The Rain, The Park And Other Things

Album: The Cowsills (1967)
Charted: 2
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Songfacts®:

  • This was written and produced by the team of Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff; Kornfeld went on to be one of the concert promoters of Woodstock.
  • This was the breakthrough hit for the family group, The Cowsills, who were the forerunner of The Osmonds, a group that would appear on the same record label a few years later. Unlike the Osmonds, the boys' mother Barbara also features on the recordings. The Cowsills also made many television appearances during the late 1960s and the early 1970s and they were an inspiration for the Partridge Family.
  • This song is known to many as "The Flower Girl." Studio musicians were brought in for the recording, a practice that continued until 1969, when the Cowsill family were allowed to play their own musical instruments.
  • This reached #1 in Canada in the week of November 13, 1967.
  • A British rock group, Vanity Fare, poked fun at the Cowsills by naming their 1968 album The Sun, the Wind, and Other Things.
  • After the success of this single, two more Cowsill siblings - Paul and Susan - joined the group. In 1968 they had an American #10 hit with "Indian Lake."
  • Susan Cowsill had just had her ninth birthday when this reached the Top 10, making her the youngest rock performer to have a Top 10 hit in America.
  • Olivia Newton-John recorded an upbeat version of this song for the 2011 movie soundtrack A Few Best Men. The soundtrack album is all cover songs recorded by Newton-John and mixed by various producers.

Comments: 28

  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny
    On this day in 1967 {October 29th} the Cowsills performed "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" on CBS-TV musical variety program, 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    At the time to the song was at #9 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, four weeks later on November 26th, 1967 it would peak at #2* {for 2 weeks} and it spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1967 and 1969 the Rhode Island family group had eight records on the Top 100 chart, three made the Top 10, besides the above, their other two Top 10 records were "Indian Lake" {#10 in 1968} and "Hair" {#2 for 2 weeks in 1969}, and for the two weeks "Hair" was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension...
    Sadly; three members of the Cowsills have passed away; mother Barbara in 1985 at age 56, Barry in 2005 at 51, and William in 2006 at 58...
    May all three R.I.P.
    * The two weeks that "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees...
  • Patricia from Long Island, NyThis song takes me back to when I met my first love. I was 14 yrs old & he was 16. The romance and happiness in it brings me back to the carefree nature of the that time, being young & in love.
  • Seventhmist from 7th HeavenProbably no other song captures the mood of the sixties for me as well as this little treasure always has.
  • John from Seattle, Wa UsaActually that was NOT a rainstorm recorded, it was a stock sound of bacon sizzling that was used.
  • Dando Shaft from Williamsport, PaI remember seeing this on a video on American Bandstand. I'm thinking the video did not actually show the group. Somehow I must have thought that was really cool for some reason and bought the single and later the album.
  • Jordan Kamnitzer from Los AngelesThe song is noted for the recorded sounds of a rainstorm.
  • Seventhmist from 7th HeavenThough I was born in the 60s, a song like this would ordinarily put me off for being too honey-drippy, but the loving, joyful tone it strikes always appealed to me.
  • Beatle from St. Louis, Mo."The Rain, The Park Other Things entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Sep 30, 1967 at # 90 and would eventually peak at #2, (for two weeks), spending 16 total weeks on the chart and selling over three million copies world-wide.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 29th 1967, the Cowsills performed "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" on CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    At the time to song was at #9 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and four weeks later it would peak at #2 on the Top 100...
    {See posts below}.
  • Paul from Kaneohe, HiI love this song! I can play it again and again! I can see most of the comments are from men. This song just hits the right cord in us boys when finding that elusive love! To GDG of Chicago's comments, I thought of the same thing, dying and hearing this song which would make me happy! I too love the flower girl! posted 1/31/14.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOh No!!! Concerning my post below, I guess I got 'American Bandstand' and 'The Ed Sullivan Show" mixed-up with my R.I.P.
    In any case; R.I.P. to both Dick Clark (1936 - 2012) and Ed Sullivan (1901 - 1974).
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 23rd 1971, the Cowsills performed "The Rain, The Park, and Other Things" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Four years earlier on September 24th, 1967 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on November 26th, 1967 it peaked at #2 (for 2 weeks) and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    The two weeks that it was at #2, the #1 record was "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees...
    Sadly; three members of the Cowsills have passed away; mother Barbara in 1985 at age 56, Barry in 2005 at 51, and William in 2006 at 58...
    May all three and Mr. Sullivan (1901 - 1974) R.I.P.
  • Robert from Houston, TxThe Cowsills charted several hits after this one - "Love, American Style", "Hair", "We Can Fly", and "Indian Lake".
  • Emmett from St. Louis, MoSong makes me cry every time. Was Susan singing on this or was it just the boys?
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxI bet Keith Partridge couldn't have sung lead a bit better.
  • Steve from Whittier, CaThis is in pretty much the same vein as another fall 1967 hit, Spanky and our Gang's "Lazy Day", and the Fifth Dimension's song from the summer of that year, "Up, Up, and away.".
  • Marlene from Montreal, QcI'm the same age as Susan the baby!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPeaked at No. 2 and stayed there for two weeks; also had another record peak at No. 2 & that lasted for two weeks. The song was "Hair"!!!
  • Tim from Granite Falls, Wa"Was she reality, or just a dream to me?" Amazing how much depth this song has. Haunting.
  • Barry from New York, NcBubblegum? I don't think so. Pure psychedelia to my ears!! Yes it is a happy song sung by a happy family way back when in '67. But the imagery, sound effects and out-there lyrics point to one direction.... post-Sgt. Pepper psychedelia. Sounds great in a pair of Bose headphones.
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaFantastic song! The Cowsills actually had two really great pop songs--this one and Indian lake. Check it out.
  • Eveline from Sydney, AustraliaI live in the suburbs of Maryland and herd this song on a local oldies station. It flashed me back to a Christmas with my first portable radio in Australia when I was 14. This song is my old time favorite. Even at 55 years of age I still feel this song was before its time and is still my all time number one song.
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaI love this bubble gum sound...I also love the flower girl!
  • Scotty from Cheyenne, WyGreat song! I first heard it after my family had returned from Okinawa (Dad flew in Vietnam). It stuck in my head, and after we moved to New Orleans, I heard of a rare record store called "The Gold Mine." When I had my own transportation, I drove to the store and asked if they had a copy of the song "The Flower Girl." The owner knew what I was referring to, and immediately informed me of the correct title. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I bought a copy of the 45. I've had a copy in my vehicle ever since.
  • Gdg from Chicago, IlMy 20 year-old cousin was playing this song this past Saturday (2/16/08). A few nights later, I had the most beautiful dream of me at the age of 11, swinging on a swing in a lovely Chicago neighborhood in the early 70's, surrounded by old brownstones, large windows, and English gardens. I was in the front garden...it was a warm day and it was just beginning to rain slightly. In my dream, sadly, I felt that my brother and my husband would never see me again because I would be going on to another life. The whole time, "The Rain, the Park, and Other Things" was playing in the background. I wasn't sure if I was phsyically going to die, or I was just leaving an old life and approaching a new one. Anyway, I woke up crying and feeling so happy and sad at the same time. This song is just so beautiful that it invokes bittersweet dreams and memories...
  • Richard from Talladega, AlThis record was a production marvel very ahead of its time. Listening on headphones really brings out the many layered vocals, intruments and the beautiful stringed harp riffs (are stringed harp parts called riffs?). Fantastic recording.
  • Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesWow! This song is beautiful! This sounds so much like old-time poetry - except for the much more modern slang. I have one reason to think that an old-time poet inspired the Cowsills in some way.
  • AnonymousI saw her sitting in the rain,
    raindrops falling on her.
    She didn't seem to care.
    She sat there and smiled at me.

    And I knew (I knew, I knew, I knew, I knew)
    she could make me happy (happy, happy).
    Flowers in her hair, flowers everywhere.

    I love the flower girl, oh, I don't know just why.
    She simply caught my eye.
    I love the flower girl, she seemed so sweet and kind.
    She crept into my mind.

    Suddenly the sun broke through (see the sun).
    I turned around she was gone (where did she go).
    And all I had left was one little flower from her hair.

    But I knew (I knew, I knew, I knew, I knew)
    she had made me happy (happy, happy).
    Flowers in her hair, flowers everywhere.
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