Oran Juice Jones, The Rain | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the third edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “The Rain” performed by Oran Juice Jones. 

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the third edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we dive into “The Rain”, the one-hit wonder by Oran Juice Jones.

“I saw you (And him, and him) walking in the rain / You were holding hands, and I’ll never be the same.” Oh, snap! Infidelity alert! R&B singer Oran Juice Jones has one claim to fame – his one-hit-wonder, “The Rain”. It was the only song by Jones to appear on the pop charts.  It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. “The Rain” also earned more accolades.  It was certified gold by the RIAA.  It was also nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 29^th Annual Grammy Awards.  Notably, Jones lost to a musical icon in the category –  James Brown (“Living In America”). Vincent Bell penned “The Rain.” Bell, Jones and Russell Simmons produced it.  

In “The Rain,” Jones is upset about her unfaithfulness. The rain is literal and metaphorical: “Tossing and turning, another sleepless night / The rain crashes against my windowpane /… The moment I knew I would never be the same.” Perturbed to the nth degree, in the second verse, he professes his love but tells her, “Right now, I’ve got to say goodbye.” That is understandable, considering she was cheating on him.  Interestingly, “The Rain” features an extended outro that surpasses the length of the verses or chorus.  He confronts her, asserting, “And my first impulse was to run up on you and do a Rambo / Whip out the jammy and flat-blast both of you / But I ain’t wanna mess up this 3700 dollar lynx coat.” Ooh-wee! Another memorable moment from the outro involves Trix:

“‘Cause you dismissed! That’s right, silly rabbit

Trix are made for kids, don’t you know that?

You without me: like cornflake without the milk

It’s my world, you just a squirrel, tryin’ to get a nut

Now get on outta here! Ah! Don’t touch that coat!”

The five-minute-long “The Rain” is a compelling listen from start to finish.  What a way to open his 1986 album, Juice.  Jones sings beautifully, bringing the tuneful melodies to life. He also brings ample personality to the outro. The production is 80s to the core, with the boxy drum programming and bright, colorful keys and synths. Jones may be a one-hit-wonder, but he’s a wonderful one!

Oran Juice Jones // Juice // The Island Def Jam Group // 1986

Oran Juice Jones, The Rain: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 3 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; The Island Def Jam Group; Antoni Shkraba, KoolShooters, Pavel Danilyuk, Photo By: Kaboompics.com, RDNE Stock project from Pexels; AcatXIo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]