When a decade goes by without a hit, that usually means that an artist isn’t likely to return to their previous heights. For Neil Sedaka, the decade away from mainstream success didn’t seem to faze him in the least. He started cranking out hits all over again, 10 years removed from his early 60s heyday.
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It all started with “Laughter In The Rain”, a surprise No. 1 hit single in the US in 1975. With a little help from a well-timed joint and another superstar piano player, the song made a comfortable home in the soft-rocking 70s.
Early Rock Excellence Fades
If Neil Sedaka hadn’t recorded a note after 1963, his place in rock and roll history would have been secured. Sedaka made his mark in the early days of the genre as both a songwriter and a performer. He segued effortlessly from doo-wop style songs to more ornate pop productions.
For a four-year stretch from 1959 to 1962, Sedaka lodged near the top of the US pop charts. He hit the Top 10 six times as an artist in that span, including the chart-topping “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”, which he co-wrote with his steady collaborator Howard Greenfield.
Sedaka did pretty well in 1963. But the hits dried up suddenly in 1964. Why? Well, a little group called The Beatles hit American shores that same year. The Fab Four, who, by the way, often played Sedaka’s “Oh! Carol” in their shows, ushered in the British Invasion. That left precious little room on the charts for solo artists like Sedaka.
“Rain” Forecast
Neil Sedaka soldiered on for the rest of the 60s without much success. In the early 70s, softer sounds started dominating AM radio in America. But still, Sedaka couldn’t make any US progress. He did, however, start to gain some footing in the United Kingdom, where he released a series of early 70s albums.
One of those was titled Laughter In The Rain. The title track was penned by Sedaka and Phil Cody. When Sedaka initially played the music for Cody, the lyricist found himself bereft of any kind of inspiration. He took a walk, smoked a joint, and napped. When Cody returned to meet Sedaka again, the lyrics came pouring out of him.
Even then, “Laughter In The Rain” might have stayed a localized UK hit were it not for the efforts of Elton John. Long a fan of Sedaka, John signed him up to his vanity label, Rocket Records. The album Sedaka’s Back, featuring songs taken from Neil Sedaka’s previous three UK releases, was released in 1974. The following year, “Laughter In The Rain” hit the top spot in America.
Behind the Lyrics of “Laughter In The Rain”
Cody came up with the idea of two lovers frolicking in a storm, even though it was a sunny day when he wrote the lyrics. Sedaka sings of feeling impervious to the weather thanks to the presence of his love. “I feel the touch of her hand in mine,” he wails as the melody rises.
Later, the pair takes shelter, and their passion intensifies. “After a while we run under a tree,” Sedaka sings. “I turn to her and she kisses me.” In the chorus, he confesses that he looks forward to the clouds forming. “Ooh, how I love the rainy days,” he sings. “And the happy way I feel inside.”
“Laughter In The Rain” initiated a resurgence for Neil Sedaka, as he started to pop up on the charts with regularity. That happened in concordance with a few artists covering his older songs with great success. Not even a decade of relative obscurity could keep this music legend down.
Photo via Shutterstock
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