The Rooftop Singers
| The Rooftop Singers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Genres | Folk |
| Years active | 1962–1967 |
| Labels | Vanguard |
| Associated acts | The Weavers |
| Past members |
Erik Darling Bill Svanoe Lynne Taylor Mindy Stuart Patricia Street |
The Rooftop Singers were an American progressive folk-singing trio in the early 1960s, best known for the hit "Walk Right In". The group was composed of Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe (vocals, guitar) with former jazz singer Lynne Taylor (vocals).
Darling put the group together in June 1962 specifically to record an updated and uptempo version of a 1929 Gus Cannon folk blues song, "Walk Right In". The trio recorded the song for Vanguard Records, with updated lyrics and an arrangement featuring paired 12-string acoustic guitars. The record became the most successful single in Vanguard's history.
In the U.S., the song was #1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1963. It spent five weeks atop the Easy Listening chart, which would later become known as the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition, "Walk Right In" reached both the R&B chart (peaking at #4) as well as the country music chart (peaking at #23). The song reached #1 in Australia on the Kent Music Report in 1963, and it made the Top 10 on the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom, peaking at #10. The recording sold over one million copies, gaining gold disc status.
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