This was composed by Mort Garson with lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was recorded by Ruby & the Romantics in early December 1962, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The personnel on the original recording were: Leroy Glover on organ; Vinnie Bell, Al Gorgoni and Kenny Burrell on guitars; Russ Savakus on bass; Gary Chester on drums; and George Devens on percussion. They cut two versions of “Our Day Will Come” with one as a mid-tempo arrangement and the other in a bossa nova style; the latter version, featuring a classic Hammond organ solo, was selected for release as a single. While they were taking a break, the drummer started fooling around with a beat based on Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s recent hit, “Desafinado” (the Brazilian bossa nova was first making itself heard in the U.S.). Everyone seemed to like it and the Romantics nailed the song in the next take.
Garson and Hilliard were hoping to place “Our Day Will Come” with an established easy listening act and only agreed to let the new R&B group Ruby And the Romantics record the song after Kapp Records’ A&R director Al Stanton promised that, if the Ruby & the Romantics’ single failed, Kapp would record the song with Jack Jones, an easy-listening hitmaker.
Dionne Warwick recorded the original demo of the song:
It was written during that period of time when I met Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Bob Hilliard wrote the song also and he said: ‘I’ve got a good little song here and there’s a new group called ‘Ruby and the Romantics’ and will you do the demonstration record?’ I said: ‘Of course. I’d love to. And I did. And I told him then that it was a really pretty song.
The group that was to become The Romantics began in Akron, Ohio around 1958. The real beginnings of The Romantics go back to the Skarlettones, a group that formed in Akron in late 1958. After a few personnel changes, they were known as the Embers but by the time they decided to go to New York to record, they were calling themselves the Supremes (not associated with Diana Ross and The Supremes). They then reorganised some members and renamed themselves again, this time as The Feilos (pronounced FAY-LOWS).
Up to this point, Ruby Nash was not in any of those earlier groups. She originally sang with a group, consisting of her sister and three friends. They sang at record hops, mixers, talent shows and clubs in Akron and surrounding areas. Leroy Fann, a member of The Feilos, was at a performance of Ruby’s group singing in a talent show at the Akron Community Center. The Feilos had decided that they weren’t going anywhere and needed a different kind of sound. Leroy was impressed with Ruby’s singing and asked her to audition for the group.
After auditioning, the group was signed to New York-based Kapp Records; Kapp Records artist and repertoire chief Allen Stanton changed their name to Ruby And The Romantics. He told them two things: first, he wanted Ruby to front the group from then on, and second, The Feilos were history. The Romantics were:
Ruby Nash (lead singer) – As of 2017, Ruby is the only surviving original member of the Romantics.
Ed Roberts (second tenor) – worked as a bank teller and died of cancer on August 15, 1993.
George Lee (first tenor) – died of cancer in 1994.
Ronald Mosely (baritone) – died on December 3, 2011. He was 72.
Leroy Fann (bass) – died of an apparent heart attack in New York in November 1973.
They had remained intact, with all five original members, throughout their entire 10-year recording career (1961–1971). Ruby And The Romantics were known throughout the music industry for their smooth, rich, full-range harmonies – from high tenor, to deep, abyssal bass. In a 2011 interview with Ruby she said that David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations claimed the background harmonies of Ruby And The Romantics on “Our Day Will Come”, actually served as the original model for The Temptations’ background harmonies in 1963. The group was also very influential on the music of The Carpenters, who recorded three of their tunes, and Donny and Marie Osmond, who also covered several of their songs.
“Our Day Will Come” has had over 60 recorded cover versions by other artists, including Frankie Valli, Cher, Donny and Marie Osmond, Bobby Darin, Patti Page, Dee Dee Sharp, Pat Boone, Amy Winehouse, Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, The Supremes, Cliff Richard, James Brown, The Slackers and numerous others.
In 1964, Ruby & The Romantics received a Grammy Award Nomination from The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for Best Rock and Roll Recording for “Our Day Will Come”. In 1997, they received The Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award and were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2013, Ruby & The Romantics were honored by their hometown, Akron, Ohio, for their accomplishments and international impact, and in August 2013 Ruby & The Romantics were inductees into the very first class of the R&B Music Hall of Fame.
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