Singin' in the Rain (song)

Gene Kelly performing the song in the 1952 film Singin' in the Rain.

"Singin' In the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929. However, it is unclear exactly when the song was written with some claiming that the song was written and performed as early as 1927. The song was listed as Number 3 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs.

Covers

"Singing in the Rain" was first performed by Doris Eaton Travis in the 1929 revue The Hollywood Music Box Revue. The song became a hit and was recorded by a number of artists, notably Cliff Edwards, who also performed the number with the Brox Sisters in the early MGM musical The Hollywood Revue of 1929. It was also performed by Annette Hanshaw in her album Volume 6. It was also performed on film by Jimmy Durante (in 1932's Speak Easily) and Judy Garland (in 1940's Little Nellie Kelly). An instrumental version was used as background music at the beginning of MGM's 1930 "The Divorcee" starring Norma Shearer.

• The song is probably best known today as the centerpiece of the musical film Singin' in the Rain (1952), in which Gene Kelly memorably danced to the song while splashing through puddles during a rainstorm. The song is also performed during the opening credits of the film.
• The song was recorded in Buenos Aires for Odeon Records in 1930 under the title "Cantando Bajo La Lluvia," by Francisco Canaro's orchestra and with the Spanish lyrics sung by Charlo. It was also recorded under the same title in 1936 by the Orquesta Tipica Victor, the RCA Victor in-house orchestra in Buenos Aires.
• The song was also recorded by John Serry, Sr. and his sextet ensemble in 1954 for RCA Victor records under the musical direction of Ben Selvin on an LP vinyl disc.
• In 1971, Scottish folk rock-singer John Martyn did an acoustic folk jazz-version on his album Bless The Weather, where he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar and sang several overdubbed backing vocals.
• The Pasadena Roof Orchestra has covered the song on many different occasions, including releasing it on The Best of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra album in 1973.
• The song was subsequently featured in Stanley Kubrick's film A Clockwork Orange, in which the protagonist sang it while raping a woman. The song is also played over the closing credits.
• The song is covered by Cary Grant's character, Roger Thornhill, in the shower, in Alfred Hitchcock's film North by Northwest.
• Sammy Davis Jr. gave the song a final US chart ride with a version widely played on easy listening stations (number 16 easy listening, 1974).
• Disco version of Singin' in the Rain in 1978 by the French pop singer Sheila B. Devotion (UK number 11).
• In the 1980s, Dutch pop singer Taco released a version of it, which reached number 46 in the Canadian Charts on August 27, 1983, although it failed to crack the US Top 100 or the UK Top 40.
• Glenn Butcher covered this song on the Australian video ABC for Kids Video Hits.
• The song was incorporated by Michael Kamen into his score for the 1988 film Die Hard, where it is most closely associated with the character of Theo (Clarence Gilyard).
• British jazz/pop singer Jamie Cullum covered the song on his 2003 album Twentysomething.
• In the film called Robots, when Fender says goodbye to Loretta with a blowing kiss, he happily sings a parody called "Singing In The Oil" which is to the tune of this song and dances around until he gets caught by a Sweeper.
• A version performed by the UK comedy partnership Morecambe and Wise was ranked at the top of a 2007 poll of their Greatest Moments.
• A version was also performed by Jheena Lodwick in 2006, on her album titled Singing in the rain.
• In 2009 and 2010 the song was performed by South-Korean K-pop group Girls' Generation on their Into the New World tour
• In 2010, the song was sung on FOX series Glee in a mash-up with Rihanna's "Umbrella" featuring Gwyneth Paltrow.
• There's a jazz instrumental by Sonny Stitt on his 1958 album Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements.

Mint Royale remix

"Singin' in the Rain"
Single by Mint Royale
from the album See You in the Morning and Pop Is...
Released	August 22, 2005 (UK)
Format	CD single, 12" vinyl, digital download
Recorded	2005
Genre	Big beat
Length	2:04 (short radio edit) 3:26 (Pop Is... album version) 2:47 (See You in the Morning album version)
Label	Faith & Hope, Direction Records
Writer(s)	Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed
Producer	Mint Royale
Mint Royale singles chronology
"Wait for You" (2005) "Singin' in the Rain" (2005/2008) "The Effect on Me" (2005)

Singin' in the Rain was remixed by Mint Royale using the classic musical song Singin' in the Rain. It was released on 22 August 2005 after being featured in an advert for the Volkswagen Golf. This cover was an important milestone in the journey this classical musical song has taken since Mint Royale brings a totally modern sensibility to the tune. It is important to understand that because of this 'modern' sensibility the classic musical song speaks to an entirely new audience in ways that the original version did not and therefore warrants an entire section devoted to the Mint Royale cover.

History

Due to the extreme exposure of the song via the performance of then-unknown dancer George Sampson on (and ultimate winner of) Britain's Got Talent, "Short Radio Edit" of the track went to number one on the iTunes Top 100 in the UK in 2008, years after its initial release , with other versions of the track appearing lower down.

It re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 28 on June 1, 2008 and climbed to number 1 on June 8, 2008, selling 45,987 copies, knocking Rihanna's "Take a Bow" down to the number 2 spot. After being knocked off the top spot by Coldplay it continuously fell down the chart.

It was also danced to by the winner of So You Think You Can Dance Australia, Jack Chambers and his partner Kate Wormald during Top 8 week. The routine was choreographed by UK Award winning choreographer, Supple Nam.

On July 27, 2008, the song re-entered the chart at number 35 and fell to number 40 the following week. It's chart history since then has been a veritable chaotic crescendo of dynamism as it slipped from 40 to 80 then rising to number 27 before falling again to 66.

Track listings

CD 1

1. "Singin' in the Rain" (short radio edit) (2:04)
2. "Singin' in the Rain" (club mix) (5:45)

CD 2

1. "Singin' in the Rain" (short radio edit) (2:04)
2. "Singin' in the Rain" (club mix) (5:45)
3. "Singin' in the Rain" (Kenny Hayes remix) (6:16)
4. "Singin' in the Rain" (Pablo Ramone's club remix) (7:03)
5. "Singin' in the Rain" (Smith & Pledger remix) (7:23)
6. "Singin' in the Rain" (Storm in a Double DD Cup remix) (6:53)
7. "Singin' in the Rain" (video) (2:30)

12" Vinyl

1. "Singin' in the Rain" (club mix) (5:45)
2. "Singin' in the Rain" (Smith & Pledger remix) (7:23)
3. "Singin' in the Rain" (Pablo Ramone's club remix) (7:03)

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	20
Chart (2008)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	1
Irish Singles Chart	3

Preceded by "Take a Bow" by Rihanna

UK Singles Chart number-one single (Mint Royale version) June 8, 2008 - June 21, 2008

Succeeded by "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay

Selected appearances in media

• The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929)
• The Dogway Melody (1930)
• The Divorcee (1930)
• Speak Easily (1932)
• The Old Dark House (1932)
• Idiot's Delight (1939)
• Little Nellie Kelly (1940)
• The Big Noise (1944)
• Singin' in the Rain (1952)
• North by Northwest (1959)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• Die Hard (1988)
• What About Bob? (1991)
• Jeeves and Wooster (1991)
• Léon (1994)
• Godzilla (1998)
• Shanghai Knights (2003)
• Robots (2005)
• Kara no Kyōkai (Murder Speculation Part 1, The Hollow Shrine) (2008)
• Glee's The Substitute (2010)

External links

• Singin' in the Rain at the Internet Movie Database