I Don't Know How to Love Him has been universally acclaimed as the high point of the "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack since the album's September 1970 release; in 2003 "The Rough Guide to Cult Pop" would assess Elliman's performance: "It's rare to hear a singer combine such power and purity of tone in one song, and none of the famous singers who have covered this ballad since have come close." The choice for the first single release went, however, to the track "Superstar" by Murray Head. When a cover of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" by Helen Reddy began moving up the charts in the
I Don't Know How to Love Him Nicoletta for an unofficial "JCS" soundtrack album released on Barclay Records to coincide with the April 1972 opening of the Paris production. German "Wie soll ich ihn nur lieben?" (lyricist Anja Hauptmann premiered with the production 18 February 1972 at Halle Münsterland, with Paula Roy recording the song for the 1973 cast album of the German tour. An earlier German rendering of "I Don't Know How to Love Him": "Einmal werde ich ihn sehen", had been recorded by musical actress Olivia Molina being as single release from her 1971 self-titled album: Molina would play Mary Magdalene in the Theater Oberhausen