Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

Gold record presented to backup singer Linda November for her work on "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is B. J. Thomas's #1 song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.^[2] It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.^[2] David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. It was recorded in seven takes, after Bacharach expressed dissatisfaction with the first six. In the film version of the song, B. J. Thomas had been recovering from laryngitis, which made his voice sound hoarser than in the 7-inch release. The film version featured a separate vaudeville-style instrumental break in double time while Paul Newman performed bicycle stunts.

History

Ray Stevens was first offered the opportunity to record it for the film, but turned it down. He chose instead to record the song "Sunday Morning Coming Down," written by Kris Kristofferson. Bob Dylan is supposed to have been approached for the song, but he, too, reportedly declined.^[3] The trumpet solos in the song are performed by Chuck Findlay. ^[4]

The single by B. J. Thomas reached #1 on charts in the United States, Canada, Norway and reached #38 in the UK Singles Chart.^[2] It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in January 1970 and was also the first American number-one hit of the 1970s. The song also spent seven weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart.^[5] Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song of 1970.^[6] According to Billboard magazine, Thomas' single had sold over 2 million copies by March 14, 1970, with eight-track and cassette versions also climbing the charts.^[7]

In 2004, it finished at #23 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In 2008, the single was ranked 85th on Billboard's Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs^[8] and placed 95th in the 55th Anniversary edition of the All-Time Hot 100 list in 2013.^[9] Billboard Magazine also ranked the song 15th on its Top 50 Movie Songs of All Time list in 2014.^[10]

On December 3, 2013, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced that the single would be inducted into the 2014 Grammy Hall Of Fame.^[12]

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" was used in the film Spy Hard, which parodied the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is on the soundtracks to Forrest Gump and Spider-Man 2, in the latter accentuating Peter Parker's blissful mood after abandoning his Spider-Man identity and its responsibilities. It was used in the Kevin Smith film Clerks II. The first episode of the second season of the popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy is named after the song. It is also used in The Simpsons, episode 16 of the fourth season, called Duffless, at the end of the episode, while credits are presented. It was also used in a season 1 episode of Arrested Development entitled "Altar Egos". It was also used in the 2003 film "The In-Laws" starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks, which was a remake of the 1979 Peter Falk / Alan Arkin film.

Chart positions

B. J. Thomas version

Johnny Farnham version

Covers

The song has been covered numerous times. From January 24, 1970 to March 13 it was a number-one hit (for seven weeks) in Australia on the Go-Set National Top 40 for local pop singer, Johnny Farnham.^[15][16] In 1970, it was also covered by Engelbert Humperdinck on his album We Made It Happen, Johnny Mathis on his album Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, Perry Como on his album It's Impossible, The Four Tops on their album Changing Times, Andy Williams on his album, Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, and The Free Design on their album Stars/Time/Bubbles/Love. Portuguese-born television and radio presenter Pedro Biker released a Danish version re-entitled "Regndråber Drypper I Mit Hår" in 1970.^[17]

It has been covered in French by French singer Sacha Distel, whose version Toute La Pluie Tombe Sur Moi was a #10 hit in the UK Singles Chart,^[2] and #13 in Ireland, as well as #10 in France. Distel also recorded a version with the original English lyrics, and another in Italian, Gocce Di Pioggia Su Di Me. Bobbie Gentry's version reached #40 in the UK chart.^[2] Paul Mauriat recorded it with his Grand Orchestra it 1973. It was the only known cover in the USSR. The Barry Sisters covered the song in a Yiddish version ("Trop'ns Fin Regen Oif Mein Kop") on their 1973 album Our Way.^[18][19]

The Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers maintain "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in their repertoire of live songs, playing it as part of an acoustic set during concerts. The band recorded a version of the song complete with trumpet solo by their drummer Sean Moore. It was the first piece of music the band recorded after the disappearance of guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards, and saw release on the 1995 charity album Help. That version also appears on their 2003 B-sides and rarities compilation album Lipstick Traces (A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers). The Manics further reference the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with the B-side "Sepia".

Reggae artist Dennis Brown covered the song on his 1972 debut album No Man Is An Island, stylized, "Rain Drops Keep Falling". Delroy Wilson recorded a reggae version of the song that does not appear on any of his official albums. Mute Beat recorded a reggae version for their 1989 album March.

Jacques Loussier recorded a cover on his 1987 album In Loussier's Mood. The Flaming Lips covered it on 1996's Brainville EP. Ben Folds Five also covered it for the 1998 Burt Bacharach tribute TV special and soundtrack One Amazing Night. In 1998, Shonen Knife covered it as part of Big Deal Recording Artists Perform The Songs Of Burt Bacharach. In 2005, Australian band Jebediah covered it for Triple J's Like a Version compilation. Dionne Warwick has collaborated with Kelis on a cover for her 2006 duets album, while Barry Manilow covered it on his 2006 album The Greatest Songs of the Sixties. Jonathan Rayson also covered the song on his 2006 album "Shiny and New".

Lisa Miskovsky covered the song in the extended version of her self-titled (2004) album.^[20]

See also

• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1970s
• List of RPM number-one singles of 1970
• List of number-one hits in Norway
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1969 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1970 (U.S.)
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1970 (U.S.)

References