The Four Horsemen of the Doo-Wop-alypse summoned the rain gods from a park bench on the Green. They made a compelling plea.
Actually, three of the Horesmen did. The fourth member of the casual ensemble was somewhere else.
It was late afternoon. The sky was overcast.
The Horsemen, Michael West, Darryl Riley, and Glenn Mutts (aka “Brother Mutts”), were performing from their usual stage — a bench on the upper Green. They love to hang out and sing together. They don’t take their act on the road. They don’t seek audiences.
But they do have a name. They do practice. And they pour their all into the music.
They slipped into three parts as they launched into a Temptations number, “I Wish It Would Rain.”
West’s phone rang. It was his wife. He briefly took the call. The Horsemen didn’t miss a beat; Riley and Brother Mutts filled in the empty spaces. West announced the caller in rhythm; his “hello?” sounded like a spoken part written into the number.
By the time the chorus came around, West was back in the mix. The singers stumbled momentarily to hit the same key. At one point, Brother Mutts, the leader, had to stop Riley from stepping on West’s part.
By the end, their voices soared, and the three horsemen became one.
No drops had fallen from the sky. But the air had changed, thanks to a beautiful, soul-stirring rain of harmony. The doo-wop gods were no doubt pleased.
Click on the video at the top of the story to see and hear for yourself.