| "Raindrops" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byDee Clark | ||||
| from the album Hold On...It's Dee Clark | ||||
| B-side | "I Want to Love You" | |||
| Released | April 1961 | |||
| Recorded | 1961 | |||
| Studio | Universal Recording Corp. (Chicago) | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | Vee-Jay383 | |||
| Songwriter | Dee Clark | |||
| Dee Clark singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Raindrops" is a popular song written and recorded by American R&B singerDee Clark, released in April 1961.
Theballad is about a man who tries to convince himself that the tears he is crying since his lover's departure are raindrops since "a man ain't supposed to cry." Clark was reportedly inspired to write the song after a late night drive through a heavy rainstorm. Accordingly, the opening and closing of the song both feature heavy rain and thunder sound effects, with the closing augmented by Clark's powerful, swoopingfalsetto.
Musicians on the record includedAl Duncan on drums, Quinn Wilson on bass, Earl Skarritt on electric guitar andPhil Upchurch on acoustic guitar, plus a string section. The song was recorded in a three-hour session atUniversal Recording Corporation in Chicago, withBruce Swedien as engineer.
The song peaked at No.2 on theHot 100 (held back from No.1 byGary U.S. Bond's "Quarter To Three").[1] On other US charts, "Raindrops" peaked at No. 3 on theR&B chart.Billboard ranked it as the ninth most popular song of the year for 1961.
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (lever hit parade)[2] | 1 |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100[3] | 2 |
| U.S.R&B Singles Chart[4] | 3 |
