Tuesday, 15 April 2025

Namesakes #133: The Rainmakers



Until today o'clock, I thought a Rainmaker was someone who did a rain dance, or made those funky windy chimey things, with the aim of making it rain. Turns out that's not the case, and the web of lies insists that a Rainmaker is someone who "excels at bringing in new clients or revenue" to a business.

Shows what I know.

Anyway, here are a bunch of bands who claimed to be Rainmakers. I'm, not sure how much moolah any of them brought in though...

THE RAINMAKERS #1

We start today with some doo woppy Rainmakers from 1965...

The Rainmakers - Barbara

THE RAINMAKERS #2


Next, an LA garage band / bunch of bloody hippies* from 1966, originally known as Starbuck & The Rainmakers, though they resurfaced at the end of the decade as Eddie Todd & The Rainmakers...

(*This judgement based solely on the song title below.)

Starbuck & The Rainmakers - Let Your Hair Hang Long

THE RAINMAKERS #3

Far more clean-cut, judging by their photo at least, this lot pitter-pattered down from Noo Joisey in 1967.

The Rainmakers - Jeanie Green Bean

THE RAINMAKERS #4

Yet another 60s garage band, this time from Traverse City, Michigan. They look like they're posing for a horror movie poster... but don't be afraid!

The Rainmakers - Don't Be Afraid

THE RAINMAKERS #5

70s soul, Phillipines-style.

The Rainmakers - Sinta, I Won't Last a Day Without You

THE RAINMAKERS

Funky London-based Rainmakers from 1976 who released a rather literal single called Let It Rain. 

I couldn't find it anywhere on t'web.

However, I did find this from 1976, which I'm shoe-horning in just to irk the purist.

Wellington Womble - Rainmaker

THE RAINMAKERS #6

Hailing from Kansas, my own personal pick of the Rainmakers are predominantly remembered for their UK Top 20 hit of 1987 which added a bit of wop-bop-a-loo-bop back into the charts in the year the 80s started going downhill. Stephen King was a fan, quoting their lyrics in both The Tommyknockers and Gerald's Game. (I'm surprised this didn't push me to investigate them further.)

They were very big in Norway, and active on and off in the 90s and 2010s, though they don't appear to have done anything new since guitarist Steve Phillips died of Covid in 2020.

The Rainmakers - Let My People Go Go

THE RAINMAKERS #7

Clubby antheeeeem from 1995 by the same people who brought you Ooops and the Scumboys.

Rainmakers - Don't You Want My Love

RAINMAKERS #8

Um-chigga, um-chigga, um-chigga dance tune from 1997 by Rainmaking DJs Jordi Slate and Felipe Volumen.

Rainmakers - Urban Break

THE RAINMAKERS #9

Young Aussie Rainmakers from 2009...

The Rainmakers - One Voice

THE RAINMAKERS #10

American indie Rainmakers from 2020...

The Rainmakers - Gangsta Nation

THE REIGNMAKERS #11

Boston twin "battle rappers" whose family apparently "reigns over all bars over bullshit". I hope their raps make more grammatical sense.

The Reignmakers - Eye Of The Storm

THE RAINMAKERS #12

Finally, some rather jazzy Rainmakers from South Africa... sort of.

"The Rainmakers are a prime example of this fruitful exchange between North and South. The bandleader and bassist, Bänz Oester and Javier Vercher on tenor sax, come from Europe; the pianist Afrika Mkhize and drummer Ayanda Sikade count among the continent-hopping talents from South Africa. The four of them form a close-knit, inseparable unit. In other words, we are dealing with a formation in which individual strengths are not showcased in egocentric fashion, but are transformed into a collective energy."

Bänz Öster and the Rainmakers - Jaipur

Lots of songs to make it rain... but which is your Purple Rain... and which just leaves you Crying In The Rain?


8 comments:

  1. #8 doesn't exist so hard to judge that one. As for the rest I think Wellington Womble takes it

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    Replies
    1. Consider the lack of 8 to be a public service.

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    2. Missing links, intruders in the list of Namesakes, this blog is going to pieces. And not in a good way.

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    3. The first 4 are pleasingly amateurish, but are completely outshone by #5 (maybe that should have been the first song at our wedding)

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  2. as for #12, you just put those long tracks on to annoy me. My vote goes to #10

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I refute that accusation. Why would I do anything like that? I'd have to be evil...

      Delete
  3. Number 6 for me, always liked this tune, not heard it for years

    ReplyDelete