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"Fallin' in Love"
Single by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
from the album Fallin' in Love
B-side	"So Good at Lovin' You"
Released	May 2, 1975
Recorded	1975
Genre	Soft rock rhythm & blues
Length	3:04 (LP version) 3:11 (7" version)
Label	Playboy
Songwriter(s)	Dan Hamilton Ann Hamilton
Producer(s)	Jim Price
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds singles chronology
"One Good Woman" (1972) "Fallin' in Love" (1975) "Winners and Losers" (1975)

"Fallin' In Love" is a song by American music trio Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. It was written by band member Dan Hamilton and featured on the trio's third studio album by the same name (1975).

Charts

Released in mid-1975, the song became the group's second top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US (following 1971's "Don't Pull Your Love" which peaked at number four), and it was their only song to reach number one on this chart. It was also the only pop number-one hit for the Playboy Records label.

"Fallin' in Love" was also a number-one hit on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in the US for one week in 1975. In addition, the song reached number twenty-four on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart.

La Bouche version

"Fallin' in Love"
Single by La Bouche
from the album Sweet Dreams
Released	June 12, 1995 (1995-06-12)
Recorded	1994–1995
Length	3:56
Label	MCI BMG
Songwriter(s)	Dan Hamilton Ann Marie Hamilton
Producer(s)	D. C. Montez
La Bouche singles chronology
"Be My Lover" (1995) "Fallin' in Love" (1995) "I Love to Love" (1995)
Music video
"Fallin' in Love" on YouTube

"Fallin' in Love" was covered in 1995 by German Eurodance duo La Bouche. It was the third single of their debut album, Sweet Dreams (1995), and was released in June 1995 by MCI and BMG, although the song did not gain popularity in the United States until the following year following the success of the first two singles, "Be My Lover" and "Sweet Dreams". It was produced by D. C. Montez, and though it did well in several countries, it achieved a minor success in comparison with previous releases. "Fallin' in Love" reached number four in Finland and Hungary, and was a top-20 hit in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single peaked at number 20. According to La Bouche, it was Frank Farian's idea to cover the song. Melanie Thornton told Billboard in July 1994, "It was Farian's idea to cover this particular song, Frank saw it as a good way to introduce us to the U.S. market."

Critical reception

John Bush from AllMusic described the song as "an R&B/house groover". J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun said, "Listen to Melanie Thornton work her way through the likes of "Fallin' In Love" or "Do You Still Need Me", and it's clear that she has the voice of a classic soul singer." Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that the German duo gives the 1975 pop hit by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds "a springy pop/dance spin that will fit top 40 and crossover formats like a comfy glove. Front woman Melanie Thornton has an appropriately flashy delivery that shines atop the track's shuffling rhythms, while partner Lane McCray's rap interludes are pleasant—if not gratefully unobtrusive." He also stated that Thornton is "adding glass-shattering drama to its oh-so-slick arrangement of bright synths and chunky beats."

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report felt that the two "make this new version sparkle. Already bolstered by a substantial amount of airplay, this production has everything in place to be hit number three for this twosome." Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Have a "mouthful" of sultry soul the old-fashioned way. The beat and rap bridge are a sign of a modern product, while the intro to the Full Harmony Club Mix, a dialogue between the Hamilton couple, is even more sexy." A reviewer from Music Week gave the song four out of five, adding, "Pop dance balladry from the self-styled Eurogroovers, whose hooky continental hit is also making its mark on the US club chart." James Hamilton from the RM Dance Update wrote that Thornton's "outstanding soulfully joyful wailing Mariah Carey-ish vocal performance" makes it "potentially a UK number one smash too now".

Chart performance

"Fallin' in Love" was a major hit on the charts on several continents, although it didn't reach the same level of success as "Sweet Dreams" and "Be My Lover". In Europe, it entered the top 10 in Finland and Hungary, peaking at number four in both. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Austria (13), Belgium (15), Germany (13), Iceland (20), the Netherlands (14), Sweden (19) and Switzerland (13), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number 20 in September 1995. Additionally, "Fallin' in Love" entered the top 30 in France (24) and on the Irish Singles Chart (27), and the top 50 in Scotland (41) and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it peaked at number 43 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on September 24, 1995. It was also the last single by the band to chart in the UK. Outside Europe, it peaked at number four on the RPM Dance/Urban chart and number 39 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada, and number three on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in the United States. In Oceania, "Fallin in Love" reached number 33 and 39 in New Zealand and Australia, respectively.

Music video

A music video was filmed and produced by DoRo Film GmbH on 13th April 1995 to promote the single for the upcoming summer. It was filmed at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami, featuring the duo performing both inside and outside of a villa. In between, there is a storyline of a young couple falling in love and eventually getting married. The video was later made available by VEVO on La Bouche's official YouTube channel in 2015.

Track listings

• CD single

1. "Fallin' in Love" (radio version) — 3:30
2. "Fallin' in Love" (Full Harmony club mix) — 4:50

• CD maxi (June 12, 1995)

1. "Fallin' in Love" (radio version) — 3:30
2. "Fallin' in Love" (Full Harmony club mix) — 4:50
3. "Fallin' in Love" (Melody-La Bouche Chant. club mix) — 5:15
4. "Fallin' in Love" (The Wedding club mix) — 4:20
5. "Fallin' in Love" (Crazy Wedding club mix) — 4:40
6. "Fallin' in Love" (Franks House mix) — 5:52
7. "Fallin' in Love" (Spike house mix) — 5:22
8. "Fallin' in Love" (Fallin' in Dub) — 6:21

• 12-inch maxi

1. "Fallin' in Love" (Franks house mix) — 5:52
2. "Fallin' in Love" (The Wedding club mix) — 4:20
3. "Fallin' in Love" (Melody-La Bouche Chant. club mix) — 5:15
4. "Fallin' in Love" (Spike house mix) — 5:22

Charts

Release history

Funk'e Ray version

"Fallin' in Love" was also released in 1995 by US rapper Funk'e Ray as a maxi-single by Pandisc Records in Miami, Florida. This single version was written by Ray Hatcher and produced by Hatcher and Richard Finch from KC and the Sunshine Band.

2010 Copyright-infringement litigation

In a lawsuit that its attorneys filed June 24, 2010, Playboy Enterprises litigated against Drake for copyright infringement by over allegations that his hit song, "Best I Ever Had," sampled "Fallin' in Love" without attribution or permission. The suit named Drake, as well as Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group, as respondents, and it asserted that Playboy "has suffered, and will continue to suffer irreparable injury" from the alleged infringement. The lawsuit demanded that "all infringing works be recalled and destroyed."

As part of its claim, Playboy also alleged that "each defendant either knew, or should have reasonably known, that the sound recording was protected by copyright."

Popular culture

• The song was featured in the 2007 film The Hitcher.

See also

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1975

References

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External links

• Fallin' in Love: Rare live version recorded at a Mission Hills, CA club
• Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - Fallin' in Love on YouTube

• 1975 singles
• Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds songs
• 1995 singles
• Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
• Cashbox number-one singles
• American soft rock songs
• La Bouche songs
• Playboy Records singles
• 1975 songs
• Songs written by Dan Hamilton (musician)
• Bertelsmann Music Group singles
• Arista Records singles