The Rain (Oran "Juice" Jones song)

"The Rain"
Single by Oran "Juice" Jones
from the album Juice
B-side	"Your Song"
Released	1986
Format	7", 12"
Genre	R&B, synthpop, new jack swing
Length	5:07 (7" & Album version) 3:14 (Radio edit)
Label	Def Jam
Writer(s)	Vincent Bell
Producer(s)	Russell Simmons, Vincent Bell
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Oran "Juice" Jones singles chronology
"1.2.1." (1986) "The Rain" (1986) "You Can't Hide from Love" (1986)

"The Rain" is a 1986 crossover hit single originally performed by R&B singer Oran "Juice" Jones, which he released on and from his debut album Juice.

The song's lyrics include a long recitation at the end; written by Vincent Bell, who also composed the music, they involve a man confronting his girlfriend regarding her infidelity.

Reception

The single was Jones's biggest hit. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart for two weeks, making it the first #1 R&B hit issued by the then newly created Def Jam record label. The single also peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100^[1] and reached #4 on the UK Singles Chart.

"The Rain" was nominated for two Grammy Awards, but Jones never had another Hot 100 hit and left the music business after his third album failed to chart. "The Rain" is ranked #63 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s. During the show, Jones was asked about his one-hit wonder status. His reply was: "Oran 'Juice' Jones, he came, he saw, he conquered, he moved on. You dig?"

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2]	16
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[3]	6
Germany (Official German Charts)[4]	3
Ireland (IRMA)[5]	6
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6]	10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7]	22
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8]	12
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company)[9]	4
US Billboard Hot 100[10]	9

Later use

The song produced a novelty, answer record, titled “Thunder & Lightning,” performed by Miss Thang and released in 1986 by Tommy Boy Records.^[11] Another response version was done by an artist who went by the name Pamala, released in 1986 by Evejim Records, entitled "Walkin in the Rain, Yes You Saw Me.^[12] Yet another answer record was released in 1986 titled "The Drain" recorded by Leot Littlepage on Select Records.^[13]

In 2005, jazz artist Ledisi covered "The Rain" on the album Def Jazz, which featured vocals from Jones.

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 307.
2. "Austriancharts.at – Oran "Juice" Jones – The Rain" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
3. "the rain - oran "juice" jones". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved 25 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1
4. "Officialcharts.de – Oran "Juice" Jones – The Rain". GfK Entertainment.
5. "Chart Track: Week 29, 1986". Irish Singles Chart.
6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Oran "Juice" Jones search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
7. "Charts.org.nz – Oran "Juice" Jones – The Rain". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
8. "Swisscharts.com – Oran "Juice" Jones – The Rain". Swiss Singles Chart.
9. "ChartArchive - The Chart Archive". Chartstats.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
10. Stephen Thomas Erlewine (1940-10-14). "Oran "Juice" Jones | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
11. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 405.
12. Walkin in the Rain, Yes You Saw Me
13. "Leot Littlepage "The Drain"". Retrieved 23 August 2015.