Cry (Churchill Kohlman song)
Encyclopedia
"Cry" is the title of a 1951 popular song written by Churchill Kohlman
. The song was first recorded by Ruth Casey on the Cadillac label. The biggest hit version was recorded in New York City
by Johnnie Ray
and The Four Lads
on October 16, 1951.
as catalog number
6840. It was a No.1 hit on the Billboard magazine chart that year, and one side of one of the biggest two-sided hits, as the flip side, "The Little White Cloud That Cried
," reached No.2 on the Billboard chart. The Johnnie Ray recording also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers lists and the flip side, "The Little White Cloud that Cried
," peaked at number six.
had major success in the country music
market with her 1972 version, released on Columbia Records
, which hit No.1 on the Cashbox country charts, and No. 3 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart. It also charted in the Top 20 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary Charts.
had her own hit version of the song in 1986, taking it to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart.
recorded it as "Als je huilt" (a double A-side with his take on Edith Piaf
's "Les Trois Cloches") which became a #1-hit in the Dutch Top 40
by mid-August. During TV-promotion he wore specially designed specs
with an in-built water-sprayer for audience-exposure.
Stan Freberg did a parody of Johnnie Ray's version of "Cry" entitled "Try", in which he did an emotional "sobbing out of tune" performance with different lyrics. The lyrics include the title of the B-side song "The Little White Cloud That Cried", in the line "even little white clouds do it". Johnnie Ray was not initially pleased with this parody. However, he later accepted Freberg's version.
Churchill Kohlman
Churchill Kohlman was an African-American songwriter who wrote Johnnie Ray's 1951 hit, "Cry" while working in a Pittsburgh dry cleaning factory as the night watchman....
. The song was first recorded by Ruth Casey on the Cadillac label. The biggest hit version was recorded in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
and The Four Lads
The Four Lads
The Four Lads is a popular Canadian male singing quartet. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the group earned many gold singles and albums. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember," "Standin' on the Corner," "No, Not Much," "Who Needs You," and "Istanbul."The Four Lads makes...
on October 16, 1951.
Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads version
The recording was released by Okeh RecordsOkeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
6840. It was a No.1 hit on the Billboard magazine chart that year, and one side of one of the biggest two-sided hits, as the flip side, "The Little White Cloud That Cried
The Little White Cloud That Cried
"The Little White Cloud that Cried" is a popular song written by Johnnie Ray and published in 1951.The biggest hit version was recorded by Ray and The Four Lads in 1951. The recording was released by Okeh Records as catalog number 6840...
," reached No.2 on the Billboard chart. The Johnnie Ray recording also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers lists and the flip side, "The Little White Cloud that Cried
The Little White Cloud That Cried
"The Little White Cloud that Cried" is a popular song written by Johnnie Ray and published in 1951.The biggest hit version was recorded by Ray and The Four Lads in 1951. The recording was released by Okeh Records as catalog number 6840...
," peaked at number six.
Lynn Anderson version
Lynn AndersonLynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
had major success in the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
market with her 1972 version, released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, which hit No.1 on the Cashbox country charts, and No. 3 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. It also charted in the Top 20 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary Charts.
Chart positions
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 71 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles | 16 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 77 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 9 |
Crystal Gayle version
Crystal GayleCrystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
had her own hit version of the song in 1986, taking it to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart.
Chart positions
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Dutch-language versions
In 1982, singer/comedian André van DuinAndré van Duin
André van Duin is a Dutch actor , singer, writer and program creator.-Television, radio and theatre:...
recorded it as "Als je huilt" (a double A-side with his take on Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
's "Les Trois Cloches") which became a #1-hit in the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
by mid-August. During TV-promotion he wore specially designed specs
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
with an in-built water-sprayer for audience-exposure.
Other versions
- Diana TraskDiana TraskDiana Trask is an Australian and American country and pop singer born in Melbourne, Australia. She was a popular country singer during the 1970s in the United States and also was a popular star in her native Australia...
took a version to #99 on the country singles charts in 1975. - David CassidyDavid CassidyDavid Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
did a cover of the song for his album Then and Now. - Kevin CoyneKevin CoyneKevin Coyne was a musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. The former "anti-star" was born on 27 January 1944 in Derby, UK, and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 December 2004....
included a cover of the song on his 1978 album, Dynamite Daze.
Stan Freberg did a parody of Johnnie Ray's version of "Cry" entitled "Try", in which he did an emotional "sobbing out of tune" performance with different lyrics. The lyrics include the title of the B-side song "The Little White Cloud That Cried", in the line "even little white clouds do it". Johnnie Ray was not initially pleased with this parody. However, he later accepted Freberg's version.