Lizzie and the Rainman
1975 single by Tanya Tucker From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Lizzie and the Rainman" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell and Larry Henley. The song was first recorded in 1972, being that year a single release for its co-writer Kenny O'Dell and an album cut for Bobby Goldsboro (California Wine) and the Hollies (Romany, under the slightly different title "Lizzy and the Rain Man").
| "Lizzie and the Rainman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Tanya Tucker | ||||
| from the album Tanya Tucker | ||||
| B-side | "Traveling Salesman" | |||
| Released | April 14, 1975 | |||
| Recorded | March 19, 1975 | |||
| Genre | Pop, soft rock, country | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Larry Henley, Kenny O'Dell | |||
| Producer(s) | Snuff Garrett | |||
| Tanya Tucker singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
"Lizzie and the Rainman" relates how a rainmaker visiting a drought-stricken West Texas town offers to make it rain for $100. Using Native American rain dance techniques (and, similar to prosperity gospel preachers, tells the people that the rain won't come if they don't believe), he is called out by a skeptical local woman named Lizzie Cooper, who he then tries to woo.
The idea for the song came from the film The Rainmaker whose heroine is named Lizzie Curry.[1]
Tanya Tucker recording
In 1975, the song was recorded by American country music artist Tanya Tucker. A narrative song as was typical for the first phase of Tucker's career. She recorded her vocal for "Lizzie and the Rainman" in a 19 March 1975 session in Los Angeles produced by Snuff Garrett; Tucker would recall: "the recording was so impersonal. I was used to recording live with all the musicians in the studio, and I just sang to the tracks on this one."[1] Released as the lead single from the album Tanya Tucker - which marked Tucker's MCA Records debut - "Lizzie and the Rainman" was Tucker's fourth Hot Country Songs #1[2] and was also her first single to make the Pop Top 40, reaching #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1975. A #7 A/C hit, "Lizzie and the Rainman" would prove to be Tucker's only Top 40 hit despite her later recording material more specifically aimed at the Pop market; her one subsequent Hot 100 item "Here's Some Love" peaked at #82.[3]
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 85 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 37 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7] | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 66 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 2 |
Other recordings
- In 1973, Alex Taylor had a single release of the song.
References
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