Cry (Churchill Kohlman song)

"Cry" is the title of a 1951 popular song written by Churchill Kohlman. The song was first recorded by Ruth Casey on the Cadillac label.^[1] The biggest hit version was recorded in New York City by Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads on October 16, 1951.

Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads version

"Cry"
Single by Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads
from the album Cry
B-side	"The Little White Cloud That Cried"
Released	1951
Format	7" 45, 10" 78
Genre	Pop
Label	Okeh
Writer(s)	Churchill Kohlman

The recording was released by Okeh Records as catalog number 6840. It was a No.1 hit on the Billboard magazine chart that year, and one side of one of the biggest two-sided hits, as the flip side, "The Little White Cloud That Cried," reached No.2 on the Billboard chart. The Johnnie Ray recording also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers lists and the flip side, "The Little White Cloud that Cried," peaked at number six.^[2]

Preceded by Slow Poke	Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record February 2, 1952–March 22, 1952	Succeeded by Wheel of Fortune
Preceded by "Flamingo" by Earl Bostic and His Orchestra	Billboard Best Selling Retail Rhythm and Blues Records number-one single January 12, 1952	Succeeded by "Flamingo" by Earl Bostic and His Orchestra
Preceded by "(It's No) Sin" by Eddy Howard	U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single December 29, 1951–March 8, 1952	Succeeded by "Wheel of Fortune" by Kay Starr

Lynn Anderson version

"Cry"
Single by Lynn Anderson
from the album Cry
Released	January 1972 (U.S.)
Format	7"
Recorded	1971
Genre	Country
Length	3:10
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Churchill Kohlman
Lynn Anderson singles chronology
"How Can I Unlove You" (1971) "Cry" (1972) "Listen to a Country Song" (1972)

Lynn Anderson had major success in the country music market with her 1972 version, released on Columbia Records, which hit No.1 on the Cashbox country charts, and No. 3 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.^[3] It also charted in the Top 20 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary Charts.

Chart positions

Chart (1972)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	71
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles	16
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	77
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	9

Preceded by "Good Hearted Woman" by Waylon Jennings

RPM Country Tracks number-one single March 25, 1972

Succeeded by "All His Children" by Charley Pride

Crystal Gayle version

"Cry"
Single by Crystal Gayle
from the album Straight to the Heart
Released	July 1986 (U.S.)
Format	7"
Recorded	1986
Genre	Country
Length	4:18
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Churchill Kohlman
Producer	Jim Ed Norman
Crystal Gayle singles chronology
"Makin' Up for Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers Song)" (duet with Gary Morris) (1985) "Cry" (1986) "Straight to the Heart" (1986)

Crystal Gayle had her own hit version of the song in 1986, taking it to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.^[4]

Chart positions

Chart (1986)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

Preceded by "Just Another Love" by Tanya Tucker	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single October 25, 1986	Succeeded by "It'll Be Me" by Exile
	RPM Country Tracks number-one single November 8, 1986

Dutch-language versions

In 1982, singer/comedian André van Duin recorded it as "Als je huilt" (a double A-side with his take on Edith Piaf's "Les Trois Cloches") which became a #1-hit in the Dutch Top 40 by mid-August.^[5] During TV-promotion he wore specially designed specs with an in-built water-sprayer for audience-exposure.^[6]

Preceded by "Someone Loves You Honey" by June Lodge & Prince Mohammed

Dutch Top 40 number-one single "Als je huilt" / "Bim bam" by André van Duin 21 August 1982 – 11 September 1982 (4 weeks)

Succeeded by "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring

Other versions

• Diana Trask took a version to #99 on the country singles charts in 1975.
• David Cassidy did a cover of the song for his album Then and Now.

Stan Freberg did a parody of Johnnie Ray's version of "Cry" entitled "Try", in which he did an emotional "sobbing out of tune" performance with different lyrics. The lyrics include the title of the B-side song "The Little White Cloud That Cried", in the line "even little white clouds do it". Johnnie Ray was not initially pleased with this parody. However, he later accepted Freberg's version.

References

1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research. 
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 484. 
3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 27. 
4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 132. 
5. ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 33, 1982". http://www.radio538.nl/web/show/id=44685/chartid=6001. Retrieved March 15, 2009 (2009-03-15). 
6. ^ "YouTube: André van Duin - Als je huilt". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30jjKCi-leU. Retrieved March 15, 2009 (2009-03-15).