"Walking in the Rain" is a song written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector, and Cynthia Weil. It was originally recorded by the girl group the Ronettes (who had a charting hit with their version) in 1964. Jay and the Americans released a charting hit cover of the song in 1969. The song has since been recorded by many other artists over the years, including the Walker Brothers.
The Ronettes version The Ronettes were the first to release "Walking in the Rain". Their single reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1964. The song also reached number three on the R&B Singles Chart in 1965. The single contains sound effects of thunder and lightning, which earned audio engineer Larry Levine a Grammy nomination. Phil Spector produced the record.Walking in the Rain song review at AllMusic
In 2004, the Ronettes' version was ranked at No. 266 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, while being moved down to No. 269 in the 2010 update. The song didn't get into the 2021 list.
Jay and the Americans version
The pop group Jay and the Americans released a cover of "Walkin' in the Rain" in 1969 on their album Wax Museum, Vol. 1. Their version of the song reached number 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 14 on Cash Box. It also hit number 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was the last top-40 hit for the group.Jay and the Americans singles
Chart history The Ronettes Chart (1964–1965)PeakpositionCanada RPM Top Singles16U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - 23U.S. Billboard R&B8U.S. Cash Box Top 10020 The Walker Brothers Chart (1967)PeakpositionUK Singles (OCC)26 Jay & the Americans Chart (1969)PeakpositionCanada RPM Top Singles17U.S. Billboard Hot 10019U.S. Billboard Easy Listening8U.S. Cash Box Top 10014 The Partridge Family starring David Cassidy Chart (1973)PeakpositionUK Singles (OCC)10 Cheetah Chart (1978)PeakpositionAustralian Singles Chart Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.10
Other versions 1967 – The Walker Brothers, single backed with the original b-side "Baby Make It Last the Time". It reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart. It was the group's final UK single before their first split. 1973 – featured on the television show The Partridge Family, single released in Canada, England, and other parts of Europe backed with "Together We're Better". This version reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. 1978 – non-album single by the female-led Australian rock group Cheetah, reaching number 10 on the Australian Singles Chart.
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