Pitter patter, pitter patter!
I have always loved this song from the 60’s and have heard it performed by many artists. Originally written by The Cascades band member John Claude Gummoe in November 1962, it rose to become a Top 5 hit in North America and Great Brittain by March of 1963. Ricky Nelson immediately covered it in 1963, as did Jan and Dean. It enjoyed another round of popularity in 1983 by Neil Sedaka, and then oddly in 1990 both Dan Fogelberg and Donovan released a cover of this already iconic 60’s song. The last famous cover was released by Briton Chris de Burgh in 2008.
Hawaiian connection
In 1995 the famous and very successful Hawaiian duo Ka’au Crater Boys recorded a slow, mellow ukulele version of the song as “Rhythm of the Falling Rain” on their debut album, Tropical Hawaiian Day.
The Kaʻau Crater Boys were formed in the early 1990’s by Ernie Cruz Jr. (the son of Ernie Cruz Sr.) and Troy Fernandez. Cruz played bass, acoustic guitar and handled main vocals for the majority of songs they recorded. Fernandez also contributed to vocals (mainly as a backing vocalist), but was mostly renowned for his musicianship with the ukulele. The creation of the Kaʻau Crater Boys also coincided with the resurgence in local Hawaiian customs and tradition, as well as promoting the renaissance of Hawaiian culture, especially among the local youth. They are an award-winning band very well-known both on the Hawaiian islands and on mainland U.S.A. They have been referred to as “legendary”.
Here is a video clip of the Ka’au Crater Boys performing Rhythm of the Falling Rain on KHNL TV where you can watch Troy Fernandez picking the melody on his ukulele:
Link to ukulele music CD’s available by Troy Fernandez:
http://www.mountainapplecompany.com/blog/artist/troy-fernandez/
Links to further information about Troy Fernandez and his Hawaiian ukulele style:
http://www.easyukulele.com/troy-fernandez.html
http://www.gigmasters.com/Ukulele/TroyFernandez (for booking info)
http://www.mkaloha.net/hawaiian-events-infoblog/kaau-crater-boy-troy-fernandez-moving-to-los-angeles
Cat's Ukulele Songs 