Origins: I'll Never Let You Cry (Mitchell/Pollack)

Subject: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Uke
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 12:46 AM

Hi there people,

Here in New Zealand there is a little song that was sung a lot back in the 1950s and 1960s as a party singalong number. Versions go something like this:


The bubbles in my beer keep haunting me,
Every time I have a drink I'm happy as can be,
In memory of the days,
When we were on a spree,
Honey, won't you have a drink with me.

(Chorus)

I'll never let you stand in the rain,
I'll always want you to kiss kiss me again,
And when you do,
I want you to know,
That I'll never let you go.

[Sometimes the first line of the chorus is "I'll never let you stand out in the rain"].


Have versions of this ever been heard elsewhere on the planet? Some people reckon the chorus was a popular song on the radio in the 1940s, but I can't seem to find anything through google etc.

Subject: RE: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 07:04 PM

Hmmm. Googling comes up only with your post, but the song sounds familiar to me. The only "Stand in the Rain" song I could think of was this one (click) but Superchick, and I don't for the life of me know why I'm familiar with it.

The song I'm thinking of was kind of a mellow one, sung by a group of guys (sounding like Chad & Jeremy or somebody like that), with "I'll never let you stand out in the rain" as the last line of the chorus....or could it be that my brain is addled and I'm really thinking of "I'll do my cryin' in the rain."

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Uke
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 09:59 PM

I can also add that nobody I've ever talked to knows who the performer of the 1940s popular song was. Many simply learned it through singalongs. The melody has a 1940s, slightly jazz crooner feel, but upbeat.

Subject: RE: I'll never let you stand out in the rain......
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 13 - 04:14 AM

Here I am in 2013 (January 26) compiling a cd of songs for our 87 year old mother of all her fave numbers from way back when.... when she was a much younger woman and rocked along to them. I am determined to include practically her favourite song of all "..... I'll never let you stand out in the rain...etc etc...." and I'm gutted to not be able to track (pun intended) it down! There must be someone somewhere who can enlighten me as to the title.... PLEASE.
Lynnie, Pukekohe, New Zealand

Subject: RE: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Uke
Date: 01 Apr 13 - 08:57 PM

Hi Lynnie
Don't know if you're still looking for this, but the music for the song is printed in "The Great New Zealand Songbook" (1991, Les Cleveland).

If you're having trouble working that out, I could sing it down the phone to you from Wellington! Just register with Mudcat and PM me.
Uke

Subject: RE: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Apr 13 - 09:22 PM

Issued with 2 cds, according to Abebooks. Not cheap at this date.

Subject: RE: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Uke
Date: 01 Apr 13 - 10:10 PM

Actually, there are two publications with the same title.

'The Great New Zealand Songbook' (1991, Auckland: Godwit Press) is a collection of folk and art songs edited by the folklorist, photographer and writer Les Cleveland.

'The Great New Zealand Songbook' (2009, Auckland: Thom Music) is a collection of popular songs edited by Murray Thom, that comes as a double CD and special printed book.



'Stand in the rain' features in Les Cleveland's 1991 book, which is out of print but not too hard to find in secondhand bookshops in NZ.

Subject: RE: Origins: Stand in the rain
From: Uke
Date: 01 Apr 13 - 10:20 PM

Just discovered what is probably the original version of this song with the songwriting credits. From:

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/i/illneverletyoucry.shtml


I'LL NEVER LET YOU CRY
From the film "In Old Chicago" (1937)
(Music: Lew Pollack / Lyrics: Sidney D. Mitchell)

Versions recorded by Alice Faye (Film Soundtrack) - 1937; Teddy Grace - 1937; Artie Shaw & His Rhythm Makers - 1938; Slim Whitman.


A version by the Texas Wanderers (which has the pretty much the same melody I know) can be heard on Youtube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzWIs04inVo


One can conclude that the lyrics I posted above are a NZ verse added to the Pollack/Mitchell song. Cleveland's 1991 book has another quite different verse too.

Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL NEVER LET YOU CRY (Mitchell/Pollack)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Apr 13 - 01:12 PM

I'LL NEVER LET YOU CRY
Words, Sidney D. Mitchell; music, Lew Pollack.
As sung by Alice Faye on "The Ultimate Collection"*

[VERSE] I've made some resolutions; they're all concerning you.
So there'll be no misunderstandings, I'll recite a few:

[CHORUS] I'll never let you cry over me.
You'll never know how nice I can be.
I'll never tell you how much I'm in love.
You'll never know who I'm thinking of.
I'll never let you stand in the rain.
I'll never let you kiss me again,
But if you do, I want you to know:
I'll never let you go.

[* This recording seems to be taken directly from the soundtrack of the film "In Old Chicago" (1937).

[Slim Whitman omits the verse and sings the chorus differently:]

I'll never let you cry over me.
You'll never know how nice I can be.
I'll never tell you how much I'm in love.
You'll never know who I'm thinking of.
I'll never let you stand in the rain.
I'll never keep you waiting in vain.
I'll never bring a tear to your eye.
I'll never let you cry.

[There is a Cajun version called JE VAS JAMAIS LESSAIR PLEURER sung by the Alley Boys of Abbeville on "Authentic Cajun & Rare: 1935 – 1939". I can't transcribe it.]