"Crying in the Chapel" is a song written by Artie Glenn and recorded by his son

Darrell Glenn Darrell Orvis Glenn (December 7, 1935 – April 9, 1990) is an American single and songwriter. He first made his mark in the music business with his recording of "Crying in the Chapel" released in 1953, written by his father, Artie Glenn. He also ...

. The song was released in 1953 and reached number six on the ''Billboard'' chart. The song has also been recorded by many artists including

the Orioles The Orioles were an American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound. The Orioles are generally acknowledged as R&B's first vocal group. Balt ...

and

June Valli June Valli (June 30, 1928 – March 12, 1993), the stage name of June Foglia, was an American singer and television personality. Early years Born in the Bronx, Valli's father was Italian, and her mother was Austrian. She worked as a bookkeepe ...

, but the most successful version was by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, whose recording reached number three in the US, and number one in the UK in 1965.

Background

According to Artie Glenn's youngest son, Larry, the song was inspired by a personal experience his father had, and the chapel in the title was the Loving Avenue Baptist Church in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

. By this account, Artie Glenn had suffered a serious back problem, and while in hospital, he bargained with God that he would become a better person if God helped him recover. He recuperated from a successful spinal surgery, and when he was released from hospital, he went to pray at the nearest chapel he could find. While in the chapel, he started shedding tear of joy, which was witnessed by the pastor. The inspiration for the song then came to him, by the time he was back home, he had the basic tune and the chorus, and that evening he finished the rest of the song. Artie's son Darrell recorded a demo of the song. The song, however, was rejected by a number of publishers, and the song unreleased for some time. The song was eventually published by Valley Publishers, while a small independent label Valley Records from Knoxville released the recording by Darrell Glenn as a single.

1953 releases

was the first the record the song while still in high school, backed by his father's band the Rhythm Riders. This original version of the song was issued in May 1953. The song became a local hit in Fort Worth, Texas, and then it went nationwide. It quickly gained the attention of other artists who then recorded the song. Many different versions of the song in a variety of genres were released in the summer of 1953, and they appeared in multiple genre charts. Four versions (Glenn,

Rex Allen Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contribut ...

and

) reached ''Billboard''s best-selling popular records chart at the same time in August, while two versions (Glenn, Allen) also reached the country and western best-selling record chart, and one (the Orioles) on the rhythm and blues chart in the same month.

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

and the Ray Charles Singers also recorded a Jazz version (flip side of her "When the Hands of the Clock Pray at Midnight", Decca 28762), while

Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her Gospel music, gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spir ...

recorded a spiritual version. All versions sold over a combined million copies by August 1953 before they peaked in the charts. Darrell Glenn's original recording was the first to appear in ''Billboard''s Top Popular Records as well as the country and western charts in July 1953, eventually reaching number six on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' pop singles chart, and number four on the ''Billboard'' country and western chart. The version by

reached number eight,

' number 11,

number 15, and Art Lund reached number 23. On the ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' chart where versions by Glenn,

and

were amalgamated, the song reached number one. In the UK,

Lee Lawrence Lee Lawrence (born Julius Leon Sirota, 1 September 1920 – 25 February 1961)The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Consulates, Netherlands Antilles and Surinam: Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages; Class: FO 907; Piece: ...

took his version to number 7.

recorded her version with an orchestra directed by Joe Reisman in New York City on June 11, 1953.

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

released it as a single in the U.S. (catalog umber 20–5368). and elsewhere by

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

on the

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...

label (catalog number B. 10568). This was the most successful pop version on the ''Billboard'' charts in 1953, peaking at number four charting for a total of 17 weeks beginning August 1, 1953. Valli's version was the 24th best-selling song of 1953, while the song itself was ranked 10th in 1953's top tune. The doo-wop version recorded by

was the group's biggest success in the charts and their only million seller. The Orioles' version went to number one on the R&B chart and number eleven on the pop chart. It became one of the best-known versions and was included on the

soundtracks A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of ...

of a number of films, including ''

American Graffiti ''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronn ...

'' in 1973, '' Just Cause'' in 1995, and ''

Revolutionary Road ''Revolutionary Road'' is American author Richard Yates's debut novel about 1950s suburban life in the East Coast. It was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962, along with ''Catch-22'' and ''The Moviegoer''. When published by Atlantic ...

'' in 2008. The song was among the first songs to receive a Million-Airs award from BMI in 1979 for over a million airplays.

Elvis Presley version

On October 31, 1960,

cut a version of the song with plans to put it on his

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

gospel album ''

His Hand in Mine ''His Hand in Mine'' is the fifth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on November 23, 1960 by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, catalog number LPM/LSP 2328. It was the first of three gospel albums that Presley woul ...

''. Three takes were recorded, but neither Elvis nor

the Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...

, who provided background vocals, were satisfied. Eventually it was decided to shelve the recordings and move on. On April 6, 1965, "Crying In the Chapel" was issued on RCA's "Gold Standard Series." It became Elvis' first million seller since " Return to Sender" in 1962 and his greatest chart success over a six-year span. The single hit number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart and topped the

Easy Listening chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

for seven weeks. It was later included as a bonus track on Presley's 1967 gospel album, ''

How Great Thou Art "How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on an original Swedish hymn entitled "" written in 1885 by Carl Boberg (1859–1940). The English version of the hymn and its title are a loose translation by the English missionary Stuart K. Hine f ...

''. Presley's version also was a hit in the U.K., where it spent two non-consecutive weeks at number one.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Bob Marley & the Wailers version

In April 1968, the vocal trio

the Wailers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, featuring

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

on lead vocals and guitar,

Rita Marley Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, a ...

(replacing

Bunny Wailer Neville O'Riley Livingston (10 April 1947 – 2 March 2021), known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. ...

) and

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963� ...

on harmony vocals, backed by Rastafarian

nyabinghi Nyabinghi or Nyabingi is a prominent figure in the history of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, where religions or 'possession cults' formed around her. Probably via a 1930s article, the term "Nyabinghi" was introduced to Jamaica. There, it was adopted ...

percussion group Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus recorded an adapted version of the song in Kingston, Jamaica. Its lyrics were adapted from the Orioles' version by Rasta leader Mortimo Planno, who also produced and pressed the single entitled "Selassie Is the Chapel", the first ever Rastafarian song recorded and released by Marley. The song is thus meaningful to Rastafarians as its lyrics were modified in order to affirm the divinity of

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

as the born again Christ. Only a few hundred copies of the single were pressed on a blank label at the time, making it a much sought-after rarity for decades. It was finally reissued and documented on CD on the album ''Selassie Is the Chapel'' (JAD Records, 1997), as part of the '' Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967 to 1972'' series produced by

Bruno Blum Bruno Blum (born October 4, 1960, Vichy, France) is a French singer songwriter, guitar player, music producer and musicologist sometimes nicknamed "Doc Reggae". He is mostly known for his work in the reggae, Caribbean music, rock music and Afric ...

and

Roger Steffens Roger Steffens (born June 17, 1942) is an American actor, author, lecturer, editor, reggae archivist, photographer and, producer. Six rooms of his home in Los Angeles house reggae archives, which include the world's largest collection of Bob Mar ...

. A vinyl single was also released by JAD in 2002. The recording was reissued on that single along with the original Mortimo Planno-voiced flip side, Rastafarian cult song "A Little Prayer" as well as on the 2002 four CD Marley ''Rebel'' anthology set released in France only and deleted in 2003. A "Selassie Is the Chapel" remix produced by Blum, with a contribution by The Wailers, was released on the European Rastafari label in 1998 (and the Jamaican Human Race label a few years later) as "

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

/Selassie Is the Chapel". They feature a virtual duet between Marley and Ethiopian emperor Selassie in medley style. This duet version single hit number one in the UK ''Echoes'' magazine in April 1998.

Other versions

More than 50 artists worldwide have released a version of "Crying in the Chapel". * Arne Alm wrote the Swedish lyrics. Raya Avellan and Yngve Stoors Hawaiiorkester recorded "Klockorna i dalen" in Stockholm on October 10, 1953. The song was released on the 78 rpm record Cupol 4780. * Ken Griffin recorded a version in 1953. *

Johnny Burnette John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny and his brother, Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison formed the band that became k ...

included it on his self-titled 1961 album. *

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to t ...

recorded a version in 1962 with Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Johnny Williams. *

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

recorded a version in 1963 for Atlantic Records, which became a "Regional" hit on the Billboard Chart. *

Carol Fran Carol Fran (born Carol Augustus Anthony; October 23, 1933 – September 1, 2021) was an American soul blues singer, pianist, and songwriter, best known for her string of single releases in the 1950s and 1960s, and her later musical association w ...

recorded a version in 1964 for Port Records. *

The Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The ac ...

recorded a version in 1964 for Mercury Records. *

Santo & Johnny Santo & Johnny were an American rock and roll instrumental duo of Italian descent from Brooklyn, New York, composed of brothers Santo Farina (born October 24, 1937) and Johnny Farina (born April 30, 1941). They are known best for their instrum ...

included the song on their 1964 album, ''In the Still of the Night''. * In 1965, the Argentinian vocal group "Los 5 Latinos" with Estela Raval on the leading voice, recorded a Spanish version of the song, entitled "Llorando en la capilla", included in their album, ''El Show. Vol. 2''. * In 1966 the Venezuelan singer Mirtha Perez made a local hit of this song in her first album as soloist, ''Mirtha Solita'', entitled "Llorando en la capilla", with arrangements by the director Jose Gay and using as background vocals the members of group "Hermanos O Brien", after, Las 4 monedas. *

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

recorded a version of the song on his ''

Homeless Brother ''Homeless Brother'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Don McLean, released in 1974. It was reissued by BGO Records in 1996. Track listing All tracks composed by Don McLean except where indicated. Side One #"Winter Has Me ...

'' album (1974). *

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

, a

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...

band, recorded a version of the song on their album, ''Long Way From Paradise'' (1989). *

Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge (also known as The Bridge and as Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge since the 1980s) is an American musical group, best known for their million-selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "Worst That Could Happen" (1968). History New ...

recorded the song for their 1994 ''

Acapella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

'' album. *

Sissel Kyrkjebø Sissel Kyrkjebø (; born 24 June 1969), also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano. Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Her musical style ranges from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and op ...

recorded a version included in her album '' Reflections''. *

Karel Gott ) Sinatra of the East( cs, Sinatra Východu, link=no)Divine Charlie Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is a retired American R&B and soul singer. He has had four platinum albums and four Top 10 hits in the United States, including three that reached number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. ...

released his cover as the final song on his 1995 CD, ''The Tattoed Heart''.

Bibliography

* Roy Carr & Mick Farren: ''Elvis: The Illustrated Record'' (Harmony Books, 1982), pp. 97, 106.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crying In The Chapel 1950s ballads 1953 singles 1965 singles Darrell Glenn songs Rex Allen songs Elvis Presley songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in South Africa Atlantic Records singles RCA Victor singles 1953 songs Rock ballads