"In the Rain" is a

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

single by American

vocal group A vocal group is a performing ensemble of vocalists who sing and harmonize together. The first well-known vocals groups emerged in the 19th century, and the style had reached widespread popularity by the 1940s. Types Vocal groups can come in se ...

The Dramatics The Dramatics are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1964. They are best known for their 1970s hit songs " In the Rain" and "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get", both of which were Top 10 Pop hits, as well as their late ...

, from their first album, ''

Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get may refer to: * "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" (album), a 1971 album by The Dramatics ** "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" (song), the title track from the album * '' Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get)'', 1971 album by P ...

''. It was written by Tony Hester. It was released in February 1972. The track is notable for its use of sounds of rain and thunder, first heard before the song's introduction, then throughout the instrumental and chorus sections.

Chart performance

"In the Rain" reached No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart and spent four weeks at No. 1 on the

Best Selling Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart. It sold over one million copies and is the group's biggest hit. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No. 53 song for 1972.

Song background

The song's lyrics state that, because of a broken love relationship, the singer wants to go out and stand in the rain so that no one can see him cry. :"Once the rain starts falling on my face, :You won't see a single trace, :Of the tears I'm crying, :Because of you I'm crying. :Don't want you to see me cry. :Let me go, Let me go :Let me go!"

Chart positions

Cover versions

Keith Sweat Keith Sweat (born July 22, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and an early figure in the new jack swing musical movement. He is known for his collection of hits including "I Want Her", " Make It Last Forever", "I'll Give A ...

, on his 1987 album '' Make It Last Forever'' *The R&B group Xscape, in 1997, from the soundtrack of '' Love Jones'' *The smooth jazz artist Boney James, featuring Dwele, for his 2006 album ''

Shine Shine may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Shine'' (film), a 1996 Australian film based on the life of David Helfgott, a pianist * Shine, a fictional character in the American animated TV series ''Shimmer and Shine'' Lite ...

Sampling

The song has been sampled by many hip hop artists such as

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

, Jadakiss, Big L, and

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

. As of 2022, music data website WhoSampled lists that it has used in sampling over 90 times.

References

External links

* * 1971 songs 1972 singles The Dramatics songs Stax Records singles {{1970s-R&B-song-stub