Down in the Valley (Solomon Burke song)

"Down in the Valley" is a 1962 R&B song written by Bert Berns 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 on his album Otis Blue. Burke's original version is a classic example of early country soul with booming vocals.

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).^[1] For "Down in the Valley", Burke borrowed from a traditional folk song "Down in the Valley", that was written as early as 1800,^[2] and sung by The Andrews Sisters in the 1944 film Moonlight and Cactus,^[3][4] and by Patti Page in 1951.^[5] In August 2008 Burke told Mojo magazine:

I wrote that on the train, 'cos I had no song and I started thinking on old songs that I could do uptempo and I thought, (sings Gospel song pacier, with horn arrangement) so I had to keep that in my head 'til I got to the studio. I said, 'Can I have a tuba like I have in my church?' In my church we got the tuba and the trombones. Got to get that New Orleans sound. They loved it.^[6]

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.^[7]

The song was later covered by Otis Redding on his 1965 album Otis Blue, and was featured in the 1996 film 2 Days in the Valley,^[8] and generated income for Cassandra Berns, who inherited the publishing rights from her father, Bert Berns,^[9] who was credited as co-writer,^[10] along with "Babe" Chivian, and Joseph C. Martin.^[11]

• Solomon Burke's Down in the Valley lyrics