Crying In The Chapel

[MikeFromHolland]

.



Darrell Glenn was born on 7 December, 1935. Darrell's father, Artie Glenn wrote "Crying In The Chapel" and Darrell recorded it in 1953 on the Valley Records label. It was released in May that year. Artie and his band, the Rhythm Riders, provided the backing for Darrell on his record.

The song was rejected by Hill and Range Songs and Acuff-Rose Music. The song was eventually published by Valley Publishers which also released the single featuring Darrell Glenn. The record company didn't think Darrell was talented enough or old enough to support so they they did nothing to promote the song. Darrell was still going to school. In spite of this lack of support it became a local hit and then it went nationwide.

The song became one of the most covered of 1953. Darrell Glenn's original recording reached number one on the Cash Box charts (where all versions were amalgamated) and number six on Billboard. Darrell Glenn's original version also hit number six on the Billboard pop singles chart and number four on the Billboard country and western chart






..

Later Darrell Glenn would write "Indescribably Blue," which Elvis recorded in 1966. He died on 9 April, 1990.


Ella Fitzgerald Feat. Bill Doggett's Orchestra, recorded on June 11, 1953 already:
..


A version that was released less than a month after, in July 1953, was this one by Art Lund, with The Ray Charles Singers and an orchestra directed by Leroy Holmes, on Coral 61018 78 rpm:
..


A fourth - better known - version, released in July 1953, was this one by The Orioles:
..

On October 30, 1960, Elvis recorded a version of the song during the sessions for his RCA Records gospel album, His Hand in Mine. It was not included on that album, but rather was held back by RCA and finally released as an "Easter Special" single (447-0643) in April 1965, hitting number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and topping the Easy Listening chart for seven weeks, the greatest chart success for him over a six-year span. The single reached number one on the British charts in 1965 where it stayed for two weeks. It was later included as a bonus track on Presley's 1967 gospel album, How Great Thou Art. The single was eventually certified "Platinum" by the RIAA for sales in excess of one million units in the US.

..

A few other versions

Eddy Arnold, recorded on October 22, 1953:
..


Little Richard, released in 1963:
..


Don McLean, released in 1974:
..


A German version from 1965. Bobby Solo sings Du hast ja Tränen in den Augen (translated by Hans Bradtke):
..





------
Also see:

Crying In the Chapel - Delayed Issue
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=66242&hilit=crying+in+the+chapel#p983775

With the 1958 version by Anita Wood (!)
------


SOURCES
http://davidneale.eu/elvis/originals/list2.html
http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2011/04/elder-music-1953.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying_in_the_Chapel
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/1792

.

[LSP-4445]

Amazing song because of elvis` voice ....IMO
My family got the "Forever-32 hits" cassette in 1977/78 and this was included....that tape got played a lot as it was the only one we had at the time.

[california boy]

Amazing song, i love it so much, i just returned from Sudio B in Nashville , and it was playing right there inside the studio, fantastic !!!

[drjohncarpenter]

Amazing song, i love it so much, i just returned from Sudio B in Nashville , and it was playing right there inside the studio, fantastic !!!

That must have been a thrill. I had a similar experience standing inside 706 Union Avenue and hearing "That's All Right" played over the speakers.

[california boy]

Amazing song, i love it so much, i just returned from Sudio B in Nashville , and it was playing right there inside the studio, fantastic !!!

That must have been a thrill. I had a similar experience standing inside 706 Union Avenue and hearing "That's All Right" played over the speakers.

Ohh yes and my motel was just 5 minutes walkin from Studio B , so i was walking there few times, as i arrived it was on the speaker outside: "Make me know it " , and yes , to stand there and listen to Crying in the chapel, are you lonesome tonight, Big hunk o love, how great thou art , Maries the name of his latest flame , and others made me thrilled, i did also went to SUN studio

[drjohncarpenter]

Amazing song, i love it so much, i just returned from Sudio B in Nashville , and it was playing right there inside the studio, fantastic !!!

That must have been a thrill. I had a similar experience standing inside 706 Union Avenue and hearing "That's All Right" played over the speakers.

Ohh yes and my motel was just 5 minutes walkin from Studio B , so i was walking there few times, as i arrived it was on the speaker outside: "Make me know it " , and yes , to stand there and listen to Crying in the chapel, are you lonesome tonight, Big hunk o love, how great thou art , Maries the name of his latest flame , and others made me thrilled, i did also went to SUN studio

Tons of great music was taped at both studios, and not just Elvis!

[Domino]

Let me guess,the Orioles recording is the one that Elvis is relating too?
Well,love Elvis's recording whatever version inspired him
But gotta love that Ella version and gotta say WoW to that Little Richard version.
Never heard him sing like that before.
Great topic.

[jacob]

This is also a great version of the song

..

[poormadpeter2]

Let me guess,the Orioles recording is the one that Elvis is relating too?
Well,love Elvis's recording whatever version inspired him
But gotta love that Ella version and gotta say WoW to that Little Richard version.
Never heard him sing like that before.
Great topic.

Nice topic.

Oddly, I've never liked Ella's version much, although she is in terrific voice - but I guess it's because she's doing pop rather than jazz, which is what I listen to her for. She did a version of Soldier Boy during the same period as well. Interesting how these early versions change the phrasing, though (Ella, Lund, Glenn, Arnold - and June Valli, not included in the opening post). The Elvis version is:

I know the meaning of contentment
Now I am happy with the Lord

whereas they sing

I know the meaning of contentment now.
I am happy with the Lord

It changes the meaning a bit as well as just the phrasing.

Even more bizarre is that, even though we can safely say that the Orioles version was the one Elvis loosely based his own on (going by the phrasing etc), note that they leave the word "now" out altogether(!) during that section. So is there a version out there before Elvis's where the phrasing is "I know the meaning of contentment/Now I am happy with the Lord?" If so, it certainly would have been an influence on Elvis's.

EDIT: i thought the Mahalia Jackson version (which was posted while I was typing this) might have been the missing link as she used the same phrasing as Elvis, but just read that her version was released in 1962, AFTER Elvis's was recorded.

[drjohncarpenter]

Let me guess,the Orioles recording is the one that Elvis is relating too?
Well,love Elvis's recording whatever version inspired him
But gotta love that Ella version and gotta say WoW to that Little Richard version.
Never heard him sing like that before.
Great topic.

Yes, the Orioles recording on the Jubilee label is the crossover hit that stayed with Elvis. Of course, perhaps it was a song he'd forgotten about, until someone quite close to him recorded her version after he'd gone off to Germany for army duty.


..

Anita Wood "Crying in the Chapel" (ABC-Paramount 9947, October 1958)


See this superb topic for both sides of this obscure single release, and more:

Anita Wood --> The One Who Got Away !
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61930

[MikeFromHolland]

Let me guess,the Orioles recording is the one that Elvis is relating too?
Well,love Elvis's recording whatever version inspired him
But gotta love that Ella version and gotta say WoW to that Little Richard version.
Never heard him sing like that before.
Great topic.

Nice topic.

Oddly, I've never liked Ella's version much, although she is in terrific voice - but I guess it's because she's doing pop rather than jazz, which is what I listen to her for. She did a version of Soldier Boy during the same period as well. Interesting how these early versions change the phrasing, though (Ella, Lund, Glenn, Arnold - and June Valli, not included in the opening post). The Elvis version is:

I know the meaning of contentment
Now I am happy with the Lord

whereas they sing

I know the meaning of contentment now.
I am happy with the Lord

It changes the meaning a bit as well as just the phrasing.

Even more bizarre is that, even though we can safely say that the Orioles version was the one Elvis loosely based his own on (going by the phrasing etc), note that they leave the word "now" out altogether(!) during that section. So is there a version out there before Elvis's where the phrasing is "I know the meaning of contentment/Now I am happy with the Lord?" If so, it certainly would have been an influence on Elvis's.

EDIT: i thought the Mahalia Jackson version (which was posted while I was typing this) might have been the missing link as she used the same phrasing as Elvis, but just read that her version was released in 1962, AFTER Elvis's was recorded.

Interesting. Noticed Anita Wood left out "Now" as well? So that seems no inspiration for the way Elvis sang his version.

Looks like he was inspired for that phrase by Sister Rosetta Tharpe's version. Or the one broadcasted on TV: Dorothy Collins. My bet is on Tharpe.

Nice article: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis' Music as written by Nigel Patterson.
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/tharpe.html

One of those seminal black influences on the young Elvis was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Each day Elvis would rush home from school in Tupelo to listen to her and other singers on WELO’s daily half hour of black gospel. According to his school friend, Billy Welch, Elvis would never miss a show.
(..)
In his excellent book ‘The Gospel Sound’, music historian Anthony Heilbut notes that Tharpe demonstrated the connections among all black musical forms by shifting from sacred to profane with a mere change in lyrics.

Versions I know of, prior to Elvis' recording, in order of release date:

Darrell Glenn May 1953
Art Lund July 1953
The Orioles July 1953
Snooky Lanson with The Four Bells - Larry Clinton and Orchestra September 1, 1953
Eddy Arnold, The Tennessee Plowboy December 1953
Ella Fitzgerald 1953
June Valli 1953
..

Lee Lawrence - Accompaniment Directed by Roland Shaw 1953
..

Rex Allen 1953
..

Sister Rosetta Tharpe 1953 <<< She sings the phrase as Elvis does.
..

Dorothy Collins as broadcasted on TV on October 17, 1953 <<< She sings the phrase as Elvis does.
..

Margaret Whiting 1958
Anita Wood 1958





BONUS

I couldn't find Snooky Lanson's version. But here he is a few years later in 1956, singing Heartbreak Hotel:
..

.

[colonel snow]

Additional information + other recordings from 1953

colonel snow

00-03-53 - Darrell Glenn (Valley 105)= original version
00-04-53 - Ken Griffin - organ version - (Columbia 40062);
05-06-53 - Rex Allen (Decca 28758);
11-06-53 - June Valli (RCA 20-5368);
00-06-53 - Ella Fitzgerald (Decca 28762);
00-06-53 - Art Lund (Coral 61018);
00-06-53 - Four Kings of Harmony (of Miami) (Gotham 741);
30-06-53 - The Orioles (Jubilee 5122);
01-07-53 - Wesley Tuttle (Capitol 2545);
20-07-53 - The Four Dukes (Duke 116);
27-07-53 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Decca 48302);
00-07-53 - J.T. Adams (Republic 7052);
00-07-53 - The Sunshine Boys (Bibletone 2114);
00-07-53 - Buster Smith & his Orchestra - instr. version - (Meteor 5010);
00-08-53 - Snooky Lanson with The Four Bells & Larry Clinton Orchestra (Bell 1008);
00-08-53 - Richard Baker (Ward 503);
00-08-53 - Blue Ridge Quartet (Gotham 436);
00-08-53 - Statesmen Quartet (Statesmen 1031);
22-10-53 - Eddy Arnold (EP).

[poormadpeter2]

Let me guess,the Orioles recording is the one that Elvis is relating too?
Well,love Elvis's recording whatever version inspired him
But gotta love that Ella version and gotta say WoW to that Little Richard version.
Never heard him sing like that before.
Great topic.

Nice topic.

Oddly, I've never liked Ella's version much, although she is in terrific voice - but I guess it's because she's doing pop rather than jazz, which is what I listen to her for. She did a version of Soldier Boy during the same period as well. Interesting how these early versions change the phrasing, though (Ella, Lund, Glenn, Arnold - and June Valli, not included in the opening post). The Elvis version is:

I know the meaning of contentment
Now I am happy with the Lord

whereas they sing

I know the meaning of contentment now.
I am happy with the Lord

It changes the meaning a bit as well as just the phrasing.

Even more bizarre is that, even though we can safely say that the Orioles version was the one Elvis loosely based his own on (going by the phrasing etc), note that they leave the word "now" out altogether(!) during that section. So is there a version out there before Elvis's where the phrasing is "I know the meaning of contentment/Now I am happy with the Lord?" If so, it certainly would have been an influence on Elvis's.

EDIT: i thought the Mahalia Jackson version (which was posted while I was typing this) might have been the missing link as she used the same phrasing as Elvis, but just read that her version was released in 1962, AFTER Elvis's was recorded.

Interesting. Noticed Anita Wood left out "Now" as well? So that seems no inspiration for the way Elvis sang his version.

Looks like he was inspired for that phrase by Sister Rosetta Tharpe's version. Or the one broadcasted on TV: Dorothy Collins. My bet is on Tharpe.

Nice work!

Tharpe it is - at least for that piece of phrasing. I can't see Elvis remembering a one-off TV performance from Your Hit Parade (did they even have a TV in 1953?). There are obvious elements of the Orioles too, of course. But as with other songs, it appears Elvis drew on more than one rendition. Mystery REALLY solved!

[MikeFromHolland]

.

YES!



.