Because (Dave Clark Five song)

"Because" was written with the intention of being the Dave Clark Five's fifth US single, but the band's label, Epic Records, was initially resistant, believing the ballad strayed too far from the hit-making formula that had proven successful with the band's previous upbeat singles.^[1] In May 1964, the song was released in the UK as the B-side to "Can't You See That She's Mine". Clark insisted that "Because" be released as an A-side in the US, and Epic eventually agreed.^[2] The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 60 in August and peaked six weeks later at number three.^[3][4] "Because" became the band's fifth US single to sell more than one million copies.^[5] In Canada, the song reached number three on RPM magazine's singles chart.^[6]

• In a review for the single, Billboard described "Because" as a "warmly romantic ballad ... that should keep [the Dave Clark Five] on the chart."^[7]
• Cash Box described it as "a most attractive shuffle rock-a-cha-cha beat newcomer ... that the artists wax in ear-arresting manner."^[8]
• Richie Unterberger of AllMusic said the song "was on about the same melodic level as all but the best of the early Beatles' compositions". He felt the song showed a more subtle side of the band, contrasting it with the "stomping hits that were their main diet." Unterberger also complimented the track's harmony vocals, and noted the "beautiful, unusual, and irresistible chord changes" as well as the "tender, romantic lyrics".^[2]

• The Supremes recorded a version of "Because" on the group's A Bit of Liverpool (1964), a tribute album dedicated to music of the British Invasion.^[9]
• Julian Lennon recorded the song for the soundtrack to Dave Clark's musical Time (1986). Released as a single in 1985, Lennon's version reached number 40 on the UK Singles Chart,^[10] and number eight on the Belgium Singles Chart.^[11]

7" Single (US, Canada)^[12]