"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.
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.
"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.
In 1963, Al Martino recorded the most successful version of the song, which peaked at number three on the US BillboardHot 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 BillboardCountry singles chart in that year.
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]
^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.
