Recorded - September 1969
Released - October 14, 1969
#1 for weeks of January 3, 10, 17 and 24, 1970.
We begin both the 1970's and 1970 itself with a song that is no doubt quite familiar to many: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head". The song is often used in modern film and television in an ironic way, by juxtaposing an unhappy or gloomy scene with the song's happy melody. Fittingly, the song spent quite a bit of time on the easy-listening charts. However, this isn't "Honey"-grade soft-pop. No, "Raindrops…" was composed by none other than the acclaimed songwriting team of Hal David and Burt Bacharach.
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" was written for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. The vocalist used on the recording, B.J. Thomas, was just one of the many artists approached to sing lead. Two of the other artists considered were Ray Stevens and, surprisingly, Bob Dylan. You can read an upcoming review to hear my opinions on Mr. Stevens, but a Bob Dylan-sung version might have been interesting. After all, the song was recorded during a time period when Bob stopped smoking, and adopted a smoother country croon.
As it stands, I'd say that B.J. Thomas made a perfect candidate for lead vocalist. He may have come from a country background, but there is next to no country twang in his voice. His voice in "Raindrops…" reminds me a bit of classic piano-pop vocalists such as Tony Bennett. Vocally, B.J. gives the song a very optimistic feel, no doubt articulated by the music melody.
I've often scoffed at some of the more mellow numbers on this list. However, if you want a perfect example of how to write a more gentle-sounding number and make it timeless and interesting…well, you'd better hire Mr. Bacharach. The music production is jazzy in tone, and only features a few essential instruments such as acoustic guitar, brass, and a perfectly balanced string section. There are also a group of choral vocalists who pop in at strategic intervals throughout the piece. Overall, the song has a perfect mellow tone.
Final Verdict - "Raindrops…" managed to occupy the top slot for a whole month. Earlier, I debated whether the song deserved to reach the top. Truth of the matter is, I previous had no idea which year this song came out in. It sounds absolutely timeless. It is just the right amount of mellow, and nothing will be worrying you after you hear the song.
Coming Up Next - "I Want You Back" by The Jackson Five.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I'm wondering who'll stop the rain…oops…wrong song…
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