| "Because of Rain" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Nat "King" Cole | ||||
| A-side | "Song of Delilah" "Because of Rain" | |||
| Released | 1951 (1951) | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Nat "King" Cole singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Because of Rain" on YouTube | ||||
| "Because of Rain" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Ella Fitzgerald | |
| B-side | "The Chesapeake and Ohio" |
| Released | 1951 (1951) |
| Label | Decca |
| Songwriters | |
| Audio | |
| "Because of Rain" on YouTube | |
"Because of Rain" is a song that was a minor hit for Nat "King" Cole in 1951.[1][2]
Writing and composition
The song was written by Nat "King" Cole's old friend Ruth Poll.[1] Cole is credited as a composer.[3]
Releases and critical reception
Nat "King" Cole version
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Jazz Hot | no rating[4] |
Nat "King" Cole recorded his version for Capitol with Les Baxter and his orchestra. For a single release, it was coupled with "Song of Delilah" (inspired by Cecil B. DeMille's film Samson and Delilah).
The French Jazz Hot magazine viewed both sides negatively, writing: "We regret that Nat indulges in such displays that have only a distant connection to jazz." Nevertheless, the magazine noted that "King Cole will always be King Cole" and concluded: "Those who love King Cole's voice—and they are legion—will acquire this record solely for their idol."[4]
Ella Fitzgerald version
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | 82/100[5] |
| Cash Box | favorable[6] |
Ella Fitzgerald recorded her version for Decca with Sy Oliver and his orchestra.[7]
Billboard reviewed her single (Decca 27602, coupled with "The Chesapeake and Ohio") on 26 May 1951, rating the side 85 ("excellent") on a scale of 1 to 100 for disk jockeys and 82 ("excellent") overall and writing: "Ella delivers a beautifully sensitive reading of an attractive new ballad. A wonderfully warm and intimate job which is bound to find buyers."[5]
Cash Box reviewed the single as well, writing of "Because of Rain": "Ella shows up her most commercial side in years [...] Ella brings her unique phrasing to this ballad and highlights everything that's in it."[6]
Charts
| Chart (1951) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Most Played Juke Box Records[2] | 17 |
References
- Friedwald, Will (3 April 2020). Straighten up and Fly Right: The Life and Music of Nat King Cole. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-088205-1.
- "Most Played Juke Box Records". Billboard. 7 July 1951.
- David, Norman (30 March 2004). The Ella Fitzgerald Companion. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-313-31645-6.
... lists Nat King Cole as one of the composers, [...] Oliver's gentle arrangement opens with a bass clarinet droning a rich pedal tone, ...
- "Jazz hot". Jazz hot. 1952. p. 42.
- "Record reviews". Billboard. 26 May 1951. p. 84.
- Bergsman, Steve (30 October 2023). What a Difference a Day Makes: Women Who Conquered 1950s Music. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-4896-3.
- "Billboard". 19 May 1951.