Down in the Valley (Solomon Burke song)
"Down in the Valley" is a 1962 R&B song written by Bert Berns and Solomon Burke and originally recorded by Solomon Burke. It was released on Atlantic as a B-side to "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You". It was covered by Otis Redding on his album "Otis Blue". Burke's original version is a classic example of early country soul with booming vocals. Burke song. During a recording session at Atlantic Record on April 4, 1962, Burke recorded five songs, including "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You" (#15  R&B; #85 Pop) b/w "Down In The Valley" (#20 R&B; #71 Pop) (Atlantic 2147). For "Down in the Valley", Burke borrowed from a traditional folk song "Down in the Valley", that was written as early as 1800, and sung by The Andrews Sisters in the 1944 film " Moonlight and Cactus", and by Patti Page in 1951. In August 2008 Burke told "Mojo" magazine: Redding rendition. The song was later covered by Otis Redding on his 1965 album "Otis Blue", and was featured in the 1996 film "2 Days in the Valley", and generated income for Cassandra Berns, who inherited  the publishing rights from her father, Bert Berns, who was credited as co-writer, along with "Babe" Chivian, and Joseph C. Martin. The song's theme is of a "valley" through which a man passed as he struggled with love for the soul of his woman: