"Down in the Valley" is a 1962 R&B song written by

Bert Berns Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 – December 30, 1967), also known as Bert Russell and (occasionally) Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s. His songwriting credits include " Twist and Shout", " Piec ...

and Solomon Burke and originally recorded by Solomon Burke. It was released on Atlantic as a B-side to "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You". It was covered by

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

on his album ''

Otis Blue ''Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul'' (often referred to simply as ''Otis Blue'') is the third studio album by American soul singer and songwriter Otis Redding. It was first released on September 15, 1965, as an LP record through the Stax Recor ...

''. Burke's original version is a classic example of early country soul with booming vocals.

Burke song

During a recording session at Atlantic Record on April 4, 1962, Burke recorded five songs, including "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You" (#15 R&B; #85 Pop) b/w "Down In The Valley" (#20 R&B; #71 Pop) (Atlantic 2147). For "Down in the Valley", Burke borrowed from a traditional folk song " Down in the Valley", that was written as early as 1800, and sung by

The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January ...

in the 1944 film '' Moonlight and Cactus'', and by Patti Page in 1951. In August 2008 Burke told ''Mojo'' magazine: Burke recalled: "I put my own feelings and words to it, and was lucky enough by the grace of God to capture the song, when it was in P.D., able to have a copyright on it." "Down in the Valley" debuted in the US charts on May 26, 1965, and peaked at #20 in the R&B charts, #71 in the Pop charts, and at #19 in the Adult Contemporary charts.

Redding rendition

The song was later covered by

on his 1965 album ''

'', and was featured in the 1996 film ''

2 Days in the Valley ''2 Days in the Valley'' is a 1996 American neo noir crime comedy film written and directed by John Herzfeld. The film stars Danny Aiello, Greg Cruttwell, Jeff Daniels, Teri Hatcher, Glenne Headly, Peter Horton, Marsha Mason, Paul Mazursky, J ...

'', and generated income for Cassandra Berns, who inherited the publishing rights from her father,

, who was credited as co-writer, along with "Babe" Chivian, and Joseph C. Martin."DOWN IN THE VALLEY (Legal Title)"
BMI Work #337516 The song's theme is of a "valley" through which a man passed as he struggled with love for the soul of his woman:

Notes

External links

Solomon Burke's Down in the Valley lyrics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Down In The Valley (Solomon Burke Song) 1964 singles Otis Redding songs Songs written by Bert Berns Solomon Burke songs Songs written by Solomon Burke 1962 songs Atlantic Records singles