The Rain, the Park & Other Things

"The Rain, The Park & Other Things"
US release
Single by The Cowsills
from the album The Cowsills
B-side "River Blue"
Released September 1967
Format 7" single
Genre Psychedelic pop
Length 2:57
Label MGM
Songwriter(s) Artie Kornfeld, Steve Duboff
Producer(s) Artie Kornfeld
The Cowsills singles chronology
"A Most Peculiar Man"
(1966)		 "The Rain, The Park & Other Things"
(1967)		 "We Can Fly"
(1968)

"A Most Peculiar Man"
(1966)		 "The Rain, The Park & Other Things"
(1967)		 "We Can Fly"
(1968)

"The Rain, the Park & Other Things" is a psychedelic pop song with music and lyrics co-written by Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff. It was recorded by the pop band The Cowsills, and included on their 1967 album The Cowsills (MGM E/SE-4498). Released as a single, the song reached #2 on the Billboard charts.[1] The single cemented the group's international popularity and sold some three million copies over the years. It ties with 1969's "Hair" as the group's biggest hit, as both reached #2 in the U.S. It reached #1 in Canada's RPM Magazine charts.

Recording

The song was written by Kornfeld and Duboff specifically for the Cowsills; Bob Cowsill said Kornfeld told him they had written it in two hours.[2]

The Cowsills did not play on their earliest recordings. Studio musicians were brought in to provide the music for this song and many of the earlier singles. For this record, musicians included Gene Bianco on harp, Vinnie Bell, Charles Macy and Al Gorgoni on guitar, Joe Macho on bass, Artie Butler on organ, Paul Griffin on piano, George Devens on percussion, and Buddy Saltzman and Al Rogers on drums. The song also featured the recorded sounds of a rainstorm.

Originally recorded in late 1966, Barbara Cowsill's backing vocals were added onto the finished product after the initial sessions, at Kornfeld's suggestion,[2]

The song is known by many as "The Flower Girl".[3] This title was its original name, but MGM Records president Mort Nasatir suggested that the title be changed in order to avoid confusion with Scott McKenzie's contemporaneous hit single, "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)".[2] The new title was coined by Kornfeld.[2]

Lyrical content

In the song, the narrator states that he saw a flower girl sitting in the rain, said hello, and took a lovely walk in the park until, when the rain stops and the sun breaks through, she disappears. However, the narrator still feels happy about the flower girl, and states the final words: "Was she reality, or just a dream to me?".

The song was used in the Lloyd fantasy scene in the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber.

Chart performance

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 149.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gibbs, Ryan. "Name that refrain: 'The Rain, The Park & Other Things' turns 50". NewportRI.com l News and information for Newport, Rhode Island. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "The Rain, The Park And Other Things by The Cowsills Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  4. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  5. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
  6. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 11/25/67". Tropicalglen.com. 1967-11-25. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  7. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  8. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  9. ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967". Tropicalglen.com. 1967-12-23. Retrieved 2016-10-01.


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