The Rooftop Singers
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Erik Darling |
| Defunct | 1967 |
Area served | United States, Australia, United Kingdom |
Key people | Erik Darling, Bill Svanoe, Lynne Taylor, Mindy Stuart, Patricia Street |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
| Parent | Vanguard Records |
The Rooftop Singers were a 1960s American trio specializing in country folk, renowned primarily for their chart-topping single "Walk Right In". The ensemble featured Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe on vocals and guitar, alongside former jazz vocalist Lynne Taylor.
Career
In June 1962, Darling initiated the formation of the group to produce a modern rendition of Gus Cannon's 1929 folk blues tune "Walk Right In". This track was recorded under Vanguard Records and prominently showcased dual 12-string acoustic guitars. The single emerged as Vanguard's highest-selling release.
Within the United States, "Walk Right In" claimed the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks in early 1963 and dominated the Easy Listening chart for five weeks. It also achieved No. 4 on the R&B listings and reached No. 23 on the country chart. Globally, it secured the top spot in Australia and attained No. 10 in the United Kingdom. The record surpassed one million copies sold, earning a gold disc award.
The album featuring this hit shared the same title, Walk Right In. Their musical approach leaned more heavily on ragtime, blues, and songster influences compared to contemporaries such as The Weavers, with notably less emphasis on political themes.
In 1963, they appeared at the Newport Folk Festival. Following this, Vanguard issued multiple singles; among them, "Tom Cat" climbed to No. 20 in May 1963. After Lynne Taylor departed due to personal circumstances after their sophomore album Good Time!, Mindy Stuart stepped in for their last album, Rainy River. Subsequently, Patricia Street replaced Stuart prior to the group's dissolution in 1967. Post-breakup, Darling and Street continued performing as a duo into the early 1970s, releasing The Possible Dream via Vanguard.
Lynne Taylor, who was married to radio personality Skip Weshner, died by suicide in 1979 at age 43. Erik Darling passed away in 2008 at age 74 from Burkitt's lymphoma.
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
Record Label | B-side | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US AC |
US Country |
US R&B |
UK | |||||
| 1962 | "Walk Right In" | 1 | 1 | 23 | 4 | 10 | Vanguard | "Cool Water" | Walk Right In! |
| 1963 | "Tom Cat" | 20 | — | — | 30 | — | "Shoes" | Good Time! | |
| "Mama Don't Allow" | 55 | 20 | — | — | — | "It Don't Mean a Thing" | |||
| 1964 | "Sail Away Ladies" | — | — | — | — | — | "Twelve-String" | ||
| 1965 | "Rainy River" | — | — | — | — | — | "Buddy, Won't You Roll Down the Line" | Rainy River | |
| "Ham and Eggs" | — | — | — | — | — | "Somebody Came Home" | Walk Right In! | ||
| 1967 | "Kites" | — | — | — | — | — | Atco | "My Life Is My Own" | |
See also
- List of folk musicians
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart
External links
- [1] Allmusic.com entry