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"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in Howard Hughes' last film One Minute to Zero as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the first vocal recording released in April 1952 with the song's composer, Victor Young, handling the arranging and conducting duties. The song has become a standard, with many artists recording it; the first hit version was sung by Doris Day released in July 1952.
Day's recording was made on June 5, 1952. It was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 39786 and issued with the flip side "Take Me in Your Arms". The song reached number 20 on the Billboard chart.
A version was recorded by Nat King Cole on December 28, 1956. It was issued by Capitol Records on the album titled Love Is the Thing, catalog number SW824. The song was also used as the recurrent love theme in the 1957 film Istanbul, in which Cole sang the song onscreen. The single was released in the UK in 1957 and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. This recording was rereleased in 1987 and reached number 4. The start of Cole's version was sampled in Pop Will Eat Itself's 1988 single "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore". Since 2014, Cole's version of the song has been featured in adverts for SSE.
Natalie Cole recorded two different versions of the song: a contemporary R&B/smooth jazz version for her 1987 album Everlasting (No. 14 U.S. AC) and a more traditional version for her 1996 Stardust album as a virtual duet with her father Nat King Cole, including recordings of his vocals from his 1956 version. This version won two awards at the 39th Grammy Awards: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s) for arrangers Alan Broadbent and David Foster.
Johnny Mathis recorded the song for his 1959 album Open Fire, Two Guitars, which charted in the UK and many other countries.
Blues singer Etta Jones released a version of the song in 1960, which spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 65.
A version by the Lettermen was released as a single in 1961 and spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 7, while reaching No. 1 on the Billboard's Easy Listening chart. Veteran drummer Earl Palmer played on this version.
Donny Osmond recorded the song in 1973 for his album A Time for Us. It spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 55, while reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 1 in France.
In 1984, Linda Ronstadt released the song as the lead track on her album Lush Life and as a single. Ronstadt's version reached No. 24 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.
The version of "When I Fall in Love" by English singer-songwriter Rick Astley was released on November 30, 1987, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the release of Nat King Cole's version of the song. This single is mainly remembered for a closely fought contest for UK Christmas number one. Rivals EMI, hoping to see their act, Pet Shop Boys, reach number one with "Always on My Mind", re-released the version by Nat King Cole. This led to a slow down of purchases of Astley's version, allowing Pet Shop Boys to reach the coveted top spot. Despite selling over 250,000 copies and gaining a Silver certification from the BPI, it peaked in the UK at number 2 for two weeks. The re-release by Nat King Cole reached number 4. Since the single was released as a double A-side, the other half of the single was "My Arms Keep Missing You", which was successful in its own right in Europe. In 2019, Astley recorded and released a "reimagined" version of the song for his album The Best of Me, which features a new piano arrangement. On November 24, 2022, the original music video was remastered to 1080p HD for a limited edition 12" double A-side red vinyl issue of the "Love This Christmas" single.
Critical reception
A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media considered that Astley's cover version as "surprisingly matching the original" and added: "With the romantic string arrangements and Astley's mature vocals, the perfect seasonal single, bound for a no. 1 in the UK". When reviewing the parent album, British magazine Music Week underlined the track, adding that Astley "stretches his vocal chords on a credible and reverent recreation" of Cole's song. In the same magazine, Jerry Smith deemed it a potential hit in spite of "the cloying strings arrangement", and added that this cover was "not a patch" on Cole's original version. Chris Heath of Smash Hits praised the song as "brilliantly effective" with a "plinkety-plonkety orchestration and Rick crooning away, sounding uncannily like a 50 year old Frank Sinatra type". In another issue of the same magazine, Lola Borg considered it as "truly splendid" and added that Astley "ably croons a slushy lump of woefulness" and that this version is similar to the original since "the sweeping strings are exactly the same, note for note".
AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine remarked that Dion's album, The Colour of My Love, which featured the song, had "careful production, professional songwriting (highlighted by "When I Fall in Love", "The Power of Love", and "Think Twice"). J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun wrote that "it's no accident that Celine Dion keeps recording all those movie-theme duets -- she's got the perfect voice for wide-screen romance, all unbridled power and telegraphed emotion." He added that "she sounds great, demonstrating the kind of vocal confidence that originally made Whitney Houston a star." Larry Flick from Billboard felt that Dion "is at home within an arrangement of delicate rhythms and sweeping orchestration", while also noting that Griffin's voice "is a pure thrill." Christopher Smith of Talk About Pop Music said that the singers "do credible justice to Nat’s signature tune as she remains in subdued and romantic mood for the entire length" of the song.
Commercial performance
"When I Fall in Love" reached top forty in several countries, including number 21 in Canada, number 22 in New Zealand, number 23 in the United States, and number 37 in the Netherlands. It was popular on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart and the US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, peaking at numbers two and six, respectively.
L., D. (November 28, 1987). "LP Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. p. 26. Retrieved September 11, 2023 – via World Radio History.
Smith, Jerry (December 5, 1987). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 23. Retrieved September 11, 2023 – via World Radio History.
Heath, Chris (November 18 – December 1, 1987). "Albums" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 22. p. 86. ISSN0260-3004. Retrieved November 21, 2023 – via World Radio History.
When I Fall in Love (European CD single liner notes). Celine Dion and Clive Griffin. Epic Soundtrax. 1993. 659408 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
When I Fall in Love (Japanese mini CD single liner notes). Celine Dion and Clive Griffin. Epic Soundtrax. 1993. ESDA 7149.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
When I Fall in Love (US cassette single liner notes). Celine Dion and Clive Griffin. Epic Soundtrax. 1993. 34T 77021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
When I Fall in Love (US 7-inch single liner notes). Celine Dion and Clive Griffin. Epic Records. 1993. 34-77021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
When I Fall in Love (European CD maxi-single liner notes). Celine Dion and Clive Griffin. Epic Soundtrax. 1993. 659408 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Gavin Ryan (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
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