The Rain, The Park & Other Things – The Cowsills | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#2); 1967

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Before the TV Bradys and Partridges, there existed a real-life mom-and-the-kids band: the Cowsills from Newport, Rhode Island. Consisting of five brothers – Bill, Bob, Paul, Barry, and John – sister Susan and their mother, Barbara, the whole family music thing started when father Bud bought brothers Bill and Bob guitars.

Eventually, Barry and John joined Bill and Bob to make it a foursome. An appearance on the Today Show resulted in a record deal. Their lone Joda release went nowhere in 1965, nor did three subsequent singles on Philips.

Despite their lack of success to-date, Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff believed in the Cowsills and enlisted them (plus Barbara) to record a tune the two had written called The Rain, The Park & Other Things.

Paul and Susan soon joined the other five. After Indian Lake and Hair hit, Columbia Pictures Television courted the Cowsills to star in a series inspired by them; an offer they declined when the suits insisted that Shirley Jones play mother Partridge rather than Barbara.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

  • Artie Kornfeld

Lyrics Written by:

  • Artie Kornfeld
  • Steve Duboff

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Ed Osborne

Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).