Hi-Revving Tongues - Rain And Tears (1969)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
New Zealand
#1 NZ

Single on Zodiac by late 60s Auckland band.

Hi-Revving Tongues, familiarly known as The Tongues, released two albums – Tropic Of Capricorn (1967) and The Tongues (1969) – and about ten singles, of which Rain And Tears was the only national hit. Their first single, Illusion, is remembered as an early example of New Zealand psychedelia, and Tropic Of Capricorn, a local hit from the album of that name, was on the NZ retrospective album How Was The Air Up There? (1980).

The Tongues were successful in three band contests held within a few months of each other in late 1967-early 1968:

• second place in an Auckland-only "Battle of the Sounds ‘67", held late in 1967;
• second place to The Fourmyula in an unconnected national “New Zealand Battle of the Sounds ’67”, actually held in January 1968;
• first place in another, new, national competition, “Rothmans Battle of the Sounds”, held soon after, in April 1968. The Rothmans Battle was first of a series of annual national Battles of the Sounds, not always under the Rothmans brand name.

The band's name seems to have been styled as either Hi-Revving Tongues or The Hi-Revving Tongues.

Reference, further reading: 1. Fresh research by Terry Stacey, based on his history of the Battle of the Sounds. 2. Bruce Sergent's Hi-Revving Tongues history.

Jimmy Haskell - Rain And Tears (1969)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
USA

Instrumental version on Dunhill.

Os Impossiveis - Rain And Tears (1969)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
Brazil

Shadows-style instrumental version, album track on Missão Sucesso on Casablanco label. Group from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

Dalida - Quelques larmes de pluie (1969)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
France

French version with lyrics by Boris Bergman, lyricist of Rain And Tears.

Dalida - Lacrime e pioggia (1968)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Vito Pallavicini - Johann Pachelbel)
Italy

Italian-language version by multi-lingual French recording artist of Italian background (Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti, 1933-1987).

The Italian lyrics are by Vito Pallavicini.

Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra - Rain And Tears (1968)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
France

Single on Philips (UK) by conductor and orchestra who had a big international hit with Love Is Blue (1968, #1 USA, #12 UK).

I Quelli - Lacrime e pioggia (1968)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Vito Pallavicini - Johann Pachelbel)
Italy

Italian version, September 1968, as above by Dalida.

Tammy - Rain And Tears (1968)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
Greece

Single on Pan-Vox.

Aphrodite’s Child - Rain And Tears (1968)

(Evangelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis] - Boris Bergman - Johann Pachelbel)
France
Original version
#1 France #1 Italy #2 Netherlands #2 Switzerland #2 Norway #7 Belgium #28 Germany #30 UK

Lyrics by Boris Bergman, music adapted by Vangelis from Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel (c.1680). Produced by Pierre Terrighi.

Single on Mercury recorded in Paris by progressive band formed in Greece. Heading for England in the wake of the right-wing military coup in Greece, their progress stalled in Paris because of work visa issues in entering the UK.

Band members included two future stars, the singer Demis Roussos and the composer-organist Vangelis (b. Evangelos Papathanassiou), along with Loukas Sideras. Military service kept a fourth member, Anargyros “Silver” Koulouris, in Greece. The lyrics of Rain And Tears – and of the other tracks on Aphrodites Child’s first album – were by the distinguished lyricist Boris Bergman, a French resident of Russian descent who was born in England.

The single was a big hit in France, le tube de l’été, staying at #1 through the summer of 1968 when protests and strikes were rocking the country. The regular record factories were closed and a disused back-street plant was revived to get the single pressed. Mercury also released the record in several European countries.

Pop-Tops - Oh Lord, Why Lord (1968)

(Phil Trim)
Spain
Influential version

Single on Barclay 1968, by Spanish vocal group, lead singer Phil Trim (b. 1940), Spanish resident born in Trinidad and Tobago.

This is also based on Pachelbel’s Canon, predating Aphrodite’s Child’s Rain And Tears. See also test pressing from April 1968.

The Pop-Tops are best known for their international hit Mamy Blue, written by Hubert Giraud, originally in French but with words to the English version by Phil Trim. In Australia Joel Dayde’s was the hit (#3 Australia), with versions by Roger Whittaker and James Darren also charting.

Thanks to Philippe for researching the history behind the Pop-Tops and Aphrodite’s Child versions.

Johann Pachelbel (composer) - Canon in D (1680)

Germany
Original melody

The Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), commonly known as Pachelbel's Canon, is one of the best-known works of the Baroque period of music, thanks to its 20th Century revival. It is part of the Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo (c.1680: exact year unclear).

A standard inclusion on Best of Baroque collections, Pachelbel's Canon has been used on film soundtracks, and recycled by numerous pop music composers and arrangers.

Further reading: 1. Pachelbel – Canon in D or "Sometimes it seems as though 50% of all pop songs have borrowed from Mr Pachelbel" at Pop Meets The Classics [archived page]. Included is a song list by Kolin Chasm, to which may be added The Moody Blues' 'Isn't Life Strange'. 2. Pachelbel – Canon in D: the facts at Classic FM (UK).

James Blunt - Tears And Rain (2004)

(James Blunt - Guy Chambers)
UK
Red herring

Similar title but not the same song as "Rain And Tears" by Hi-Revving Tongues.

Track on Back To Bedlam (2004).