Arthur Prysock (Born January 2, 1929 in Spartanburg, South Carolina – Died … Read Full Bio ↴Arthur Prysock (Born January 2, 1929 in Spartanburg, South Carolina – Died Bermuda, June 7, 1997) was an American baritone singer, whose widest exposure may have come from singing the "Tonight, Let It Be Lowenbrau" beer jingle in the late 1970's. Prysock who recorded for 43 years, released some 60 albums, with bandleaders including Buddy Johnson & Count Basie, on labels such as Mercury & Verve, but the bulk of his work was released via the Old Town label. His voice had a deep, rich smokey resonance, comparable to the smooth balladeering of Billy Eckstine, Brook Benton or Lou Rawls.

In 1944 popular touring bandleader Buddy Johnson found Prysock in Hartford Connecticut and signed him as a vocalist. Prysock became a mainstay of the live big band performance circuit, singing on several of Buddy Johnson’s hits on Decca Records ("Jet My Love", 1947 and "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone", 1948) and later on Mercury Records ("Because", 1950). Other signature tracks that Prysock recorded for Buddy Johnson's Orchestra between 1944 and 1952 included “They All Say I’m the Biggest Fool,” and “At Last.”

He went solo in the early 1950's, and had an R&B hit with "I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night," and was oft found performing on the road with his saxophonist brother Red Prysock. Tracks like "I Worry 'Bout You" in 1958, "The Very Thought of You" in 1960, and 1965's "It's Too Late Baby, It's Too Late" were hits on the Old Town label. Old Town, became his home through much of the late 50's & early 60's and again through the 70's after a brief late 60's stint with Verve.

With his concert popularity building, Verve picked him up, and paired him with Count Basie for an album in 1965, and after years of one-nighters on the Chitlin circuit, he finally performed at Carnegie Hall in 1966. Many productions from the 60's & 70's place Prysock in baths of syrupy strings & over orchestrated arrangements that have woefully buried his voice. He remains largely under appreciated as an 'easy listening' artist by modern audiences, with the Verve Music Group not even bothering to provide a bio on their website, despite selling his recordings.

In the 70s, he kept recording for Old Town, and had smatterings of success like the circa '73 Northern Soul In The Rain fave and a surprise disco hit with "When Love Is New". By 1980 "I'm Never Gonna Let You Go" was recorded for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label . In 1985, recorded his first new album in almost a decade,signing with Milestone Records in 1986. He continued recording jazz ballads & blues for Milestone, accompanied by his brother Red Prysock. His Milestone recordings were considered comebacks and “A Rockin’ Good Way,” (’85) and its follow up, “This Guy’s in Love with You,” (’86) rekindled his career, and he received 2 Grammy nomination for his latter career efforts, one a duet with Betty Joplin. His last studio effort was released in 1987, and a collection of his Milestone Recordings was re-issued in 2000 via the Concord Music Group. Prysock received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1995 and passed away in 1997 after suffering an aneurysm at age 73 in Bermuda where he had a retirement residence.

September in the Rain
Arthur Prysock Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The leaves of brown came tumblin' down, remember
In September in the rain

The sun went out just like a dying ember
That September in the rain

To every word of love I heard you whisper
The raindrops seemed to play a sweet refrain

Though spring is here, to me it's still September
That September in the rain

To every word of love I heard you whisper
The raindrops seemed to play a sweet refrain

Though spring is here, to me it's still September

That September in the rain
That September in the rain

Overall Meaning

Arthur Prysock's song "September in the Rain" is a nostalgic ballad that reminds the singer of a love affair that happened in September. The opening line, "The leaves of brown came tumblin' down," evokes the image of autumn and sets the mood for the rest of the song. The singer recalls a particular September when the sun went out like a dying ember, suggesting that their love may have ended or that there was a melancholic feeling to the affair. Nonetheless, the memory of their whispered words of love and the raindrops that played a sweet refrain linger on, even though it is now spring. The final line, "That September in the rain," underscores the persistence of this memory and the way in which it continues to shape the singer's experience of the world.

Line by Line Meaning

The leaves of brown came tumblin' down, remember
The autumn trees turned bare and the leaves started falling off, reminding me of the past memories during September in the rain.

The sun went out just like a dying ember
The warmth of the sun faded away, like the last flicker of a dying fire, mirroring the mood during September in the rain.

To every word of love I heard you whisper
I remember every expression of love you spoke softly, which resonates in my thoughts even now.

The raindrops seemed to play a sweet refrain
The sound of the raindrops falling reminds me of how love's melody played beautifully during that September of passion and romance.

Though spring is here, to me it's still September
Even though spring has replaced winter, my feelings are still connected to September, which was an unforgettable month of our love.

That September in the rain
The memories of September in the rain have stayed with me, and they continue to evoke emotions like nostalgia, fondness, and yearning.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Warren, Al Dubin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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