Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)
| "Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Serendipity Singers | |
| from the album The Serendipity Singers | |
| B-side | "Freedom's Star" |
| Released | 1964 |
| Genre | Folk, calypso |
| Length | 2:43 |
| Label | Philips |
| Writer(s) | Ersel Hickey |
"Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)" was a folk music single, the debut recording by the Serendipity Singers in 1964. The song was written by rockabilly singer songwriter Ersel Hickey.[1] The lyrics were based on the English nursery rhyme "There Was a Crooked Man", with a calypso music based melody. It reached #2 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1964.[2] "Don't Let the Rain Come Down" topped the 17 April 1964 WLS Silver Dollar Survey, in the middle of Beatlemania.[3] It was released on their debut album, The Serendipity Singers. The single's Philips catalog code was 40175.
The song was also covered by Ronnie Hilton, whose version was a hit in the UK, peaking at #21 in 1964.
In a "My Music, Folk Rewind" video, the group's nine members appear as three groups of three, with each group singing its particular verse. All nine members sing in each repetition of the chorus.
References
- ↑ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock 'N' Roll Gold Rush : A Singles Un-Cyclopedia. Algora Publishing. p. 78.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 210.
- ↑ "SILVER DOLLAR SURVEY, APRIL 17, 1964". users.qwest.net. 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2011.