When I Fall in Love is a traditional pop ballad written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman. It was introduced in the 1952 Howard Hughes film One Minute to Zero, originally as the instrumental Theme from One Minute to Zero, and the first vocal recording was by Jeri Southern in April 1952 with Young conducting. The song gained fame with Doris Day’s July 1952 vocal version, and Nat King Cole later brought it to a broader audience on his 1956 album Love Is the Thing, which included strong chart performances in the UK. Over the years it has become a standard, covered by many artists including The Lettermen, Rick Astley, and Celine Dion with Clive Griffin for Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. A notable 1996 release features Natalie Cole singing it as a virtual duet with her father Nat King Cole, earning two Grammys for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s). The tune remains a timeless love ballad about lifelong devotion, rooted in traditional pop and pop standards.
