Robert John

Listen/Download Robert John – Raindrops, Love and Sunshine

Greetings all

Welcome to another groovy week here at Funky16Corners.

Today’s entry is yet another chapter in the sometimes strange world of Northern Soul.

There was a period some years back where it seems a new book about Northern Soul – reference or otherwise – was coming out every month or so, and I think I bought them all.

In addition to countless familiar soul artists, I was turned on to tons of new ones.

What I also kept finding were seemingly incongruous artists, who one would never (at first glance) consider soulful (Paul Anka, Joey Heatherton, Bobby Goldsboro etc), yet who all recorded great, soulful 45s.

Northern Soul playlists have always been a home to records that in one way or another, fit the mold whether it was a one-off record that was recorded/performed in a soul style, or a wide variety of instrumentals that provided enough of that powerful, four on the floor beat.

The record I bring you today is a great example of the former.

When I saw the name Robert John pop up in a soul playlist, my brain had a brief short circuit, during which I was unable to reconcile the singer of the 70s AM hit ‘Sad Eyes’ with anything remotely soulful. I figured it had to be someone else with the same name.

As it turns out, the Robert John of ‘Raindrops, Love and Sunshine’ is the very same guy who had a number of hits in the 70s.

John – born Robert John Pedrick – had been recording since he was 12 years old, first charting in 1958 (as ‘Bobby Pedrick’), and then continuing to record through the 60s for a variety of labels.

He recorded ‘Raindrops, Love and Sunshine’ in 1970, featuring his powerful (nearly ear-shattering) falsetto, and an arrangement that owes a huge debt to the previous year’s mega-hit ‘More Today Than Yesterday’ by the Spiral Starecase.

If you are at all familiar with Northern Soul, it is immediately obvious why this record became popular on the scene.
It has both the solid, propulsive beat, and an anthemic, nearly explosive chorus.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some folks thought they were hearing a female singer the first time they heard the song.

Interestingly enough, the record’s A-side ‘When the Party Is Over’ was a minor hit (Pop #71).

John went on to have a number of hits in the 70s and 80s, including the aforementioned ‘Sad Eyes’ (#1 1979) and even and putting that falsetto to use again in 1983 with a remake of the Newbeats ‘Bread and Butter’ (#68 1983), which came out on Motown.

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

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PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

2 Responses to “Robert John – Raindrops, Love and Sunshine”

1. Charity Chic says:

   November 17, 2013 at 3:50 pm

   Loving the jumper

2. frankai says:

   November 22, 2013 at 4:31 am

   unknown to me – love this one . thank you !