K-Chuck Radio: Rain, Storms, Hurricanes…

It’s 3:00 a.m. Monday morning, and the thoughts of Hurricane Sandy and the Frankenstorms are still going through my half-sleepy mind.  Wow, wouldn’t that be a great name for a hardcore punk band – Hurricane Sandy and the Frankenstorms?  But I digress…

So I thought about all the rain-related and storm-related and hurricane-related songs out there, and figured I could battle this insomnia by putting together a K-Chuck Radio playlist of miserable weather music.  Let’s see how I do.

First, we need some “rain” songs. Such as:

THE BEATLES
Rain

Wow, this is a pretty impressive promotional music video by the Fab Four, ain’tit?  Remember, at this time in their careers, the Beatles didn’t need to appear on shows like American Bandstand, when they could simply send a promotional video to Dick Clark and have him run that instead.

THE RONETTES
Walking in the Rain

One of my favorite Ronettes classics, this is the ultra-rare stereo version of this classic. I know that producer Phil Spector felt that his songs were best composed in monaural sound, but somehow this stereo version exists.

ORAN “JUICE” JONES
The Rain

What do you do if you see the one person you were in love with was out with someone else? You do like Oran “Juice” Jones… you chill. You go to the bank. You take out every dime. You cancel all those credit cards. It’s his world, you’re just a squirrel trying to get a nut.

THE DOORS
Riders on the Storm

It’s Jim Morrison, for crying out loud. Jim freakin’ Morrison. Do I need to explain? No.

THE SCORPIONS
Rock You Like a Hurricane

At some point in their career, almost every long-sustaining hard rock and heavy metal band decides to put together a concert that mixes their cutting-edge sound with violins and trumpets and a full-scale orchestra. So, rather than bring you the Scorpions’ music video for this song, howzabout enjoying this version of “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” complete with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra?

NEIL SEDAKA
Laughter in the Rain

At some point in time, I may do a K-Chuck Radio that just focuses on the writing and singing career of Neil Sedaka. Until then, you can have this little snippet of him singing his great 1975 comeback hit, as performed live on The Midnight Special. Enjoy.

DRAGON
Rain

Long-time readers of my blog know that I heart the band Dragon. With that in mind, here’s one of their biggest hits, as performed on the Australian music program Countdown.

THE CASCADES
Rhythm of the Rain

What is it about music-related rain songs that make them perfect as a metaphor for heartbreak? Such is the case for the Cascades’ only hit…

DEE CLARK
Raindrops

Same thing with Dee Clark’s biggest-ever hit.

THE KOOKS
Stormy Weather

This is kind of a cute fan-made video for this little indie-rock hit. Like like like.

THE FIVE SHARPS
Stormy Weather

Dear readers, take a listen to the rarest doo-wop record ever pressed. Only three 78 RPM copies of this record are known to have survived. This disc has been re-recorded, it’s been bootlegged, and if someone ever found a legitimate 45 RPM pressing of this song, they could name their price at auction.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Early Morning Rain

And let’s wrap up this playlist with the song that helped Gordon Lightfoot explode onto the music scene. Who covered this song? Peter Paul & Mary, Elvis Presley, everybody.

Okay, now that you’ve enjoyed this insomnia-and-storm-fueled playlist, let’s all get through this week together… so that you can enjoy more K-Chuck Radio blog posts!!