"Fallin' In Love" is a song by American music trio Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. The song was written by band member Dan Hamilton.
Charts
Released in mid-1975, the song became the group's second top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (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 adult contemporary chart in the U.S. for one week in 1975. In addition, the song reached number twenty-four on Billboards Hot Soul Singles chart.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
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 breakout selection, "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."
La Bouche version
Overview
"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, 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". Though it did well in several countries, it achieved a minor success in comparison with previous releases. It 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, "Fallin' in Love" peaked at number 20.
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".