Laughter in the Rain
"Laughter in the Rain" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Neil Sedaka | ||||
from the album Sedaka's Back | ||||
B-side | "Endlessly" (US); "Kiddio" (UK); "Betty Grable" (Belgium); "For the Good of the Cause" (Brazil) | |||
Released | October 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Genre | Pop, soft rock[1] | |||
Length | 2:53 | |||
Label | Rocket (US); Polydor (Europe) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody | |||
Producer(s) | Neil Sedaka and Robert Appere | |||
Neil Sedaka singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Official audio | ||||
"Laughter In The Rain" on YouTube |
"Laughter in the Rain" is a song composed and recorded by Neil Sedaka, with lyrics by Phil Cody. It includes a 20-second saxophone solo by Jim Horn.[2]
Background
The song was released on Elton John's Rocket Records.
After hearing a version of "Laughter in the Rain" by singer Lea Roberts on the radio several weeks before the planned release of his single, Sedaka phoned Elton John to have MCA Records rush the Sedaka version to release within five days.[3]
The opening chord of the chorus was based on that used by John in "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", which Sedaka has described as a "drop-dead chord."[3] He combined that with a pentatonic melody inspired by Aaron Copland.[4] Cody claims to have written the lyrics in about five minutes after smoking marijuana and falling asleep under a tree for a couple of hours.[5]
Chart performance
In the U.S., "Laughter in the Rain" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 1, 1975 (Sedaka's first single to top the Hot 100 since 1962).[6] The song spent two weeks at the top of the adult contemporary chart.
The record was also a major hit in Canada, reaching #2 on the pop singles chart and #1 on the adult contemporary chart. It was also released in the U.K., where it spent nine weeks on the Singles Chart, peaking at #15 on June 22, 1974.[7]
Weekly charts
Lea Roberts
Chart (1974) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[8] | 109 |
US Billboard R&B | 20 |
Neil Sedaka
|
Year-end charts
|
Personnel
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2021) |
- Neil Sedaka – lead vocal, piano
- Danny Kortchmar – electric guitar
- Dean Parks - acoustic guitar
- Leland Sklar – bass guitar
- Russ Kunkel – drums
- Jim Horn – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
- William "Smitty" Smith – Hammond organ, background vocals
- Abigail Haness, Brenda Gordon, Brian Russell – background vocals
- Artie Butler – orchestral arrangement[17]
Cover versions
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2019) |
- This song was covered by Caterina Valente on her 1975 album titled Now.[18]
- This song was covered by Johnny Mathis on his 1975 album titled When Will I See You Again.[19]
- This song was covered by Asha Puthli on her 1975 album titled She Loves to Hear the Music.[20]
- This song was covered by Ace Spectrum on their 1975 album entitled Low Rent Rendezvous.[21]
- The song was covered by Earl Klugh on his 1976 self-titled album,[22] by Thomas Anders (of Modern Talking fame) in his 1992 album Down on Sunset and by Pepe Jaramillo on his Mexican Tijuana / Mexican Gold album.
- The Weather Girls covered the song on their 1985 album Big Girls Don't Cry.[23]
- In 2007 Donny Osmond released a cover of the tune on his solo studio album Love Songs of the '70s.[24]
- The Ray Conniff Singers recorded a vocal harmony arrangement of the song on their 1975 album, Laughter in the Rain.[25]
- There was also a Finnish cover version performed by Markku Aro, entitled "Kun sä Vierelläin Sateessa Oot".[26]
- Disco funk-soul outfit Vitamin E covered this song on their 1977 release Sharing, featuring horns by Randy Brecker.[27]
- In 2016, Funkmammoth released an electronic/funk remix of this in the album labeled Bird Watching.[28] The sample occurs first at 0:19, and further throughout the song. [29]
- Japanese jazz band Time Five released a cover of the tune in their 1979 album 翼をください ("Tsubasa wo Kudasai"), under the song 雨の樹の下で ("Ame no kinoshitade").[30]
- In 2017 Richie Cole released a cover of the tune on his album Latin Lover.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits: 1974 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via AllMusic.
- ^ "Bob Weir & Neil Sedaka: West Meets East (Coast)" at elmoremagazine.com
- ^ a b Professor of Rock - Neil Sedaka - The Story of Laughter In The Rain, retrieved 2019-12-02
- ^ "Today's Mini-Concert - 9/2/2020 - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Songwriter Interviews: Philip Cody" at songfacts.com
- ^ a b "Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Neil Sedaka". officialcharts.com/. 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
- ^ "laughter in the rain | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary Music Chart - Billboard". Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 2/01/75". cashboxmagazine.com.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1975". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
- ^ "Artie Butler | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links".
- ^ "Caterina Valente - Now".
- ^ "When Will I See You Again - Johnny Mathis | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "She Loves to Hear the Music - Asha Puthli | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "Low Rent Rendevous - Ace Spectrum | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "Earl Klugh - Earl Klugh | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "Big Girls Don't Cry - the Weather Girls | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "Decades, Vol. 1: Love Songs of the 70's - Donny Osmond | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "You Are the Sunshine of My Life/Laughter in the Rain - Ray Conniff | User Reviews | AllMusic".
- ^ Markku Aro - Kun Sä Vierelläin Sateessa Oot on YouTube
- ^ "Vitamin E (3) - Sharing". Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ Walking in the Rain, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-11-03
- ^ "Funkmammoth's 'Walking in the Rain' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ Time Five - 翼をください (Tsubasa wo Kudasai ) [1979], archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-12-03
Other sources
- Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hAudio microformats
- Articles needing additional references from March 2021
- All articles needing additional references
- Articles needing additional references from June 2019
- All articles with unsourced statements
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2022
- AC with 0 elements
- 1974 singles
- Neil Sedaka songs
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Cashbox number-one singles
- Songs written by Neil Sedaka
- 1974 songs
- Polydor Records singles
- Songs with lyrics by Phil Cody
- The Rocket Record Company singles