Fabulous (and little known) version of Laughter in the Rain
I got led down a rabbit hole a few days ago from the Brenda Russell thread and discovered this version of the Neil Sedaka song "Laughter in the Rain," sung by a woman named Lea Roberts. Supposedly she recorded it around the same time as Sedaka and her label released it first. Sedaka heard it on the radio, called up Elton John (on whose label, Rocket Records, Sedaka was recording), and they managed to get Sedaka's version, which was not due out for another month or so, rush released and heavily promoted to quash Roberts' version. The result- Sedaka went to #1 on the Opo Chart with the song and Roberts managed #20 on the R&B chart only, and was never heard from again.
So what say you, DL- could she have had a hit with this?
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 31, 2021 5:10 PM
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It is a great version. But not sure the story computes--Neil Sedaka wrote the song. Possible he rushed his own version to market I guess but he was probably aware of other artists covering it--how else would they get the song?
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | December 31, 2021 6:52 AM
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I don't know. He was a co-writer on it. Maybe the other writer? Maybe he knew it was being recorded but didn't know when it was being released?
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 31, 2021 7:01 AM
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It's merely okay. I give it an 85, because it would be hard to dance to.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | December 31, 2021 12:46 PM
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Effortless vocal! I have never heard of that singer before, OP. Thank you.
Sedaka did something similar with The Carpenters. I think it was for the song "Solitare" or something. I don't remember offhand.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 31, 2021 12:58 PM
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Lea is a forgotten diva. Three albums. Find her & enjoy
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 31, 2021 1:02 PM
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It was sort of interesting times R1, in regards to music publishing, etc. I don't really understand it myself but if you take a look at the recording history of Delta Dawn, from the same period, artists including Bette Midler, Helen Reddy and Tanya Tucker, I believe, were all releasing versions within days of each other. I guess it was different back then in that there was a strong belief that whomever's version could get the most airplay would win the day.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 31, 2021 1:04 PM
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Yes, many songs back in the '50s-'70s often had multiple versions charting around the same time. And popularity would out. And if they were in different genres (such as this song or Delta Dawn) they would find success on their corresponding charts. Tucker's version of Delta Dawn hit #1 on the country chart and Reddy's #1 on the pop chart.
There was another famous example of the Laughter in the Rain situation that happened shortly before with "Billy, Don't Be a Hero." Paper Lace had recorded the song and gone to #1 with it in the UK and Australia. They were set to release it in the US when another band, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods, recorded their version and released it. That record went to #1 while Paper Lace's version went to something like #99. But Paper Lace went on to have a #1 hit that same year with The Night Chicago Died." (And Bo Donaldson's version of Billy was a lot more radio friendly.)
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 31, 2021 5:10 PM
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