The group was formed around the nucleus of childhood friends, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.[1] Greenwich had recorded a single in 1958 ("Cha-Cha Charming", as Ellie Gaye) while a college student, and Barry began working for a Brill Building music publisher in 1959, penning the hit "Tell Laura I Love Her" amongst others.[1] The two met again that year and began dating; simultaneously, they began writing songs together, mainly for other artists. However, a couple of Greenwich-led discs were issued in the early 1960s under pseudonyms, one credited to Ellie Gee and The Jets, another to Kelli Douglas.
Greenwich and Barry married in October 1962.[1] Greenwich also got a job in music publishing, not only writing but also singing on various demos of her publisher's songs.
In early 1963, Greenwich and Barry recorded a demo of their composition "What a Guy",[1] a tune Barry had written for The Sensations. However, the group's label, Jubilee Records, chose to release Barry and Greenwich's demo as a single under the name "the Raindrops".[1] (The group's name was reportedly inspired by "Raindrops," a 1961 hit song by Dee Clark.)
"What a Guy" hit number 41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the group's follow-up, "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget", peaked at number 17.[1] The Raindrops' sound was "girl group" in style, with Greenwich singing lead vocal and double-tracked harmony parts, and Barry providing the nonsense-syllable bass vocals.
At this point, the group began to attract attention. Media stills of the group often depicted the group as a trio, featuring Greenwich and Barry as well as Greenwich's younger sister Laura, who did not sing on the records.[1] The Raindrops made occasional live appearances, but rarely with the same personnel as on record; Ellie Greenwich sometimes had Beverly Warren sing live for her, and Bobby Bosco filled in at times for Barry.[1] To preserve the illusion that the group was a trio, Laura Greenwich also occasionally appeared in live performances with the group, singing into a dead microphone.
The Raindrops released an album on Jubilee towards the end of 1963; a third single, "That Boy John", was a minor hit,[1] but sank at radio after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After a few further minor hits, Barry and Greenwich stopped releasing material as The Raindrops in early 1965, around the same time they became involved with Red Bird Records.[1]
Both Greenwich and Barry enjoyed successful careers as songwriters after the demise of The Raindrops, and Greenwich went on to a modest solo career as a singer as well. They divorced late in 1965, although they continued to write songs together for a time. They reunited on record for a 1967 single credited to The Meantime, which failed to chart. This was their last professional project as a duo.
Both Greenwich and Barry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991.
