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"Let It Rain"
Single by East 17
from the album Steam
Released	13 March 1995 (1995-03-13)
Length	3:32
Label	London
Songwriter(s)	Ian Curnow Phil Harding Rob Kean Anthony Mortimer
Producer(s)	Ian Curnow Phil Harding Rob Kean
East 17 singles chronology
"Stay Another Day" (1994) "Let It Rain" (1995) "Hold My Body Tight" (1995)
Music video
"Let It Rain" on YouTube

"Let It Rain" is a song by English pop boy band East 17, released on 13 March 1995 by London Records as the fourth single from their second album, Steam (1994). It was written by Ian Curnow, Phil Harding and Rob Kean with bandmember Tony Mortimer, while Curnow, Harding and Kean produced the song. It reached number one in Lithuania and Israel, and the top 10 in Finland, Ireland and the UK. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway.

Critical reception

Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian named the song an "unpretentious dancefloor sparkler". In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote that "Let It Rain" "turns back to the harder dance sound that typifies much of their output and sounds in places like a distant relation of their first hit "House of Love" back in September 1992." Dave Simpson from Melody Maker commented, "E17 go from strewth (poncy ballads) to strength. "Let It Rain" is their finest since "Everybody in the House of Love". An uplifting blend of euphoria, electronics and existential introspection, it's not that unlike mid-period ("Shellshock") New Order." Another Melody Maker editor, Victoria Segal, noted its "hysteric gospel".

Music Week gave it four out of five, calling it "a more upbeat, but equally commercial, follow-up to the band's Christmas number one is in remixed form, ensuring interest from even Steam-owning fans." The reviewer added, "It will no doubt be boosted by the lads' Brits performance last week." Another Music Week editor, Alan Jones, deemed it "preposterous". John Robinson from NME said, "Needless to say, East 17 instruct the heavens to open and pour love upon us." He added that it "duly arrives by way of a tumultuous chorus". James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "'love rain down on me' chorused rap ".

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single. It was later made available on YouTube in 2017 by London Records, and had generated more than 3.2 million views as of January 2023.

Track listings

• CD and 7-inch single

1. "Let It Rain" (Thunder radio edit) – 3:32
2. "Let It Rain" (J-Pac Sleeting edit) – 3:33

• CD maxi

1. "Let It Rain" (Thunder radio edit) – 3:32
2. "Let It Rain" (Overworld Storm edit) – 3:46
3. "Let It Rain" (J-Pac sleeting remix) – 5:35
4. "Let It Rain" (Overworld Storm mix) – 6:40

• 12-inch maxi

1. "Let It Rain" (City of Love club mix) – 6:33
2. "Let It Rain" (City of Love instrumental mix) – 6:33
3. "Let It Rain" (City of Love radio edit) – 3:34
4. "Let It Rain" (Fritz 12-inch mix) – 4:39
5. "Let It Rain" (Fritz edit) – 3:51

Credits

• Written by Harding/Curnow, Kean and Mortimer
• Engineered by Dillon Gallagher and Phil Harding
• Mixed and produced by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow and Rob Kean
• Artwork by Form
• Photography by Lawrence Watson

Charts

References

1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 March 1995. p. 33. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
2. Sullivan, Caroline (21 October 1994). "Music: Your essential guide to the week's Cds - Pop". The Guardian.
3. Masterton, James (19 March 1995). "Week Ending March 25th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
4. Simpson, Dave (11 March 1995). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
5. Segal, Victoria (9 November 1996). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 49. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
6. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 4 March 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
7. Jones, Alan (3 June 1995). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 30. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
8. Robinson, John (11 March 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 48. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
9. Hamilton, James (18 March 1995). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
10. "East 17 - Let It Rain (Official Video)". YouTube. 28 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
11. "East 17 – Let It Rain". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
12. "East 17 – Let It Rain" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2729." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
14. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2770." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 14. 8 April 1995. p. 22. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
16. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 15. 15 April 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
17. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
18. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 14. 8 April 1995. p. 24. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
19. "East 17 – Let It Rain" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
20. "East 17 – Let It Rain" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
21. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.4. '95 – 7.4. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 1 April 1995. p. 24. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Let It Rain". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
23. "M-1 Top 40". M-1.fm. 18 June 1995. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
24. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 15, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
25. "East 17 – Let It Rain" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
26. "East 17 – Let It Rain". VG-lista. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
27. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
28. "East 17 – Let It Rain". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
29. "East 17 – Let It Rain". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
31. "The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 25 March 1995. p. 8. Retrieved 2 September 2021.

• 1994 songs
• 1995 singles
• East 17 songs
• Songs written by Tony Mortimer
• Songs written by Phil Harding (producer)
• Song recordings produced by Phil Harding (producer)
• Songs written by Ian Curnow
• Number-one singles in Israel