Aired on Treasure Island Oldies –Jan 25, 2026

Have you ever asked yourself what certain recordings by Dee Clark, the Cascades, and Lou Christie have in common? … probably not.

However, if you did some quick research you would soon come up with the fact that they all had a hit record that dealt with rain – Dee Clark had “Raindrops” in 1961, the Cascades had the classic ballad, “Rhythm Of The Rain” in 1963 and Lou Christie, in 1966, put out the then, somewhat controversial, “Rhapsody In The Rain.”

But they also had something else in common. In the production of these records, you will hear the sound of rain.

Not to be outdone, a Doo Wop group in the early sixties also simulated a sound in their hit record – and it wasn’t rain … it was a bowling alley!

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When reflecting on their success in music, many Doo Wop groups and their fans will be quick to point out the importance of creating a unique sound.

The complementing of four-part harmonies with background sounds and sound effects soon became an integral part in production recording. Such was the case for the Devotions, originally a six-man group who came out of the Astoria, Queens section of New York City in 1960.

In 1961 the Devotions released their cover version of the standard “For Sentimental Reasons” on Delta Records. Unfortunately for them, the Cleftones released the same record a few weeks later and it became a substantial hit. Realizing this, Delta Records began promoting the B side of the Devotions’ recording. Unfortunately again, the record did nothing.

Soon afterwards Delta sold the master to Roulette Records who did nothing with it until 1964 when they released it as a cut on an “oldies” album. After the song started receiving airplay, Roulette released it as a single – it sold more than 10,000 copies in a week and eventually went Top 40 on the national charts.

A lot of the credit for its success was given to its unusual “bowling alley” opening, something that still captures fans of the group to this day. Considered one of the classics of urban street corner harmony, this recording by the Devotions tells quite a story about, “Rip Van Winkle,”  this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.

YouTube listing of the  song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp5n181QmVI

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.