"More Than I Can Say" is a song written by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, both former members of Buddy Holly's band the Crickets. They recorded it in 1959 soon after Holly's death and released it in 1960. Their original version hit No. 42 on British Record Retailer Chart in 1960. It has been notably performed by singers Bobby Vee, Leo Sayer, and Sammy Kershaw.
According to author Mark Lewisohn in "The Complete Beatles Chronicles" (p. 364) The Beatles performed More Than I Can Say live from at least 1961 through 1962 (in Hamburg and Liverpool and elsewhere). Author Allen J. Weiner in "The Beatles The Ultimate Recording Guide" (p. 206) affirms this with the note that it came from a setlist made at the time by Harrison. It is unclear whether the lead vocal was by John Lennon, Paul McCartney or George Harrison. No recording is known to survive.
Leo Sayer's cover version of "More Than I Can Say" spent five weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1980 and January 1981. Sayer's version of the song was certified a Gold Record by the RIAA. It also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. In the U.K., the song peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, while it spent two weeks atop the Kent Music Report in Australia. Sayer has stated that while looking for an "oldie" to record for his album Living in a Fantasy, he saw a TV commercial for a greatest hits collection by Vee and chose the song on the spot: "We went into a record store that afternoon, bought the record and had the song recorded that night."
