Today’s unjustly forgotten classic soul song of the day is “And the Rains Came” by the Millionaires. This catchy single was released on the Specialty Records label in 1969 and you’ve probably never heard it before. That’s a shame.
“And the Rains Came” belongs to that genre now known as Northern Soul. This is a movement, based in England, that digs up and revives little-known soul singles from the 1960s. Most Northern Soul songs didn’t make the top 40 anywhere back then, but probably should have. They’re great tunes that, for one reason or another, didn’t receive the promotion or exposure they needed to hit the charts.
As far as “And the Rains Came” goes, I know little to nothing about the song or the group. I do know that Specialty Records was an R&B label based out of Los Angeles, so it’s fair to assume The Millionaires were an LA-based band. The 45 label says the tune was written by Donald Villeral and Kendiel Floyd, whomever they were, and produced by Pancho Villa, a band leader from Philadelphia. Other than that, I’m flying blind. But this is a terrific single with a memorable melody and nice arrangement and it should have been a hit.
