"Come Back, My Love" (also written as "Come Back My Love") refers to two distinct songs of different eras and genres.
1. Classical / Traditional Song
The original "Come Back, My Love" derives from "Noch'" (ночь, meaning "Night"), a song by Russian composer Anton Rubinstein. It appeared in German as "Die Nacht" ("Des Tages letztes Glühen"), a song for two voices and piano, Op. 48/7.
The piece gained wider popularity when new English lyrics were written by Sonny Miller in 1941, with an arrangement by Bernard Grün (sometimes mis-credited as "Green"). Under the title "Come Back My Love," it became a standard recorded by notable vocalists of the early-to-mid 20th century.
Notable recordings:
- Richard Tauber – Austrian-British tenor
- John McCormack – Irish tenor
- Elena Obraztsova – Russian mezzo-soprano
2. Doo-Wop / Pop Song (The Wrens, 1955)
"Come Back My Love" is a song by the American doo-wop group The Wrens, released in January 1955 on Rama Records. It was written by group member Bobby Mansfield and originally titled "(Will You) Come Back My Love" before being shortened. The single was recorded on November 21, 1954, at Columbia Recording Studio in New York City.
The song achieved local popularity in New York and is regarded as The Wrens' signature song.
Darts Version (1978)
The song is best known for the cover by the British doo-wop revival band Darts, released in January 1978 as the second single from their debut album Darts. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and charted in several European countries.
Chart performance (Darts version): | Chart | Peak | |---|---| | UK Singles (Official Charts) | 2 | | Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 4 | | Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 6 | | Ireland (IRMA) | 7 | | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 17 |
Other Recordings and Cultural Notes
- The Cardinals (1955) – R&B cover released shortly after the original.
- Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (1989) – Sampled the song in "Hopping Mad."
- Gerard Joling (1992) – Dutch singer, reached No. 48 on the Dutch Single Top 100.
- The Overtones (2010) – Covered on their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love.
- An instrumental version of the song was the last recorded music played in the Austin J. Tobin Plaza of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, just before the collapse of the South Tower.
