The Cascades, formerly known as the Silver Strands, are an American vocal group. Originally created in 1960 in San Diego, California by a group of United States Navy personnel, the band has seen numerous changes and today consists of Gabe Lapano on lead vocals, Tony Grasso on bass guitar, with Jim Owens on drums, and Eddie Snyder on lead guitar.
Their first release, "There's A Reason," became a small regional hit; in the summer of 1962, they went to Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles to record a song Gummoe wrote in his Navy days on watch during a thunderstorm.
The band released the song "Rhythm of the Rain" in 1963 and has been described as one of the last great songs of the pre-Beatles era. The single sold over one million copies, rising to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #5 in the UK Singles Chart.
The band split in 1975 but has since reformed in 1995 and 2004, touring the US and the Philippines, where they had a loyal fan base.
