According to Reddy, her extreme anxiety – "I had waited years for this shot and I didn't think there would be another one" – manifested in her vocals making "I Believe in Music" ineffectual but "I Don't Know How to Love Him" convincingly plaintive, clinching the decision to make the latter the A-side of the single, released in January 1971. In a 1974 Billboard tribute to Helen Reddy, writer Cynthia Spector states "I Don't Know How to Love Him" became a hit due to the efforts of Jeff Wald "who stayed on the phone morning to night, cajoling, bullying, wheedling airplay from disk jockeys.
Reddy's extreme anxiety, stemming from her long wait for this opportunity, led to vocal issues with "I Believe in Music" but made "I Don't Know How to Love Him" a powerful ballad that secured its place as the A-side of the single released in January 1971. According to writer Cynthia Spector, Jeff Wald played a crucial role in making "I Don't Know How to Love Him" a hit by persistently seeking airplay for it from DJs.