Mandolin Rain
"Mandolin Rain" is the third track from The Way It Is, the debut album for Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The song, released in late 1986, was a #4 Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the band in March 1987, following on the success of their previous single, the #1 hit and title track of their debut album, "The Way It Is". It also reached #1 on the adult contemporary chart for three weeks,[1] and #2 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for two weeks, also in early 1987. The song reached the Top 40 on the Country chart, hitting #38.
"Mandolin Rain" | ||||
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Single by Bruce Hornsby and the Range | ||||
from the album The Way It Is | ||||
B-side | "The Red Plains" | |||
Released | January 6, 1987 | |||
Recorded | 1985 | |||
Genre | Soft rock | |||
Length | 5:19 (Album version) 3:50 (Single version) | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Bruce Hornsby and the Range singles chronology | ||||
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The song was co-written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother John, and featured Range member David Mansfield on the title instrument. It appears to be partly inspired by the song "You Don't Miss Your Water" by William Bell due to it employing the same hook (heard at the beginning of both songs), and by a similar swing feel (albeit with different chords).
In popular culture
The song was covered by Pam Tillis on the 1995 album All this Love.
The song was used in the 2009 movie World's Greatest Dad, with Robin Williams. Hornsby made a cameo appearance in the film and played an alternate acoustic version, which had been previously arranged but never released until the film's soundtrack.
Charts
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 14 |
Canada Adult Contemporary Tracks (RPM) | 1 |
Canada Country Singles (RPM) | 49 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) | 70 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
US Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart | 1 |
US Billboard Hot Country Singles[2] | 38 |
Year-end chart (1987) | Position |
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US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[3] | 65 |
Sources
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 118.
- Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
- "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 99 (52). December 26, 1987.