure?

"How Can I Be Sure"
Cover of the 1967 Italy single
Single by The Young Rascals
from the album Groovin'
B-side	"I'm So Happy Now"
Released	August 28, 1967 (1967-08-28)
Format	7" single
Genre	Blue-eyed soul pop
Length	2:50
Label	Atlantic
Writer(s)	Felix Cavaliere Eddie Brigati
Producer(s)	The Young Rascals
The Young Rascals singles chronology
"A Girl Like You" (1967) "How Can I Be Sure" (1967) "It's Wonderful" (1967)
Music sample "How Can I Be Sure"

"How Can I Be Sure" is a popular song written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, and originally recorded by The Young Rascals on their 1967 album Groovin'. It became their fourth Top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 4. This was the group's highest charted record with Eddie Brigati singing lead vocals. The song featured the sounds of a trumpet, bass, piano, drums, and strings, giving the feeling of cabaret music as well as a concertina, chosen to add the feel of a French café. The songs musical styles include blue-eyed soul and pop.

The lyrics of the chorus go:

The song came out of the experience with transcendental meditation that the Rascals were involved in.

That same year, French singer Nicoletta sold two million copies of the song, as "Je ne pense que t'aimer", the version which subsequently inspired Dusty Springfield's version.

That same year Quebec singer Michel Pagliaro (lead singer of the band Les Chanceliers) released a cover of this song in French ("A Paris la Nuit").

The Rascals single's B-side, "I'm So Happy Now" (also included on the Groovin' album), was written and sung by Rascals guitarist Gene Cornish. Featuring a unique guitar phase-out ending, it was the first Cornish-penned song to appear on a Rascals single.

Stax Records

"How Can I Be Sure" was covered by British singer Dusty Springfield and released as a non-LP single in September 1970. It was rumoured that this recording and single release may have been prompted by her well received performance of the song on the Des O'Connor Show in May 1970. Dusty was hopeful that this single would fare better than her then-recent American recordings which were met with relative indifference in the UK (aside from the US and UK Top 10 hit "Son of a Preacher Man").