The Rainmakers & Bob Walkenhorst: Top 100 Songs

The Rainmakers/ Bob Walkenhorst Top 100 Songs

The Rainmakers are a roots-rock band from Missouri. They started as a trio in 1983 named Steve, Bob & Rich for members Steve Phillips (guitar and vocals), Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, drums, and guitar), and Rich Ruth (bass and vocals). They released one independent album, Balls, in 1984. They signed to Polygram Records, added drummer Pat Tomek, and renamed themselves the Rainmakers. They released their self-titled debut in 1986. Four more studio albums followed from 1987 to 1997. Rich Ruth had left in 1994 and was replace on their 1997 album Skin by Michael Bliss. The band were then inactive for more than a decade, during which time frontman Bob Walkenhorst released a solo album and collaborated with Jeff Porter, who joined the Rainmakers when they reunited in 2011. Steve Phillips and Pat Tomek returned to the fold as well. After three more studio albums, the band again went dormant during which time Walkenhorst collaborated with his daughter Una for a 2018 album and released another solo effort in 2021. He has also recorded two albums, known as Spare and Spare Vol. 2, of stripped-down, acoustic versions of his songs with and without the Rainmakers. Also appearing on this list are a few cuts from the 1977 album The Last Adventure by the Walkenhorst Brothers. Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers. Spotify Podcast: Check out Dave’s Music Database podcast: The Best of Bob Walkenhorst and the Rainmakers based on this list. It debuts August 24, 2021 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 20%: 1. Let My People Go-Go (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 2. Snake Dance (1987) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 3. Downstream (1986) 4. The Wages of Sin (1987) 5. Big Fat Blonde (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 6. Small Circles (1987) 7. Nobody Knows (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 8. Spend It on Love (1989) 9. Government Cheese (1986) 10. Like Dogs (2011) 11. Suspicious Minds (2015) 12. Last Song of the Evening (2011) 13. Given Time (2011) 14. Primitivo Garcia (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 15. Drinkin’ on the Job (1986) 16. Information (Steve, Bob, & Rich: 1984; The Rainmakers: 1986) 17. Go Down Swinging (2011) 18. Half a Horse Apiece (2011) 19. Hoo Dee Hoo (1989) 20. America (2015) 21. Another Guitar (1984) 22. Reckoning Day (1989) 23. One More Summer (1987) 24. Suspicious Minds (2015) 25. The Lakeview Man (1987) 26. For Tomorrow (Bob & Una Walkenhorst, 2018) 27. Different Rub (1997) 28. No Romance (1987) 29. Long Gone Long (1986) 30. Missouri Girl (2011) 31. Thirty Days (1989) 32. Rockin’ at the T-Dance (1986) 33. Doomsville (1986) 34. Turpentine (2011) 35. The Battle of the Roses (1989) 36. Siamese Twins (1997) 37. The One That Got Away (1986) 38. Stick Together (live, 1989) 39. Baby Grand (2011) 40. Wild Oats (1989) 41. Kansas City Times (2011) 42. Skin (1997) 43. To the Hum (1997) 44. 13th Spirit (2014) 45. Rainmaker (1987) 46. Renaissance Man (1989) 47. Carpenter’s Son (1987) 48. Tattoo (1997) 49. Fool’s Gold (1994) 50. Shithole Town (2014) 51. Life Can Turn (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 52. Width of a Line (1994) 53. Miserable (2014) 54. Little Tiny World (1994) 55. Jan Vermeer (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 56. J-Walkers (Bob Wakenhorst, 2003) 57. Just Leaving (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 58. Shiny Shiny (1989) 59. Along Comes Mary (2015) 60. Tornado of Love (1987) 61. Just Another Joe (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 62. The Day We Hung Up the Flag (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 63. The Other Side of the World (1987) 64. Fly Over (Bob & Una Walkenhorst, 2018) 65. You Remind Me of Someone (1994) 66. Monster Movie (2014) 67. I Talk with My Hands (1987) 68. Greatest Night of My Life (1994) 69. Silver Lake (Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter, 2009) 70. Remarkable (Bob Walkenhorst, 2006) 71. No Abandon (Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter, 2009) 72. Mystery Road (1994) 73. Dry Dry Land (1989) 74. Sugartree (Bob Walkenhorst, 2020) 75. We Walk the Levee (1989) 76. Happy Enough (Bob Walkenhorst, 2020) 77. View from the Tower (1994) 78. Rock On (2015) 79. EGBDF (Steve, Bob & Rich: 1984) 80. A Million Miles Away (1997) 81. Punching Bag (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 82. Call a Wrecker (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 83. Stolen the Moon (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 84. Overland Hill (Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter, 2009) 85. Burgers (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 86. Spite (1994) 87. Winter Dreams (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 88. Shenandoah (Bob Walkenhorst, 2016) 89. Kissin’ Time (Steve, Bob & Rich: 1984) 90. Good Sons and Daughters (1997) 91. Kissses from St. Louis (1993) 92. Rockin’ Around (1993) 93. Autumn Song (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 94. When We Say Goodbye (Walkenhorst Brothers, 1977) 95. Vermillion (2011) 96. Who’s at the Wheel (2014) 97. These Hills (2011) 98. Broken Down (Bob Walkenhorst, 2003) 99. Too Many Twenties (1997) 100. Signs of a Struggle (2014) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for The Rainmakers DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Bob Walkenhorst Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Performers” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Songwriters and/or Producers First posted 6/17/2021; last updated 8/24/2021.

The Rainmakers released Skin this month

Skin The Rainmakers

Released: August 1997 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] Different Rub [3:30] (single, --) Skin [1:53] (single, --) Good Sons and Daughters [5:01] Remember Me By [4:20] Did You See the Lightning (Phillips) [4:17] Reddleman Coming [4:28] A Million Miles Away [5:47] Too Many Twenties [3:40] Hunger Moon (Phillips/Tomek) [4:07] Siamese Twins [2:51] Tattoo [4:31] Eclipse Has Begun [4:32] To the Hum [3:32] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 52:01 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Steve Phillips (guitar, vocals on “Did You See the Lightning” and “Hunger Moon”) Pat Tomek (drums) Michael Bliss (bass, vocals)

Rating: 3.960 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: The fifth Rainmakers’ album was seemingly their last – until they re-emerged in 2011. This is the best since their debut. There’s nothing here as classic as that album’s “Downstream” or “Big Fat Blonde,” but this is a solid effort and a worthy send-off. “With this effort, Bob Walkenhorst has again proved that no subject matter is too controversial by taking aim at pornography and its societal impact, via his unique perspectives – a Rainmakers trademark” (Rainmakers.com). Interestingly, for an album about pornography, the musical approach is ironically stripped down. Whereas the Rainmakers previous albums sounded like they came right out of a local bar, the music here sounds more fitting of a coffee house setting. It feels much more like a Bob Walkenhorst solo album than a band effort. The sound proved oddly prophetic since the Rainmakers went there separate ways and Walkenhorst went on to release his first solo album (albeit six long years later). From a lyrical standpoint, Walkenhorst is at his best. For many albums, a lyrics sheet is pretty unnecessary. The words typically feel like they were written in about the same time it took to sing the song. With the Rainmakers, though, you can count on clever twists with words, humorous references, and plenty of thought-provoking lines. This immediately becomes apparent in the opening words of leadoff track Different Rub, the album’s most radio-accessible song. “Hot dog on a printed page/Airbrush every sign of age/Going under the surgeon’s knife/Stepdaughter of a Stepford wife/That ain’t what a woman is.” Quite different stuff than the stereotypical misognynistic content of rock and roll. Siamese Twins offers a masterful dissection of male sexual duality: “This is the story of the double life/How you can take one love/Make her your wife/Yet hold onto this image of a fantasy world/Where every woman looks like a teenage girl.” Good Sons and Daughters continues to explore the theme of a male-dominated, women-treated-as-objects society with lines like “The Revolution came, the revolution went/Not meant for us all, just that fifty per cent.” Too Many Twenties gets a little lost in its weakly-conceived chorus, but the message in the song about the revolting statistics about how many women are raped or abused is sobering stuff. This is a long way from the feel-good, pub-dancing flavor of the Rainmakers debut. In just glancing at the album titles, the title track and Tattoo would seem to fit well into the album’s overall concept. Instead, the former is more general, exploring humanity in general with that age old “Who am I?” style questioning while the latter is the Rainmakers’ best ballad since “Small Circles” off their second album. Remember Me By is a far less memorable ballad that also strays from the theme as do the story songs Reddleman Coming and A Million Miles Away. Lead guitarist Steve Phillips takes the reigns on Did You See the Lightning and Hunger Moon, fulfilling his requisite one or two songs per album. Phillips’ voices and lyrics aren’t bad, but they aren’t on par with Bob Walkenhorst, and make for fairly throwaway songs. Most of the songs draw attention to themselves because of Walkenhorst’s gift for lyrics and his unique voice. Album closer To the Hum introduces a new element to the band’s catalog, though – acapella. Of course, it also closed out the band’s career. The last song on their last album. Not a bad way to go out.

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia First posted 2/27/2006; updated 6/2/2021.

The Rainmakers returned with Flirting with the Universe

Flirting with the Universe The Rainmakers

Released: August 1, 1994 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] Another Guitar [4:25] Width of a Line [3:52] Fool’s Gold [4:41] Window (Phillips) [4:00] View from the Tower [4:27] Greatest Night of My Life [4:43] Wilder Side (Phillips) [3:20] You Remind Me of Someone [2:52] Little Tiny World [4:07] Mystery Road [5:21] Spite [5:05] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 46:53 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar, vocals on “Windows” and “Wilder Side”) Pat Tomek (drums)

Rating: 3.734 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)

About the Album: From 1986 to 1989, the Rainmakers released three albums, gained moderate success, and then went away for a four-year layoff. As is to be expected, a band that never exactly became a household name wasn’t going to suddenly set the world on fire under such circumstances with their fourth album. Of course, it doesn’t help that of the Rainmakers five studio releases, this is their weakest, although even a weak Rainmakers’ album outdoes many of their competitors. Not that this is a bad release – there just isn’t anything as toe-tapping as their debut album’s “Downstream” or “Let My People Go-Go,” Tornado’s “Snakedance” or even “Spend It on Love” from The Good News and the Bad News. The best bet is Another Guitar, yet another Rainmakers song that sounds like it wants to be played on the radio, but wasn’t. Similarly, when they venture into ballad territory such as on Fool’s Gold or Greatest Night of My Life, the band delivers better than your average band, but still pale in comparison to their own previous material such as “Small Circles” or “Nobody Knows.” Incidentally, Steve Phillips, who wrote and sung “Nobody Knows,” takes charge on Window and Wilder Side, one more appearance than he typically got per album. Unfortunately, neither is going down in even the Rainmakers’ canon as a classic. Still, Steve did make another important contribution regarding the album as the band recorded it in his basement. WK The closest thing to a classic on this album is Little Tiny World. Written with typical Bob Walkenhorst humor, the song turns the It’s-a-Small-World concept into something Disney wouldn’t be able to stick in a G-rated movie. Walkenhorst’s pride is quickly burst when someone he assumes to be an autograph seeker pinpoints him as the guy who used to pump her gas. Another verse spits out a roll call of run-ins at a party in which Walkenhorst concludes, “Seemed most everbody there had/slept with everybody else/when I figured it all out/I figured I’d slept with myself.” Unfortunately, this album didn’t give the Rainmakers the glory they’d always deserved – although it did go gold in Norway, WK where the band had previously built a following. They returned for one more album a couple years later before they packed it in. While this is the weakest album in their discography, it’s still hard to not enjoy a Rainmakers album. This is the hardest album to track down, but if you’re a fan, it’s still a must.

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia First posted 2/27/2006; updated 6/2/2021.

The Rainmakers released The Good News and the Bad News this month

The Good News and the Bad News The Rainmakers

Released: May 1989 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Reckoning Day [3:10] Hoo Dee Hoo [4:28] Spend It on Love [2:54] Battle of the Roses [4:08] Wild Oats [3:17] We Walk the Levee [4:14] Thirty Days [4:08] Knock on Wood (Phillips) [3:18] Dry Dry Land [3:31] Shiny Shiny [2:52] Johnny Reb [2:32] Horn O Plenty [2:12] Songs written by Bob Walkenhorst unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 40:44 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar, vocals on “Knock on Wood”) Pat Tomek (drums)

Rating: 3.824 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “The good news is that once again this Kansas City quartet marries hard-rocking blues to literate references, mentioning Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and John Wilkes Booth in the opening track alone.” AMG The bad news is the “murky production by [Bob] Walkenhorst and engineer Jeff Glixman.” AMG Also, the “enthusiastic whoop of songwriter and frontman Bob Walkenhorst will put off some listeners. Their loss.” AMG Not only does he bring energy and charisma, but he has a unique voice that casts him as the Midwestern version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty. With this being the Rainmakers’ third album, it was apparent they weren’t going to take off and get the audience they deserved. Their first album produced gems like “Let My People Go-Go,” “Downstream,” and “Big Fat Blonde.” The second album wasn’t quite as strong, but “Snake Dance,” “The Wages of Sin,” and “Small Circles” made for more deserved radio hits. This time around, Walkenhorst and Co. serve up more songs which feel like they should have clicked with album-rock listeners, if not a wider pop audience. Spend It on Love is sentimental, Thirty Days is clever, and Wild Oats is a party rocker. All three demonstrate an ear for commercial music that has something to say. The band took a four-year hiatus after this release, but released a live album in 1990 and a best-of collection in 1993. Reckoning Day, Hoo Dee Hoo, and Shiny Shiny were all featured on both albums. Notes: The 2010 reissue of the CD added acoustic versions of “Frustration Train,” “Renaissance Man,” “Prove Me Wrong,” “Downstream,” Johnny Reb,” “Spend It on Love,” and “Shenandoah.”

Resources and Related Links: AMG All Music Guide review by Mark Allan First posted 2/27/2006; updated 6/2/2021.

The Rainmakers charted with Tornado

Tornado The Rainmakers

Charted: November 28, 1987 Peak: 116 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Snakedance [3:58] (11/14/87, 31 AR) Tornado of Love [4:11] The Wages of Sin [3:39] Small Circles [3:27] No Romance [3:18] One More Summer [3:30] The Lakeview Man [2:59] Rainmaker [4:21] I Talk with My Hands [6:30] The Other Side of the World [4:30] All songs written by Bob Walkenhorst. Total Running Time: 40:23 The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar) Pat Tomek (drums)

Rating: 3.934 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “The Rainmakers' second album finds their basic Midwestern rock sounding a little tired, despite more studio polish and Steve Phillips’ solid guitar work. While the band sounds more accomplished than on their 1987 debut, Tornado lacks anything as arresting as ‘Rockin' at the T-Dance’ or ‘Let My People Go-Go’ on that album, or ‘Reckoning Day’ on their next one, although Snake Dance and Wages of Sin come close.” AMG “For most of Tornado, Bob Walkenhorst tones down his yelp of indignation, which is both the most distinctive and potentially annoying characteristic of the band’s sound. The restrained Small Circles shows how conventional the band could be, suggesting how easily the Rainmakers could have carved out a comfortable career as a standard AOR act.” AMG “Nice as that track may be, Tornado generally sticks to the Rainmakers’ strengths: being wry, provocative, and confrontational. Only the overly long I Talk with My Hands is truly a poor effort, seriously bogging down the album with a misguided attempt at dance-oriented rock.” AMG “Even when they come up short on melody, though, as on the bland No Romance, Walkenhorst’s lyrics usually provide something to listen for. The Rainmakers’ next release, The Good News & the Bad News, would offer more of Walkenhorst’s outrage, which may have been what Tornado needed to register as one of the band’s better efforts.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: AMG All Music Guide review by James A. Gardner First posted 3/24/2008; updated 6/2/2021.

The Rainmakers “Downstream” released as single

Downstream The Rainmakers

Writer(s): Bob Walkenhorst (see lyrics here) Album Released: August 1986 Album Charted: September 13, 1986 Single Released: May 11, 1987 Peak: 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.16 video, 0.11 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: In 1983, singer/songwriter, guitarist and drummer Bob Walkenhorst formed a three-piece bar band with guitarist/singer Steve Phillips and bassist Rich Ruth. The trio, known as Steve, Bob and Rich, formed in Kansas City and became popular in the Midwest, evolving into the Rainmakers after the addition of Pat Tomek on drums. That group never gained widespread national attention, although they remained a regional favorite and surprisingly gained an audience in Norway. The Rainmakers released their self-titled debut in 1986. The album included newly recorded versions of “Let My People Go Go,” “Nobody Knows,” “Big Fat Blonde,” and “Information,” all songs originally recorded for the 1984 Steve, Bob and Rich album Balls. Among the new material the most notable was the song “Downstream.” The song celebrated the band’s Missouri roots with references to rock-and-roll architect Chuck Berry, President Harry Truman, and writer Mark Twain. The homage to Berry is especially appropriate considering how much the band draws their roots-rock sound from artists such as him, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bruce Springsteen. He also explained that when he first teamed with Steve Phillips, they were both CCR “fanatics – it was the best band that ever existed: hard, powerful vocals yet simple song structures.” LR Walkenhorst also said, “I admire Springsteen a lot…he hasn’t contradicted himself; he’s not acting like a god.” PK Its also fitting that “Downstream” references Mark Twain. The history page on the Rainmakers’ website describes the band as combining “the guitar power of Berry with the social wit of Twain into a unique brand of Missouri rock n’ roll.” RM It’s also been said that their “though-provoking rock and roll…recalls the lyrics of T-Bone Burnett…and the early Rolling Stones.” PK “Cross a more literate John Mellencamp with Webb Wilder and you have this…band sized up.” AMG Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Rainmakers AMG All Music Guide review of The Rainmakers LR Len Righi (9/13/1986). The Morning Call “The Rainmarkers (sic) Pray It’s Not Too Late” PK Peter Kobel (12/2/1987). Chicago Tribune “Politics or No, the Rainmakers Call It Rock” RM Rainmakers.com (history) Related Links: First posted 7/12/2022; last updated 12/29/2022.

Steve, Bob & Rich’s Balls released this year

Balls Steve, Bob & Rich

Released: 1984 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: roots rock

Tracks: Let My People Go-Go Nobody Knows EGBDF Kissin’ Time A Only Chile Big Fat Blonde Makes No Sense Christine Information Roll On Songs written by Bob Walkenhorst. The Players: Bob Walkenhorst (vocals, guitar, drums) Rich Ruth (bass, vocals) Steve Phillips (guitar, vocals, lead vocal on “Nobody Knows”)

Rating: 4.200 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings)

About the Album: The three-piece bar band Steve, Bob & Rich formed in 1983. “These Kansas City rockers became an instant favorite throughout the Midwest. Soon fans stood in line to see this trio they described as ‘energetic,’ ‘intense,’ but most importantly ‘fun.’” AZ They self-produced their one and only album, Balls, in 1984. Within months, the trio signed a multi-album contract with Polygram, added drummer Pat Tomek, and became the Rainmakers, who would be hailed by Newdsay as “America’s Great Next Band.” AZ Amazon.com said this about the Rainmakers: “Missouri has long boasted of being the home of two of America’s greatest artists, Mark Twain and Chuck Berry. However, it wasn’t until The Rainmakers thundered into the national music spotlight in 1986, had anyone combined the guitar power of Berry with the social wit of Twain to form a unique brand of Missouri rock n’ roll.” AZ Let My People Go-Go, Nobody Knows, Big Fat Blonde, and Information would all resurface on the Rainmakers’ self-titled debut in 1986, but appear here first in stripped-down versions. Those songs “plus other strong originals capture the band lean, hungry and in all their 3-piece glory.” AZ “The remix and remastering makes it sound as if you are sitting in the room with the band, as most cuts were recorded completely live in the studio…No Rainmakers fan can be without this one!” AZ Notes: A CD reissue added seven live cuts from 1985: “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” “Tough Boys,” “Hanging Around,” “Nasty Man,” “Rockin’ All Over the World,” “Let My People Go-Go,” and “Switchblade.”

Resources and Related Links: AZ Amazon.com First posted 2/4/2009 updated 6/2/2021.