I Can't Stand The Rain (song)
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"I Can't Stand the Rain" is a song originally recorded by
Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American retired singer and songwriter who gained popularity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s while signed to Hi Records. Her most successful singles include " I Can't Stand the Rain", which s ...
in 1973, and written by Peebles, Don Bryant, and Bernard "Bernie" Miller. Other notable versions were later recorded by Eruption, Graham Central Station,
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
,
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
and Lowell George. The original version is ranked at 197 on ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Ann Peebles version

The song was written by Peebles, her partner (and later husband) Don Bryant, and DJ Bernard "Bernie" Miller in 1973:
One evening in Memphis in 1973, soul singer Ann Peebles was meeting friends, including her partner, Hi Records staff writer Don Bryant, to go to a concert. Just as they were about to set off, the heavens opened and Peebles snapped: "I can't stand the rain." As a professional songwriter in constant need of new material, Bryant was used to plucking resonant phrases out of the air and he liked the idea of reacting against recent R&B hits that celebrated bad weather, such as the Dramatics' "In the Rain" and Love Unlimited's " Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love". So he sat down at the piano and started riffing on the theme, weaving in ideas from Peebles and local DJ Bernie Miller. The song was finished that night and presented the next morning to Hi's studio maestro, Willie Mitchell, who used a brand new gadget, the electric timbale, to create the song's distinctive raindrop riff. It really was that easy. "We didn't go to the concert," Bryant remembers. "We forgot about the concert."Dorian Lynskey, "Ann Peebles: the girl with the big voice", ''The Guardian'', 20 February 2014
Retrieved 30 June 2014
Ann Peebles said: "At first, we had the timbales all the way through the song but as we played the tape, Willie Mitchell said 'what about if the timbales were in front before anything else comes in?'. So we did that and when we listened back I said 'I love it, let's do that'." Miss FunkyFlyy, "Ann Peebles"
Retrieved June 30, 2014
The organ is played by
Charles Hodges Charles Edward Hodges (born June 29, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American organist and songwriter. He is known for his high tone on the Hammond B3 organ, that appeared on records by Al Green, and other musicians signed to Hi Records. Ho ...
, who later said: "We wanted to catch a sound like water dripping. Willie pulled the timbales out and Howard rimesdid the low part and Teenie odgesdid the high part. It was an overdub."Graeme Thomson, "The Making of 'I Can't Stand the Rain'", ''Uncut'', No.290, July 2021, pp.82–84 Peebles said: "I have to give Teenie a lot of credit, because he added a lot of licks and details to make it right." Produced by Willie Mitchell, the song became Peebles' biggest hit when, in 1973, it reached No. 38 on the US Pop Chart and No. 6 on the R&B/Black Chart; it also reached No. 41 on the UK singles chart in April 1974. It was one of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
's favorite songs; he called it "the best song ever".
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...
made the song one of his choices when he was the guest for
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...
'' in December 1996. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott samples Ann Peebles version of the song on her debut solo single " The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".


Personnel

*
Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American retired singer and songwriter who gained popularity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s while signed to Hi Records. Her most successful singles include " I Can't Stand the Rain", which s ...
– vocals *
Howard Grimes Howard Lee Grimes (August 22, 1941 – February 12, 2022) was an American drummer, best known as a member of the Hi Rhythm Section on records by Al Green, Ann Peebles and others in the 1970s. Life and career Born in Memphis, Tennessee on Augus ...
– drums, percussion *
Charles Hodges Charles Edward Hodges (born June 29, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American organist and songwriter. He is known for his high tone on the Hammond B3 organ, that appeared on records by Al Green, and other musicians signed to Hi Records. Ho ...
– organ * Leroy Hodges – bass * Mabon "Teenie" Hodges – guitar, percussion * Archie Turner – piano * James Mitchell – saxophone * Andrew Love – saxophone * Ed Logan – saxophone * Wayne Jackson – trumpet * Willie Mitchell – producer


Charts


Eruption version

In 1978, Eruption released a
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
-oriented remake which became the group's biggest hit. It reached the top 10 in many European charts, hitting the number 1 in Belgium for 2 weeks in March 1978. It was also a number 1 hit in Australia and reached the top 10 in New Zealand and South Africa. In the U.S., it peaked at number six on the disco chart and reached number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.


Track listings

;7" single # "I Can't Stand the Rain" – 3:12 # "Be Yourself" – 3:43 ;12" single # "I Can't Stand the Rain" – 6:24


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Tina Turner version

In 1984
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
recorded "I Can't Stand the Rain" for her fifth solo album, ''
Private Dancer ''Private Dancer'' is the fifth solo studio album by singer Tina Turner. It was released on May 29, 1984, by Capitol Records and was her first album released by the label. After a challenging start to her solo career after divorcing Ike Turner, ...
'', and released it as a single in early 1985 in Europe. Turner's version would find minor success in the UK, but would be a success in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.


Track listings

;7" single # "I Can't Stand the Rain" – 3:40 # " Let's Pretend We're Married" (live version) – 4:22 ;12" single # "I Can't Stand the Rain" (extended version) – 5:43 # "Let's Pretend We're Married" (live version) – 4:22 # "Nutbush City Limits" (live version) – 2:56


Chart performance


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Personnel

*
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
– lead vocals * Nick Glennie-Smith – keyboards, synthesizers *
Terry Britten Terence Ernest Britten (born 17 July 1947) is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and record producer, who has written songs for Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo (band), Status Quo and Michael Jackson amongst many ot ...
– guitar * Graham Broad – drums


References


External links

* – at GRAMMYFoundation * {{DEFAULTSORT:I Can't Stand The Rain (Song) 1973 songs 1973 singles 1978 singles 1985 singles 1996 singles Seal (musician) songs Diesel (musician) songs Eruption (band) songs Tina Turner songs American disco songs Guy Sebastian songs Song recordings produced by Frank Farian Song recordings produced by Willie Mitchell (musician) Hi Records singles Hansa Records singles Capitol Records singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Belgium