About The Song
“Since I Fell for You” is a jazz-blues standard cover single by American singer Charlie Rich, released in April 1975 by Epic Records (catalog 8-50115). Originally composed by Buddy Johnson in 1945 and first popularized by his sister Ella Johnson with Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra, the song had become a staple in jazz and pop repertoires, with notable versions by Dinah Washington (1948) and Lenny Welch (No. 4 Hot 100 in 1963). Rich’s rendition, produced by Billy Sherrill, clocks in at 3:06 and features his signature smooth baritone over a countrypolitan arrangement blending orchestral strings with subtle blues phrasing, marking a departure from his recent ballad hits.
The single debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart at No. 74 in late April 1975, steadily climbing amid Rich’s ongoing popularity from “Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High).” It peaked at No. 10 during the week of July 12, 1975, spending 15 weeks on the chart total—Rich’s ninth Top 10 country single. It did not cross over to the Hot 100 but reached No. 25 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, it hit No. 12 on the RPM Country Tracks. Cash Box ranked it at No. 9 on its Country Top 100. The B-side, “Pride,” another Johnson composition, did not chart independently.
Recording took place in early 1975 at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, under Sherrill’s production. The session assembled the Nashville A-Team: pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins on electric piano for bluesy fills, steel guitarist Pete Drake, bassist Henry Strzelecki, drummer Kenny Malone maintaining a slow 4/4 shuffle at 60 BPM, and Bergen White arranging the sweeping strings and horns. The Nashville Edition provided layered choral backing. Rich tracked his lead vocal in two takes, incorporating breathy ad-libs and a light falsetto in the bridge, drawing from his jazz roots honed in Air Force bands during the 1950s.
Epic Records positioned the single as a sophisticated follow-up to Rich’s 1974 dominance, promoting it via trade ads in Billboard and Cashbox emphasizing its “timeless standard” status. Initial U.S. pressings shipped over 300,000 copies, with international distribution through CBS affiliates. By mid-1975, sales exceeded 500,000 units, bolstered by Rich’s summer tour including Opry appearances and a European leg. The track appeared on the 1976 album The Best of Charlie Rich (KE 34150), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and earned gold certification.
Structurally, the song adheres to its 1945 blueprint: verse-verse-bridge-chorus format in E-flat major, with a key modulation to E in the final chorus for uplift. Sherrill’s countrypolitan touch added reverb on the strings and a subtle pedal steel under the piano, differentiating it from Welch’s pop version. Publishing rights were held by Johnson Music (ASCAP), with royalties split among Epic and the estate. Session logs indicate the basic track was completed in four hours, with Rich suggesting the horn chart during a break.
Reissues preserved Rich’s take on Epic/Legacy’s 1999 16 Biggest Hits, the 2006 Greatest Hits, and the 2011 box set The Essential Charlie Rich. Covers of the standard abound, but Rich’s version influenced later country interpretations like George Strait’s 2006 recording. The original Epic 45 with picture sleeve (featuring Rich in a white suit) remains collectible, valued at $8–20 in near-mint condition. The single’s release coincided with Rich’s 1975 CMA Awards controversy, where his onstage antics briefly overshadowed his chart momentum, though it still contributed to his streak of 10 Top 10 country hits from 1973–1976.
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Lyric
[Verse 1]
When you just give love
And never get love
You’d better let love depart
I know it’s so and yet I know
I can’t get you out of my heart[Verse 2]
You made me leave my happy home
You took my love and now you’re gone
Since I fell for you[Chorus]
Love brings such misery and pain
I know I’ll never be the same
Since I fell for you[Verse 3]
Well, it’s too bad
And it’s too sad
But I’m in love with you[Verse 4]
Oh, oh, oh, you love me
Then you snub me
But what can I do
I’m still in love with you[Bridge]
I, I guess I’ll never see the light
I get the blues most every night[Chorus]
Since I fell for you
Since I fell for you[Outro]
Love brings such misery and pain
I guess I’ll never, never be the same
Since I fell for you
Since I fell for you