Happy Rhodes - When The Rain Came Down

[DerZupfer]

What an incredibly beautiful piece of music! Overwhelming! To think that I only stumbled across her by a friend who sent me the link to her cover version of Yes' "Soon". Happy, come to Germany! I could arrange for a top class backup band and some wonderful venues to play at. Or bring the whole band, if you prefer. Accomodation can also be easily arranged :-)

Now I gotta go back to listening to your music, so don't anybody dare disturb me!

[TheRAFrenzy]

You are awesome, K8fan for uploading this. Like you I don't understand why she is not more well-known.

[natanddiane01]

No living being can affect me as she can with her voice. the lyrics. I am greatful that I can live.. knowing someone this wonderful occupies the same earth as I

[DavidAndrade94]

Fantástico!

[deekie13]

esquisite!

[Januszewski1]

One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.Her beautiful,amazing,hypnotising voice.(sorry about my English)

[xenussister]

@Januszewski1 Your English is just fine. You said it all!

[RedDragonSmaug]

<3 <3 <3 <3 New favorite song! :D

[seanympf]

Know what? It is not everyone's goal to be famous. I'm just sayin'.

[FushiOsaka]

I think you posted something on a video of Mary Margaret O'Hara advertising this singer. Thank you for doing that; I would have never heard how amazing Happy Rhodes is if it weren't for you, video uploader :)

[Sharmilka]

Ok, nevermind:D I've found the answer :D

[Sharmilka]

I just wonder if the 'duet' song is real cause k8 sounds really weird... I don't know Annie's voice to well. Was it miscredited or was it a joke or something? The girl in the video sounds like K8 and Annie both :P

[Sharmilka]

Wow, what a voice! WHO IS SHE?

I recently found K8's and Lennox WTRCD and then this bumped out.

[midwestconcertvideo]

@Sharmilka AH, OK, you checked the Wikipedia page? There is a ton of Happy Rhodes videos and songs on YouTube. Enjoy!

[Sharmilka]

@midwestconcertvideo Not Wikipedia, but a good source.

I like the band a lot :)

Cheers!

[houou100]

Amazing vocal dexterity and very nice texture

I'm very impressed. I wish I could see her live one day.

[SemperFido]

I'd love to see her come to the Bay Area/Santa Cruz region.

[xenussister]

@SemperFido She did once, in June 2001, at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. It's the only time she's ever played a show in California. Actually, it's the only time she's ever played a show west of Chicago. That was the day she cut her hand and later had to have surgery, though she did perform, what a trouper! It was touch and go as to whether or she she'd ever be able to play guitar again. Search for Happy Rhodes Left Hand Demos for more info.

[marasu66]

Happy happy, Happy! And many more!

[asimpleusername]

What a mindfuck.. o__o I really thought this song was an Annie&Kate duet.. Damn!

[mesesau]

What a talent! Amazing sounds... Hard to believe she's not worldwide known. She's a star for me...

[profwaldo]

Such an Astounding Artist !!!

WoW ! Five big 'ol thumbs up and fav'd.

Holy Cow !!!

[kerouac2]

I had never heard this singer before and was totally enchanted by this song.

[trudiDumb]

her high voice is like Kate Bush or Haylie Westenra and her deep voice is totally awsome.

[bmatchick]

This first time I heard this song I was 100% positive it was Kate Bush singing the chorus. Amazing.

[carjpie]

I think its amazing she taught herself to do this with her voice

[VaunTV]

Amazing vocal, range for days

[corkkyle]

wow. just wow.

[supercontious]

wow what a fantastic voice and sound

[algoyo]

Very very very good vocal. Bonkers range!

[ChrysalisBound]

~*Wowza! She be grace~*

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life." ~John Updike

[russomorrissey]

Wow!! I cant believe!! She sings acute and low wth???? She is amazing!! O.O

[nuwavegurl]

This song is normally listed as a duet between Kate Bush & Annie Lennox or Joan Armatrading. It's unbelievable that it's only one woman singing! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

[seaclouds]

I found her on Pandora listed under artists similar to Kate Bush. When I heard the song Tragic I knew Happy was something special!

[seaclouds]

I do hope Happy is able to make a good living from her music, she is so remarkably talented and has created so much good music it makes superstars like Madonna look rubbish.

[xenussister]

Unfortunately, Happy has never been able to make a living from her music. She's almost always had a day job. She has a day job now, but at least she gets to work from home (she hand-builds pro audio recording equipment for Dangerous Music, imagine such a brilliant musician making money by building equipment for other musicians, who don't even know whose hands built their equipment).

I certainly agree with you about everything else though. Btw, soon I'll be putting ALL her music on YouTube.

[seaclouds]

Part of the problem is getting hold of her stuff, here in England there is nothing of hers in any shops and online they are often very expensive. Surely a record company can see the talent here and promote her? Perhaps it's time for a 'Best of' CD with a lead single?

[xenussister]

She already has 2 compilation albums. I don't know if she has any interest in doing a 3rd. Good idea though.

As far as record companies go, she's had offers but didn't like their terms. Her one experience with a larger record company (Samson, the one that released Many Worlds) was a nightmare.

I'm working on a project to put all of her music up on YouTube as audio-only tracks. It'll be done in a couple of weeks. Ish.

How did you discover her?

[RichRobinson]

she works for dangerous? crazy!

[xenussister]

Yep. Her husband Bob Muller owns the company. He used to own Dangerous Music Recording Studio in NYC, but not anymore.

There are audio magazines that review and like Dangerous Music equipment, but never have they noticed (or cared, probably) that when it says "hand built" on the website, those hands building the components belong to a brilliant singer/songwriter/musician. Too bad. I think it'd make for a great article.

[regenadau]

@xenussister who is she?

[xenussister]

@regenadau She lives on a farm in central upstate New York, she's been making music for over 25 years, she has 11 brilliant albums, all of which can be heard free via streaming audio (Google Rhodesongs) or via audio-only YouTube videos (look for username happyrhodesalbums). What else would you like to know? I can answer pretty much any question.

How did you discover her?

[xenussister]

@regenadau Shelives on a farm in central upstate New York, she's been making music for over 25 years, she has 11 brilliant albums, all of which can be heard free via streaming audio (Google Rhodesongs) or via audio-only YouTube videos (look for username happyrhodesalbums). What else would you like to know? I can answer pretty much any question.

How did you discover her?

[terransage]

Hard to believe that talent like hers is overlooked by the public at large, and the likes of Pussycat Dolls and Jonas Brothers are revered. It's a sad comment on our society.

[gedd235]

Yeah I agree with you there. Some talent just goes begging. Apart from Annie Lennox she also reminds me of Chrissy Hynd of The Pretenders.

[breedlom]

Wow! She has a kick ass voice. One moment she's singing low like a guy and the next is high as a kid's! Jesus

[prudencemoneypenny]

Amazing range...amazing voice. Not eveyone whats world fame--I wish I could see her perform live.

[19brummbaerle53]

hammer hammer cool

[jaloesmusic]

This song is one of my favs from Happy, and is incredible to see her performing live like this. I think her vocal range was wider in her first albums, but her music is always great.

[Mikhaila]

Fucking amazing range. I couldn't believe it was one woman, either.

[SashaRose13]

This woman is so talented, why isn't she world famous? What a range. Hearing the song is one thing, but it's positively scary to watch the video and see her go from low alto to that gorgeous soprano. Just wow.

[k8fan]

People toss around terms like "4 octave vocal range" too freely - Happy actually has a 4 octave range - A2 to G-Sharp6. I've measured and verified her highest and lowest notes.

[gormarx]

@SashaRose13 She publishes one CD every decade or so, and never performs anywhere, basically. In contrast, a jam band like Umphrey's McGee publishes a new CD every year to year and a half, and they play an average of 200+ gigs a year as a band, plus then some small side-projects. Talent with no work doesn't get you far.

[k8fan]

@gormarx Actually she gigged fairly regularly in the 90s and went on tour in the early 2000s, and had fairly disappointing turn-outs in some locations other than Philly (where she can always sell a venue out). All that was before YouTube, MySpace and Facebook entered the public consciousness. I'm convinced that she could build a very solid fan-base and play to 200+ people every night if she wanted to based on the response to these videos and net/promotion and have told her so.

[gormarx]

@SashaRose13 That said, she IS very talented and has made some truly beautiful music.

[dirkson]

@SashaRose13

It's probably the cynic in me, but I think she's not famous almost exactly /because/ she can sing. It's not the vogue thing to be able to hit a couple notes in a row.

For an excellent example of this, you might try looking up videos of 'Lady Gaga' singing. Woman can actually sing, she just... doesn't.

In current society, you need to invest time and energy to sell yourself to the crowd. Happy, on the other hand, is investing into producing beautiful, skillful music.

[xenussister]

@dirkson Well, used to, anyway. Her last album was written/recorded in 2000 and 2001, but not released until Sept. 2007. Not a peep out of her since about new music. Maybe someday. Maybe not. In any case, we have 11 brilliant albums, yeah? They're timeless and will be listened-to by lucky people for many generations to come. Part of the reason I put them up on YouTube and streaming (with HTR's blessings of course) is so they can always be heard. As long as I pay the web bill anyway :)

[xenussister]

@xenussister To clarify, it's only the streaming/downloads/rarities sites that would be affected if I didn't pay the bills. If something happened to me they'd disappear, which is exactly why I put the music on YouTube. Her music will be on YouTube as long as YouTube exists (at happyrhodesalbums), Hurray for YouTube!

[mjmaule]

Fantastic voice, her vocal range is incredible. Saw the Space oddity cover first, but I'm so glad that I looked at more of Happys vids!

[XxNaughtxX]

My god, she has incredible range O.o

[rambazamba1982]

great kind regards germany

[xXxMysticalMoonxXx]

this is sooo beautiful

her voice is amazing

maybe there should be a duet between annie and kate ???

would good to hear them together

[ulian7]

i love how she changes the way she sings the word 'rain' throughout the chorus

[ketmaniac]

Yeah, I noticed that too. Just curious, but how would you describe the difference?

[ulian7]

To me, it sounds like she splits it into 2 notes, and sometimes she sweeps from 1 note to the next.

The timing of the sweep changes the feel of it, as well as her breathing

[ketmaniac]

It was more the pronunciation of the word that I noticed. When she switches to the high register, it's more like "wain" than "rain". Looks to me like she's deliberately trying sound like Kate Bush up there, whereas lower down it's Annie Lennox.

[xenussister]

Happy doesn't deliberately try to sound like Kate, that's just how her high voice sounds. True, she learned to sing high by singing along to Kate's early albums, but she still sounds that way because of her particular vocal cords, not by being a deliberate copycat.

She is wary of being seen as a Kate copycat, but her high voice is so beautiful that it would be a shame if she were to quit using it. On Warpaint she didn't use it much, and it was sorely missed. What's a girl to do?

[xenussister]

The more you listen to Happy's high voice, the more distinct from Kate's voice it will be. After awhile she just sounds like Happy. It's only startling at the beginning.

And in any case, that particular voice is only one of many that Happy uses. She has other high voices that don't sound anything like Kate, and of course her midrange and low voice don't sound Kateish at all.

Don't mean to sound too defensive, but I'd hate for anyone to think that she's deliberately trying copycat Kate.

[ketmaniac]

"This is more than a cover, it's quite a riveting performance. Quality."

"If Kate's original was wiped from the archives, this is the version I'd choose to replace it."

Those are quotes from my posts on Happy's covers of "Space Oddity" and "And Dream of Sheep". So you don't have to defend her against me. But she's confident enough, and witty enough, to impersonate singers she likes - when she wants to. And here she's taken off two of them in one of her own songs. A nice joke that fooled many.

[ulian7]

interesting, i was just referring to the variations in the chorus (high part). Anywho, good chatting w/you

[jimbowebster85]

wat an Amazing voice!!!

seriously!

[flamingcrystal]

This is really special.

[elan01]

I never tire of listening to Happy singing this song. Years ago when I heard this I thought, like a lot of ppl, that it was Annie Lennox and Kate Bush.But no those voices are coming from the one strong, beautiful woman.Thanks for posting.:)

[55yummy]

涙が出ました(^O^)／

[punkheaad]

i just hurd the song and i love it i only herd the funny farm one but  this one is awesome im in love the two different voices are great

[CamouVans]

its so amazing!!! ... the two different voices!!! its beautiful <3

[OnnasWorld]

I love this song so much and love the many versions and keys you have done it in..You are so versatile. Onna

[adamfirebear]

it's still a shock to see both amazing 'voices' come out of the same person. happy rhodes is a bit of a hidden treasure, if i discovered her by accident ( i thought it was a kate duet) then i'm a lucky guy. thanks for a beautiful post!

[PaulStryper24]

WOW!! I thought I was the only one who covered this song (it soooo rules!!) - Thanks for doing this! Beautiful!

Frankie ;-)

[xenussister]

*puzzled* "Covered this song"? Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but Happy isn't covering the song, Happy wrote it (it was a bonus track on the CD release of her album Ecto). Unless you mean her covering her own song.

But anyway, you've covered it? That's fantastic! Do you have a video or mp3?

[xenussister]

To clarify, the album "Ecto" (her 4th album) was originally released in 1987 on cassette only. In 1992 she re-released her first 4 cassette-only albums on CD. All 4 of the CDs had extra bonus tracks. This song, "When The Rain Came Down," was a bonus track on the Ecto CD.

Someone, I don't know who, put it up on Napster misidentified as being a duet between Kate Bush and Annie Lennox and confusion has reigned ever since then. PaulStryper24, did you think it was a Kate/Annie song?

[xXxMysticalMoonxXx]

shes got a pretty amazing voice to be able to do that that

does sound like annie and kate

2 of my fav singers

[k8fan]

Happy has an authentic 4 octave range - a term that is tossed around a lot but rarely true. Check her Wikipedia entry to see proof.

[AquarianLogic]

She sounds like Annie though so I can see where the confusion was on that

[donutbill]

Wow. Can't believe that was only one singer. Nice version of a great song.

[Bentais]

Fantaaaaastic thing. Thank you. ;o)bt

[graeme6630]

Whoa!! She's an amazing singer, she's got a beautiful voice. I will have to get some of Happy Rhodes albums. I just discovered her a few weeks ago.

[wolfnwren]

She sings like she is two people. So deep and so high. Cool. I like her. Much better to see HER rather than images of Annie and Kate.

[patitaguirre]

I totally, TOTALLY concur!

Cheers!

[xenussister]

Happy's 11th album, Find Me, her first since 1998's Many Worlds Are Born Tonight, is finished and now available at CD Baby!

[slikquiver]

This woman is unbelievable. WHY is she not a superstar.

[raincoathaveli]

AMAZING SINGER

[astartelucifer]

O.o

this is really cool!!!!!!!

[happyhead64]

i SWORE this was Kate Bush when I first heard it, but I was wrong. Happy is awesome, though she sounds exactly like Kate.....

[skycladwow]

Absolutley awesome, my daughter told me about happy on myspace.

[aboyhazard]

that's the DAMNDEST thing!! i could see why people would have listed this as "annie & kate", because her range goes through BOTH of their's, and her style in each range sounds like those ladies when they sing... she's incredible, and this song is beautiful

[WianTreetin]

It IS Kate Bushh and Annie, theyre doin gos good

[k8fan]

I've met both Kate and Happy, and can assure you that they are two different people. Happy is taller.

[wylam2]

This song is class, like her a lot.

[danziker]

wow... so.. wow!! i never imagined a voice like hers!!

[coloursoundandmyself]

wow....i was said that this song is a duet between annie lennox and kate bush, and i didnt doubt at all! i cant beleive happy is singing this beautiful song! happy is really special , i love her voice!

thank you for posting her songs!

[godsbedamned]

Wow, I've never heard anyone with this range. Why haven't I heard of her before?

[f15x28isback]

Two words: Mariah Carey

[k8fan]

Actually Carey doesn't tend to sing in her higher register, unlike Minnie Ripperton did. Carey's high end is what is referred to as a "whistle register" - useful for making "ah" noises, but not actually singing words.

[f15x28isback]

True, can't really sing anything up there. However, it's not "ah", it's more like "screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech". :-)

[xenussister]

This song was once misidentified on the old (good) Napster as a duet between Kate Bush and Annie Lennox.

[gadreel23]

Yes, which is how I stumbled across Happy Rhodes, believe it or not! I downloaded the song, if for no other reason so as to dispel the myth that Kate & Annie had done a duet... Imagine my surprise to find Happy instead...