I Love You Because (song)

For the song "I Love You Because (You Look Like Jim Reeves)", see Back in the DHSS.

"I Love You Because" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Leon Payne in 1949. The song has been covered by several artists throughout the years, including hit cover versions by Al Martino in 1963 and Jim Reeves in 1964.

"I Love You Because"
Single by Leon Payne
B-side	"A Link in the Chain of Broken Hearts"
Released	1949 (1949)
Genre	Country
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Leon Payne
Leon Payne singles chronology
"Baby Boy" (1948) "I Love You Because" (1949) "My Daddy" (1951)

Leon Payne version

In 1949, Leon Payne's original version of the song went to number four on the Billboard Country & Western Best Seller lists and spent two weeks at number one on the Country & Western Disk Jockey List, spending a total of thirty-two weeks on the chart.^[1] "I Love You Because" was Payne's only song to make the country charts.

Elvis Presley version

"I Love You Because"
Song by Elvis Presley
from the album Elvis Presley
Released	March 13, 1956
Recorded	July 4–5, 1954
Songwriter(s)	Leon Payne
Producer(s)	Sam Phillips

"I Love You Because" was first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1954, at SUN Studio, Memphis, Tennessee. The session started on July 4 and ended early on the morning of July 5, the day that he recorded "That's All Right". Producer Sam Phillips did not think "I Love You Because" was the right song for Elvis's first single, but it was instead used as the B-side of "Tryin' to Get to You", both of which can be found on his 1956 debut album Elvis Presley.

Johnny Cash version

"I Love You Because"
Single by Johnny Cash
from the album Sings Hank Williams
B-side	"Straight A's in Love
Released	December 1959 (1959-12)
Genre	Country
Label	Sun 334
Music video
"I Love You Because" (audio only) on YouTube

The song was also notably covered by Johnny Cash. His version was released by Sun Records as a single (Sun 334, with "Straight A's in Love" on the opposite side)^{[2][3][4][5][6]} in December 1959,^[7][8] when Cash had already left the label for Columbia.

Charts

Chart (1960)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[9]	20

Al Martino version

"I Love You Because"
Single by Al Martino
from the album I Love You Because
B-side	"Merry-Go-Round"
Released	April 1963 (1963)
Genre	Easy listening
Length	2:40
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Leon Payne
Producer(s)	Voyle Gilmore
Al Martino singles chronology
"Because You're Mine" (1962) "I Love You Because" (1963) "Painted, Tainted Rose" (1963)

In 1963, Al Martino recorded the most successful version of the song, which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart^[10] and number one on the Middle-Road (Adult Contemporary) chart for two weeks in May that year.^[11]

Jim Reeves version

In 1963, American country singer Jim Reeves recorded a version of the song for his album Gentleman Jim. Released as a single in 1964, the song peaked at number five in the UK. The song became his most successful single in Norway, topping the VG-Lista chart for 13 weeks.^[12] In 1976, the song was the title track of a posthumous Jim Reeves album that peaked at number 24 on the US Country LP chart.^[13] Released as a single, it reached number 54 in the US Billboard Country singles chart in that year.

Charts

Chart (1964)	Peak position
Norway Singles Chart	1
Irish Singles Chart	1
Dutch Singles Chart^[14]	9
UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)^[15]	5
US Billboard Hot Country Songs^[16]	54

Other versions

• In 1950, Ernest Tubb and Clyde Moody each recorded their own version, both making the top 10 on the Country & Western charts.
• Carl Smith recorded a cover for his album I Love You Because (1969). The song peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1969.^[17]
• In 1983, Roger Whittaker's version peaked at number 91 on the Hot Country Singles chart.^[18]

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1963 (U.S.)

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 265.
2. John Edwards Memorial Foundation (1974). JEMF Quarterly. John Edwards Memorial Foundation.
3. Joel Whitburn (2002). Top Country Singles, 1944 to 2001: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Country Singles Charts, 1944-2001. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-151-2.
   Joel Whitburn (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, Billboard. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9.
4. Tim Neely (2004-05-01). Goldmine Records & Prices. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-781-7. Straight A's in Love I Love You Because Sun 334.
5. Colin Escott; Martin Hawkins (1980). Sun Records: The Brief History of the Legendary Recording Label. Quick Fox. ISBN 978-0-8256-3161-0. Straight A's in Love I Love You Because.
6. George Albert (1984-01-01). The Cash Box Country Singles Charts, 1958-1982. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1685-5.
7. Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
   December
   "Straight A's In Love"/"I Love You Because" (Sun 334) released. Both sides of this single will chart during February and March 1960.
8. The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5.
9. "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
10. "US Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. June 1, 1963. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
11. "US Billboard Adult Contemporary - Chart History". Billboard. May 25, 1963. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
12. JIM REEVES - I LOVE YOU BECAUSE - NorwegianCharts.com
13. "Top Country Albums". Billboard. March 20, 1976. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
14. JIM REEVES – I LOVE YOU BECAUSE – DutchCharts.nl
15. "Jim Reeves – I Love You Because". UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. February 26, 1964. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
16. "Jim Reeves Chart History – Hot Country Songs", Billboard, March 27, 1976, retrieved June 13, 2019
17. "Hot Country Songs - Billboard". Billboard. October 4, 1969. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
18. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.