Crying in the Rain

Written by Howard Greenfield and Carole King, this was the Everlys' first hit with a song from the Brill Building stable of songwriters. King, writing with her usual partner Gerry Goffin, had just previously come from two top-charting successes: "Run To Him" and "Take Good Care Of My Baby," both for Bobby Vee. Don Kirshner, co-producer at Aldon Music, had originally intended "Run To Him" to be for the Everly Brothers, but Vee's producer had snagged that song, too. Kirshner had been eager to produce a hit for the Everlys since his first day in business, so this was a dream come true for him.

This was recorded shortly before Don and Phil Everly were inducted into the Marine Corps Reserves on November 25, 1961. On February 18, 1962, the duo performed the song in full uniform on The Ed Sullivan show, and on March 3, the song reached its peak of #6 on the US charts. Don and Phil got out of the Corps on May 24, after six months of service. It was the only Everly Brothers song released during their time in the military.

This was the Everly's first Top 10 hit song in a year. As a gesture of gratitude, they found out that producer Don Kirshner's favorite snack was peanuts, so they shipped him a fifty pound sack. Talk about working for peanuts!