"Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein" (="You Can't Be True Dear") is a German waltz song published in 1935 by Hans Otten (1905-1942), with lyrics by Gerhard Ebeler (1877-1956).
The song is about a local casanova, called Oskar, and a wise girl Edith, who saw through his charm and realised he could never be faithful to her, or to anyone else. It was a huge hit in Germany since 1935 and perhaps even bigger in the USA since 1948, after Ken Griffin introduced it to the American audience, under the title "You Can't Be True, Dear".
Composer Hans Ottens' main creative period falls in the second half of the 1920s and 1930s. The gifted musician Otten wrote songs for male choirs, hits, but above all carnival songs, most of which were written by the hand-made orator and dialect poet Gerhard Ebeler. Ebeler was usually the first, who recited the songs and sang on the record. He also ran his own music publishing company. The Otten-Ebeler team supplied the Rhenish Carnival with relevant songs in the years before the Second World War. Many of their hits have become Kölsch (=Colognian) evergreens, that are still popular today.
Their jointly composed swaying waltz "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein", which the Cologne folk singer Grete Fluss launched on December 31, 1932 in the carnival revue D'r Zog kütt (=The carnival procession is coming), came out on record in 1935 and went around the world.
The first recording was sung by the lyricist himself, with the Orchestra of Fritz Domina.
(o) Gerhard Ebeler (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
mit Orchesterbegleitung. Dirigent: Fritz Domina mit seinem Tanz-Orchester
Recorded January 1935 in Berlin
Matrix C 6887-1
Released on Kristall 3515 and on Kristall 9074
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Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Polydor Tanz Orchester (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Erwin Hartung
Recorded February 28, 1935 in Berlin
Matrix 5917 GR 8
Released on Polydor 25614 and on Polydor 12116
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(c) Orchester Will Glahé (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Erwin Hartung
Recorded March 14, 1935 in Berlin
Matrix ORA 458
Released on Electrola EG-3313
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Also released in 1938 in the USA on Victor 6345
(c) Adalbert Lutter mit seinem Grossen Tanz-Orchester (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Erwin Hartung mit Gesangs-Quartett
Recorded March 27, 1935
Matrix 20695
Released on Telefunken M-6150
Listen here:
(c) Orchester der Scala Berlin - Dirigent Otto Stenzel (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Max Mentor
Recorded March 1935 in Berlin
Matrix: 555
Released on Brillant-Special 310
(c) Vier Richter's Gesangs-Gitarristen (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Recorded around September 1935
Matrix C 8276
Released on Kristall 7064
Also released on Brillant-Special 362
Matrix: 703
(c) Kapelle Eugen Jahn (1935) (as "Friesenlied (Wo die Nordseewellen)")
vocals: Klaus Petersen
Recorded aound September/October 1935
Matrix 763
Released on Brillant-Special 382
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(c) Eric Harden (=Otto Dobrindt) (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Luigi Bernauer
Recorded March 11, 1935 in Berlin 1935
Matrix Bi 2114
Released on Gloria GO 13472
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(c) 5 Gloria Gesangs-Gitarristen (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
(Wilfried Sommer, Günter Leider, Peter Purand, Richard Westermeyer and Kurt Bangert).
Recorded March 23, 1935 in Berlin
Matrix Bi 2154
Released on Gloria G.O. 27000
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Listen here:
The same recording also on the Odeon-label as by Die Odeon Gesangs-Gitarristen.
Matrix Bi 2154
Released on Odeon O-26717
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(c) Tanz-Orchester Robert Renard (=Otto Dobrindt) (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Die 5 Parodisters
Recorded March/April 1935 in Berlin
Matrix Be 10936
Released on Odeon 25384
(c) Fritz Domina mit seinem Tanz-Orchester (1935) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
Vocals: Erwin Hartung und Quartett
Recorded October 1935 in Berlin
Matrix C 8460
Released on Kristall 3537
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(c) Bob Scholte (1935) (as "Kon Jy Maar Trouw Zyn")
with Robert Renard dansorkest (=Otto Dobrindt)
Dutch lyrics: Kovacs Lajos
Recorded May 1935 in Berlin
Matrix 149007
Released on Parlophon B 17883 and Odeon A 164385
Listen here:
(c) Teddy Petersen og hans Orkester (1935) (as "Kan Tro Du Være")
vocals: Victor Cornelius
Danish lyrics by Henry Carlsen
Recorded November 13, 1935 in Kopenhagen
Released on Polyphon XS 50477
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(c) Harry Collin (1935) (as "Gij Kunt Niet Trouw Zijn")
met orkest Emiel Maetens
(credits on label read Vincent Scotto and Henry Caspeele: Vincent Scotto is obviously miscredited here and Henry Caspeele must be responsible for the Dutch lyrics)
Released in 1935 on Regina F 25075
Listen here:
In Belgium there were two different releases with the same labelnumber Polydor 512.674 !!!
(c) Geodel (=Georges DelaLoye) (1936) (as "Jij Bent Te Mooi Om Trouw Te Zijn")
Duth lyrics: Rido
Matrix: 2504
Released on Polydor 512 674
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Listen here:
(c) (Fernand) Faniard (=Fernand Smeets) (1936) (as "Jij Bent Te Mooi Om Trouw Te Zijn")
Duth lyrics: Rido
Matrix 2436 Hpp.
Released on Polydor 512.674
Listen here:
In 1948, Ken Griffin recorded the song, first released as an instrumental and later with vocalist Jerry Wayne dubbing the lyrics, both of which became popular in releases by an independent company, Rondo Records.
The recording by Ken Griffin and Jerry Wayne was released by Rondo Records as catalog number 228. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on April 2, 1948 staying at #1 for seven weeks. The instrumental recording by Ken Griffin was released by Rondo Records as catalog number 128. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 2, 1948 peaking at #2. Both the vocal and solo organ versions charted for 23 weeks and sold an estimated 3,500,000 copies.
Note that this instrumental version was recorded and released first, but charted after the vocal version.
(c) Ken Griffin (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
(instrumental version)
Recorded September 1947 in Chicago
Released February 1948 on Rondo R-128
Listen here to the instrumental version: You Can't Be True, Dear - Ken Griffin.mp3
Or here:
(c) Ken Griffin (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Vocals: Jerry Wayne
English lyrics: Hall Cotton
Recorded September 1947 in Chicago (with vocal overdub in March 1948)
Released March 15, 1948 on Rondo R-228
Same version as the instrumental above, with Jerry Wayne (father of Jeff Wayne) simply singing a set of lyrics (and whistling) over a playback of Griffin's instrumental recording...though it's pitched a half-note higher. That vocal overdub version (Rondo #228) was first to catch on and spent seven weeks atop the national jukebox charts before the instrumental took off and shared some time with it in the top-10.
Listen here to the vocal version:
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See also page 37 (=jpg #33) on the next link: BB March 13,1948
After this million-selling success, the song became the object of a long drawn-out copyright lawsuit in the 1950s.
As it turns out Ken Griffin had already recorded "You Can't Be True Dear", the month before, as "You Can't Be True" for a different record company: Broadcast Recordings 78 RPM - Label Discography - USA - 78 RPM
The copyright lawsuit is covered here: Bryon Young Page
(c) Ken Griffin (1947) (as "You Can't Be True")
Recorded August 1947 in the Chicago Recording Studios in Chicago, IL
Released October 1947 on Broadcast Recordings G-4006
Also released on Broadcast Recordings 460
Listen here: YOU CAN'T BE TRUE - KEN GRIFFIN.mp3
During the nearly year-long strike strike by James C. Petrillo’s American Federation of Musicians, new vocal recordings of songs could only be produced "a cappella", without instrumental accompaniment (except harmonica, ukelele or toy xylophone)
So, capitalizing on the big success of "You Can't Be True Dear", at least 3 American acts recorded "a capella" versions of the song, which also entered the US charts.
(c) Sportsmen (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Released April 1948 on Capitol 15077
Reached #6 on the US charts
Listen here:
(c) Dick Haymes (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
with The Song Spinners
Recorded April 16, 1948 in New York City
Released on Decca 24439
Reached #9 on the US charts
Listen here:
(c) Marlin Sisters with Eddie Fisher (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Released May 1948 on Columbia 38211
Reached #19 on the US charts
Listen here:
Because the American musicians strike had no effect on English artists, they could therefore freely use musicians on their recordings
(c) Vera Lynn (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
with male voice choir and Bob Farnon and his Orchestra
Released in April 1948 on Decca F.8883
Reached #5 in the UK charts and #9 in the US charts
Listen here:
(c) Dick James (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Recorded early 1948 in the UK
Released on His Master's Voice B.D.1206 (in the UK)
Also released on RCA Victor 20-2944 (in the USA)
Reached #6 in the UK charts and #19 in the US charts.
Listen here:
(c) Frank Sinatra (1948) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
with Axel Stordahl Orchestra and Ken Lane and the Hitparaders
Recorded May 29, 1948 in Hollywood on the NBC radio-show "Your Hitparade"
(sponsored by Lucky Strike)
Listen here:
(c) Sven-Olof Sandberg (1948) (as "Som Vind Om Våren")
with Georg Enders Orkester
Swedish lyris by Fritz Gustaf
Recorded Setember 24, 1948 in Sweden
Released on Sonora Elit 7391
Sven-Olof Sandberg, Georg Enders Orkester – Som Vind Om Våren / Månstrålar Klara (Shellac) - Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Eddy Arnold (1954) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Recorded September 14, 1954 in RCA Victor Studio in New York City
Listen here:
(c) The Mary Kaye Trio (1959) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Duet by Mary and her brother Norman.
Released March 1959 on Warner Bros 5050
Hit #75 US Charts.
Listen here:
(c) Die Lorelei's (1959) (as "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein")
are sisters Els and Madeleine Heymans
Listen here:
(c) Pat & Shirley Boone (1959) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Listen here:
(c) Connie Francis (1963) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Listen here:
(c) Patti Page (1965) (as "You Can't Be True Dear")
Listen here:
(c) Spelbrekers (1965) (as "Je Kan Niet Trouw Zijn")
Dutch lyrics Jacques van Tol
Listen here:
(c) Rien van Nunen en Bert van Dongen (1968) (as "Jij Bent Te Mooi Om Trouw Te Zijn")
Duth lyrics: Rido
Listen here (after 9 min and 15 sec):
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