Part 3: Come Rain Or Shine

Shining brighter than ever

February 1997 saw Easther, Vernie and Kéllé enter the third and highest phase of their career to date as they geared up for the launch of their third album.

Their return to the scene was lead by a brand new single, Don't You Love Me, which represented the girls' first attempt to touch on social issues with such lines as "Why does granny have to walk the street?" or "See the cops arrest another child". It struck a chord with the nation and gave Eternal their highest chart placing ever as it smashed straight into No. 3.

The release of Before The Rain showed the new Eternal to be more mature, smoother and in touch with their feelings. The eagerly-awaited album turned out to be wonderful blend of soul, R&B and their roots of gospel. Half the tracks were co-written by the girls themselves, and for the first time Vernie and Kéllé took lead vocals on album tracks.

Before The Rain received both critical and fan-lead acclaim, and in the UK it went gold on the first day of release.

Back on the road

At the end of March 1997, Eternal embarked on their third tour, entitled "Before The Rain". It featured lighting technology never before seen in the UK and they had a band (including dancers) flown over especially from the USA.

The tour was reported to cost 1.5 million pounds and proved to be well worth the money and effort spent. With an almost West End stage production it played to packed audiences up and down the country, ending in Brighton.

However, it didn't stop there. As with the previous tour Eternal were destined to perform another series of dates in Japan. There they remain as popular as ever, come rain or shine.

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