Tuesday Tunes 147: More Rain

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In the absence of any new inspiration I thought I’d share another set of rain songs this week: there are just so many good ones that it seems worthwhile. I have more still, but will probably save those for another time – for next week I’m playing with an idea given to me by one of you guys, and I think it will work. But for today, it’s raining again.

To get things up and running I’m going way back to the early Sixties. Are you, like me, old enough to remember this one:

The Cascades were a group of serving US Navy personnel who decided that they would prefer to get into music. They recorded a song written by their lead singer, John Gummoe, while he had been on nightwatch on board ship, and released it as a single in November 1962. That song was Rhythm of the Rain, and it became a massive hit for them, reaching #3 in the US and #5 in the UK early in 1963. It was their only UK hit, and subsequent records didn’t do much better in the States, either, so they became one of those bands with a very short career. I’ve always liked this song, though: it reminds me of the days when I was getting into pop music and listening to it on the radio whenever I could. It is a contemporary of the days when The Beatles were just starting out: exciting times! A little footnote on this one: the recording was enhanced by several session musicians, amongst whom was a young guitarist by the name of Glen Campbell. You may have heard of him!

Another favourite of mine next, from a good deal later. The rain in this one is very British:

Why Does It Always Rain on Me was initially released in May 1999 as a track on Travis’ second album, The Man Who. Their debut album, Good Feeling, had done quite well, reaching #9 in the UK in 1997, but this was the one that took them into the big time. It was a bit of a slow burner, and didn’t really take off until after the release of this track as a single in August, following the band’s successful appearance at that year’s Glastonbury Festival. And boy, did it take off! It spent eleven weeks at the top of the UK Albums chart, and has sold more than 2.7m copies here: a phenomenal achievement. Elsewhere it wasn’t such a big hit, though it did make #2 in Ireland, #8 in Australia, #14 in New Zealand and even got to #135 in the US. I remember this song being all over the airwaves, and was slightly surprised to find that as a single it only got to #10 here. Four of the album’s tracks were taken as singles, two made the top ten and the others reached the top twenty. It is still a great album, and I played it a lot at the time.

There must be something about 1962, as I’m going back there again for my next tune. This one has been covered several times, notably by Bobby Vee and Helen Shapiro, but for me the original is still the best:

Carole King released It Might As Well Rain Until September in September 1962. It had originally been co-written with Gerry Goffin for Bobby Vee, but after the record company had released Carole’s version as a single Vee decided he only wanted his version to be an album track. This was Carole’s best performer in the UK charts, peaking at #3, and it also reached #22 in the US. Helen Shapiro’s version was included on her November 1964 album, Helen Hits Out, but wasn’t released as a single – by then, her days of hit singles had passed by, anyway.

I’m crossing back over the pond again for my next one. This was also a massive hit:

Here Comes The Rain Again was the opening track on Eurythmics’ third album, Touch, which was released in November 1983: it topped the UK and New Zealand charts and reached #4 in Australia and #7 in the US. This track was a single in January 1984, peaking at #8 in the UK and #4 in the US. Annie Lennox has such a distinctive voice, and I always enjoy listening to her. Their videos are always good, too.

My next choice wasn’t such a big hit, but is one that I have always liked:

Ann Peebles released I Can’t Stand The Rain as a single in July 1973, and it reached #38 in the US and #41 in the UK. There have been subsequent cover versions, too. I don’t recall it but apparently a group called Eruption made a disco version of it in 1978 which was a massive hit across Europe, and also made #5 in the UK and #18 in the US. I really don’t remember it but as it was at the peak period for disco records, when my ears had tuned out of the pop charts, that is hardly surprising. Tina Turner also covered it on her album Private Dancer, in May 1984, and released her version as a single in January 1985, reaching #57 in the UK. I’m a fan of Tina, but I still think the original of this is the best.

After three successive female lead vocals (and one more still to come) I’m going back to the guys for my next two tunes. Given how big a fan I am of this bloke, I couldn’t leave him out, could I:

That still sounds as magical and beautiful to me now as it ever has, more than fifty years since I first heard it. Fire And Rain was a track on James Taylor’s second album, Sweet Baby James, released in February 1970, peaking at #3 in the US and #6 in the UK. It became the second single from the album, released in August 1970, and also reached #3 in the US, but only #42 here in the UK. There is a timeless quality to James’ music, I think: beautiful songs and his lovely, warm voice.

This is another one that I’ve always loved:

Mandolin Rain was a track on The Way It Is, the absolutely superb debut album by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, released in April 1986. It got to #3 in the US and #16 in the UK, and has sold more than 3m copies in the US alone. This was just after our first daughter was born and although opportunities to listen to music were few, I heard some of the album on a tv show – probably The Old Grey Whistle Test – and bought it so that I could play it in the car. It is great to sing along to when you’re driving, as I can tell you from experience! This video was made for the release of the song as a single, in December 1986: it peaked at #4 in the US but only made #70 over here. But I already had the album anyway!

Today’s final tune is by someone who wasn’t born until two years after that previous one had been released. She has become a megastar since then, and this is a great way to close this selection:

Is that just stunningly good, or what! Set Fire To The Rain was a track on 21, Adele’s second album, which was released in January 2011. Wikipedia shows it as having been #1 in thirty countries, including both the US and the UK (where it was at #1 for 23 weeks), it has won countless awards, including a Brit and two Grammys, it was the best selling album in the world in both 2011 and 2012 and has so far sold more than 31m copies worldwide, making it the fourth best seller of all time by a solo artist. I think that counts as a success, doesn’t it? Just for good measure, this song was the third single taken from the album, in July 2011. Although it somehow only reached #11 here in the UK, it made the top ten in many countries and was #1 in several more, including the US, where it was her third successive #1. Despite that relatively low peak placing, the song spent 56 weeks on the UK singles chart and has sold more than 1.5m copies here. It has also sold more than 5m in the US and over 2m in the rest of the world. Not bad for a lass from Tottenham!

As I just said, that would have been it for today, but I’m adding in a bonus off-theme video. Yesterday was May Day, which is a traditional celebration here in the UK, particularly in the West Country. One of my favourite bands, Oysterband, does a great version of the song Hal-An-Tow, which is a vital part of those celebrations, and when I found this live performance from last weekend I couldn’t resist sharing it. It is the stripped down, acoustic version of the band, and the video and sound isn’t professional, but it is just so joyous and captures the spirit of a band I have seen several times. Happy May Day, for yesterday:

That is definitely it for today!. Enjoy your week, and I’ll see you again in a couple of days 😊

52 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 147: More Rain”

  1. Pingback: Come What May | Take It Easy

  5. Lots of good rain songs. My favorite is the Cascades, ‘Rhythm of the Rain’. I do remember hearing it many times back then on the radio. And of course James Taylor, who you can never go wrong with his songs. 🙂

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    • Thank you. It’s good to see someone liking the oldest in the set – others don’t remember it! And James Taylor is always worth listening to: I think this is one of his best 😊

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  7. 100% with me this week, though I did notice a generalization that my favorites seemed to be the more modern tune. My top three picks this week in order: 1. The Eurythmics 2. Adele 3. Travis (The only new one I hadn’t heard.) I’m looking out my window right now and what do I see? Rain. 😊

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    • Good to know I scored well this week, Pete, especially as I went for a more pop-based selection than we would both usually go for. That rain gets everywhere, doesn’t it!

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    • Thanks, David. Glad you liked them. I don’t ever recall hearing the Eruption version before: I looked it up on YouTube but it rang no bells. I did rather avoid disco as much as I could, though, back in the day! You have a great week too 😊

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  11. I always thought ‘Rhythm Of The Rain’ was later in the 60s- thats where it sits in my brain, anyway. Maybe it was re-released here… Not a dud in the selection today, every song sparkling like the rain.
    Gordon Lightfoot is a big loss. RIP.

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    • Maybe it was. Wikipedia shows it as having got to #2 there in April 1963 though.

      Glad you enjoyed the selection.

      It is sad about Gordon Lightfoot. He is on my ‘next time’ list but would have been in today if I had found out about his passing before I posted, rather than half an hour afterwards.

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  12. So many more great songs on rain. I have never heard the original I Can’t Stand the Rain before. I am used to Tina Turner’s version. I even bought the maxi single since I loved that son so much. Seeing your list, made even more songs come to my mind.

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  13. I enjoyed more ‘Rain!’ (Never thought I would say those words.) Adele’s is an absolute belter! I was expecting a certain Counting Crows one in that selection.

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    • Glad you enjoyed them, Paul. That one really is good, isn’t it! There are so many ‘rain’ songs – I have a list that is more than enough for a third set, and it does include Rain King 😊

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      • They are both English folk bands, both big favourites of mine that I have seen live multiple times. There’s an Oysterband clip in this post, but it probably isn’t the best that you can find. Try Diamonds on the Water as a starter. Bellowhead were an 11 piece band, with a brass section. Talented musicians, great songs and absolute bedlam at their shows. The anti-Valentines Day one, which included guest burlesque performers, remains a happy memory! The bands have done their own versions of a folk song called New York Girls, which are both a lot of fun.

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