| "Rain or Shine" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Five Star | ||||
| from the album Silk & Steel | ||||
| B-side | "Summer Groove" | |||
| Released | 1 September 1986 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:58 | |||
| Label | RCA, Tent | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Livsey, Pete Sinfield | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Livsey | |||
| Five Star singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Rain or Shine" is a 1986 hit single by British pop group Five Star. Peaking at #2 on the UK Singles Chart,[1] it was held off the top spot for two weeks by British pop band The Communards with the year's biggest selling song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" and the next week by True Blue by Madonna.[2] "Rain or Shine" spent a total of 13 weeks inside the UK Top 75, five of those in the Top 10.[1]
Background and writing
Doris Pearson said of making the song, "We had quite an ordeal recording that. The vocal, especially the lead vocal, wasn't happening. We tried a lot of things - moving around, taking the microphone out into the hallway - but I think it was just technique, she [Denise] was lacking at the time. It was tricky, but we got it done in the end. And they do say some of the trickiest ones are the ones that become a hit."[2]
Critical reception
Ro Newton of Smash Hits considered "Rain or Shine" as "so slow and doddery that even mouth-to-mouth resuscitation couldn't perk it up".[3]
Track listings
- 7" single and 7" poster sleeve
- A."Rain or Shine" (with extra intro)
- B."Summer Groove"
- 12" single: PT40902
- A1."Rain or Shine" (remix) (Phil Harding PWL mix) 5:55 *
- A2."Rain or Shine" (dub) (Phil Harding PWL mix)
- B1."Summer Groove"
- B2."Find the Time" (instrumental remix) (Shep Pettibone mix)
All tracks available on the remastered versions of either the 2010 'Silk & Steel' album, the 2013 'The Remix Anthology (The Remixes 1984-1991)' or the 2018 'Luxury - The Definitive Anthology 1984-1991' boxset. * But... the "Rain Or Shine" (Remix) on the 2010 remastered Silk & Steel CD album has some audible imperfections. However on the 2011 compilation Phil Harding Club Mixes of the 80s, there is a digitally remastered and restored version of "Rain Or Shine" (Remix) sourced from the original studio master tapes and is therefore a much higher quality version of this track.
References
- 1 2 "RAIN OR SHINE by FIVE STAR". Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- 1 2 Savage, Mark (9 October 2019). "Five Star: Making Rain or Shine was 'an ordeal', says Doris Pearson". Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ↑ Newton, Ro (27 August – 9 September 1986). "Singles reviewed by Ro newton" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 8, no. 18. p. 47. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 4 December 2023 – via World Radio History.