Down in the Valley (Solomon Burke song)
"Down in the Valley" is a 1962 R&B song written by Bert Berns and Solomon Burke and originally recorded by Solomon Burke. It was released on Atlantic as a B-side to "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You". It was covered by Otis Redding on his album Otis Blue. Burke's original version is a classic example of early country soul with booming vocals.
| "Down in the Valley" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Solomon Burke | ||||
| from the album Solomon Burke's Greatest Hits (1962) | ||||
| A-side | "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You" | |||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Recorded | 1962 | |||
| Genre | R&B, Soul | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | Atlantic (2147) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bert Berns, Solomon Burke | |||
| Producer(s) | Bert Berns | |||
| Solomon Burke singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Burke song
During a recording session at Atlantic Record on April 4, 1962, Burke recorded five songs, including "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You" (#15 R&B; #85 Pop) b/w "Down In The Valley" (#20 R&B; #71 Pop) (Atlantic 2147).[1] For "Down in the Valley", Burke borrowed from a traditional folk song "Down in the Valley", that was written as early as 1800,[2] and sung by The Andrews Sisters in the 1944 film Moonlight and Cactus,[3][4] and by Patti Page in 1951.[5] In August 2008 Burke told Mojo magazine:
I wrote that on the train, 'cos I had no song and I started thinking on old songs that I could do uptempo and I thought, (sings Gospel song pacier, with horn arrangement) so I had to keep that in my head 'til I got to the studio. I said, 'Can I have a tuba like I have in my church?' In my church we got the tuba and the trombones. Got to get that New Orleans sound. They loved it.[6]
Burke recalled: "I put my own feelings and words to it, and was lucky enough by the grace of God to capture the song, when it was in P.D., able to have a copyright on it." "Down in the Valley" debuted in the US charts on May 26, 1965, and peaked at #20 in the R&B charts, #71 in the Pop charts, and at #19 in the Adult Contemporary charts.[7]
Redding rendition
| "Down in the Valley" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Otis Redding | |
| from the album Otis Blue | |
| Released | 1965 |
| Recorded | 1965 |
| Studio | Stax, Memphis, Tennessee |
| Genre | Soul |
| Length | 3:02 |
| Label | Volt/Atco |
| Songwriter(s) | Bert Berns/Solomon Burke |
| Producer(s) | Steve Cropper |
The song was later covered by Otis Redding on his 1965 album Otis Blue, and was featured in the 1996 film 2 Days in the Valley,[8] and generated income for Cassandra Berns, who inherited the publishing rights from her father, Bert Berns,[9] who was credited as co-writer,[10] along with "Babe" Chivian, and Joseph C. Martin.[11]
The song's theme is of a "valley" through which a man passed as he struggled with love for the soul of his woman:
Down in the valley, valley so low
Hang your head over
And hear the wind blow— Solomon Burke
Notes
- Atlantic Records Discography: 1962. Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved on 2011-04-07.
- For discussion of the song's origins, see Britannica Annals of American History: "Down in the Valley" "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-11-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- M.H. Orodenker, "On the Records", The Billboard (18 December 1943):67.
- Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Billboard Pop Hits, Singles & Albums, 1940–1954, 2nd ed. (Record Research, 2002):22.
- "Public Domain Issues Swamp Pubs, Diskers", Billboard (8 December 1951):23.
- Down In The Valley by Solomon Burke Songfacts. Songfacts.com. Retrieved on 2011-04-07.
- Down in the Valley (song by Solomon Burke) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts. Musicvf.com (1962-05-26). Retrieved on 2011-04-07.
- "Soundtracks for 2 Days in the Valley", IMDB.com
- Don Waller, "Time Bomb Songs", Billboard (13 December 1997):28.
- "Down in the Valley", Lyrics
- "DOWN IN THE VALLEY (Legal Title)", BMI Work #337516