Cry (Churchill Kohlman song)

"Cry" is the title of a 1951 popular song written by Churchill Kohlman. The song was first recorded by Ruth Casey on the Cadillac label.[1] The biggest hit version was recorded in New York City by Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads on October 16, 1951.

"Cry"
Single by Johnnie Ray
from the album Cry
B-side "The Little White Cloud That Cried"
Released October 1951
Format 45 rpm, 78 rpm
Recorded October 16, 1951
Genre Pop
Length 3:02
Label Okeh
Writer(s) Churchill Kohlman
Producer(s) Mitch Miller
Certification Gold
Johnnie Ray singles chronology
"Whiskey And Gin"
(1951)
"Cry"
(1951)
"Please, Mr. Sun"
(1951)

Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads version

The Johnnie Ray recording was released on Columbia Records subsidiary label Okeh Records[2] as catalog number Okeh 6840. It was a No.1 hit on the Billboard magazine chart that year, and one side of one of the biggest two-sided hits, as the flip side, "The Little White Cloud That Cried," reached No.2 on the Billboard chart. This recording also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers lists and the flip side, "The Little White Cloud that Cried," peaked at number six.[3] When the single started to crack the charts the single was released on Columbia Records catalog number Co 39659.

Stan Freberg satirized this song, under the title "Try", and reported getting more angry feedback than from any of his many other parodies.[2]

Preceded by
Slow Poke
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart
#1 record

February 2, 1952March 22, 1952
Succeeded by
Wheel of Fortune
Preceded by
"Flamingo" by Earl Bostic and His Orchestra
Billboard Best Selling Retail Rhythm and Blues Records number-one single
January 12, 1952
Succeeded by
"Flamingo" by Earl Bostic and His Orchestra
Preceded by
"(It's No) Sin" by Eddy Howard
U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single
December 29, 1951–March 8, 1952
Succeeded by
"Wheel of Fortune" by Kay Starr

Ronnie Dove Version

"Cry"
Single by Ronnie Dove
from the album Cry (Ronnie Dove album)
B-side "Autumn Rhapsody"
Released 1966 (U.S.)
Format 7"
Recorded 1966
Genre Pop music
Length 3:16
Label Diamond Records
Writer(s) Churchill Kohlman
Producer(s) Phil Kahl, Ray Vernon
Ronnie Dove singles chronology
"I Really Don't Want To Know"
(1966)
"Cry"
(1966)
"One More Mountain to Climb (Ronnie Dove song)"
(1967)

Ronnie Dove had a Top 20 pop hit with his cover version, bringing it to number 16 in 1966 on Diamond Records. He would perform this song on The Ed Sullivan Show the following year. This was Ronnie's last Top 40 hit.

Chart positions

Chart (1966) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 18
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles 16

Lynn Anderson version

"Cry"
Single by Lynn Anderson
from the album Cry
B-side "Simple Words"
Released January 1972 (U.S.)
Format 7"
Recorded 1971
Genre Country
Length 3:10
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Churchill Kohlman
Lynn Anderson singles chronology
"How Can I Unlove You"
(1971)
"Cry"
(1972)
"Listen to a Country Song"
(1972)

Lynn Anderson had major success in the country music market with her 1972 version, released on Columbia Records, which hit No.1 on the Cashbox country charts, and No. 3 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.[4] It also charted in the Top 20 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary Charts.

Chart positions

Chart (1972) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 71
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles 16
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles 77
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks 9
Preceded by
"Good Hearted Woman"
by Waylon Jennings
RPM Country Tracks
number-one single

March 25, 1972
Succeeded by
"All His Children"
by Charley Pride

Crystal Gayle version

"Cry"
Single by Crystal Gayle
from the album Straight to the Heart
B-side "Crazy in the Heart"
Released July 1986 (U.S.)
Format 7"
Recorded 1986
Genre Country
Length 4:18
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Churchill Kohlman
Producer(s) Jim Ed Norman
Crystal Gayle singles chronology
"Makin' Up for Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers Song)"
(duet with Gary Morris)
(1985)
"Cry"
(1986)
"Straight to the Heart"
(1986)

Crystal Gayle had her own hit version of the song in 1986, taking it to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.[5]

Chart positions

Chart (1986) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1
Preceded by
"Just Another Love"
by Tanya Tucker
Billboard Hot Country Singles
number-one single

October 25, 1986
Succeeded by
"It'll Be Me"
by Exile
RPM Country Tracks
number-one single

November 8, 1986

Dutch-language versions

In 1982, singer/comedian André van Duin recorded it as "Als je huilt" (a double A-side with his take on Edith Piaf's "Les Trois Cloches") which became a #1-hit in the Dutch Top 40 by mid-August.[6] During TV-promotion he wore specially designed specs with an in-built water-sprayer for audience-exposure.[7]

Preceded by
"Someone Loves You Honey"
by June Lodge & Prince Mohammed
Dutch Top 40 number-one single
"Als je huilt" / "Bim bam"
by André van Duin

21 August 1982 – 11 September 1982 (4 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Twilight Zone"
by Golden Earring

Other versions

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
  2. 1 2 Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 2 - Play A Simple Melody: American pop music in the early fifties. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 484.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 27.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 132.
  6. "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 33, 1982". Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  7. "YouTube: André van Duin - Als je huilt". Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  8. https://soundcloud.com/barnonepop/eros-and-the-eschaton-cry-1
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, December 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.