Tears on My Pillow

For the song of the same name by Johnny Nash, see Tears on My Pillow (Johnny Nash song). For the album of the same name by Johnny Tillotson, see Tears on My Pillow (album).

"Tears on My Pillow"
Single by Little Anthony and the Imperials
from the album We Are the Imperials Featuring Little Anthony
Released	1958
Format	7" single
Genre	Doo wop
Length	2:20
Label	End 1027
Writer(s)	Sylvester Bradford Al Lewis
Little Anthony and the Imperials singles chronology
"Tears on My Pillow" (1958) "The Glory of Love" (1958)

"Tears on My Pillow" is a doo-wop song written by Sylvester Bradford and Al Lewis in 1958. The composition was first recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials on End Records and was that group's debut recording under that name. Their original recording of the song became a Billboard Top 10 Pop smash, peaking at #4, and was The Imperials' first million-seller. It was also a two-sided hit, with its flip side, "Two People in the World," also becoming a major hit. Although it remains one of the Imperials' signature songs, "Tears on My Pillow" has been extensively covered, including a #1 version by Kylie Minogue in 1990.

Original version

Early copies of the single were credited simply to "The Imperials," a group which had previously been known as "The Duponts" and "The Chesters." Brooklyn, New York deejay Alan Freed gave the group's lead singer, Anthony Gourdine, top billing while introducing the single over the air and the moniker of "Little Anthony and the Imperials" stuck.

"Tears on My Pillow" was a #4 hit single in the United States. Selling over a million copies, "Tears on My Pillow" was the most successful single of the Imperials' doo wop period. Its success would be matched only by the Imperials' 1964 single "Goin' Out of My Head."

Covers

• A cover of "Tears on My Pillow" by Sha Na Na was featured on the soundtrack to Grease.
• In 1986, New Edition released a Motown-covers album Under the Blue Moon that included a cover of "Tears on My Pillow." In the New Edition version, Little Anthony Gourdine himself appeared as a guest vocalist.
• S Club 8 did a cover version as a B-Track on their second album, Sundown.
• Clem Snide recorded a cover for the Stubbs the Zombie soundtrack.

"Tears on My Pillow" has also been covered by Timi Yuro, Chuck Jackson, Bobby Vee, Lou Christie, Martha and the Vandellas, Bobby Vinton, Johnny Tillotson, Neil Sedaka, Reba McEntire, Jodeci, Lorrie Morgan, Derrick Morgan with Lyn Tait & The Jets, Neils Children, and The Fleetwoods.

The song was also used in the season one seventh episode of Sliders entitled "The Weaker Sex," which originally aired as episode six. The character Rembrandt Brown (played by Cleavant Derricks) sings the song repeatedly on the street in an effort to raise money for a motel room.

Kylie Minogue version

"Tears on My Pillow"
Single by Kylie Minogue
from the album Enjoy Yourself
B-side	"We Know The Meaning of Love" (Worldwide) "Nothing to Lose" (North America)
Released	November 12, 1989 (Australia) January 8, 1990 (Europe)
Format	12" single 7" single CD single Cassette single
Genre	Pop
Length	2:33
Label	PWL
Writer(s)	Sylvester Bradford Al Lewis
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"Never Too Late" (1989) "Tears on My Pillow" (1990) "Better the Devil You Know" (1990)

"Tears on My Pillow" reached #1 in the United Kingdom when Australian singer Kylie Minogue released it as a single from her second album, Enjoy Yourself. The single was released in November 1989 in Australia and on January 8, 1990 in Europe. Minogue's cover was also included on the soundtrack of the film The Delinquents, which she also starred in. The song was the #1 single on the UK Singles Chart for one week in January 1990 and reached #35 in Canada. The B-side, "We Know the Meaning of Love," reached #1 in its own right in Sweden.

Music Video

The video shows Kylie in a black dress with a Brigitte Bardot hairstyle singing the song. The video is intercut with clips from the 1989 film The Delinquents.

Live performances

Kylie performed the song on the following concert tours:

• Disco in Dream/The Hitman Roadshow
• Enjoy Yourself Tour (performed as an a capella)
• Rhythm of Love Tour
• Let's Get to It Tour

The song was also performed on the TV special "The Kylie Show" (2007).

Formats and track listings

CD single

1. "Tears on My Pillow" - 2:33
2. "We Know the Meaning of Love" (Extended) - 5:50
3. "Tears on My Pillow" (More Tears Mix) - 4:14

7" vinyl single

1. "Tears on My Pillow" - 2:28
2. "We Know the Meaning of Love" - 3:25

12" vinyl single

1. "Tears on My Pillow" (More Tears Mix) - 4:14
2. "We Know the Meaning of Love" (Extended) - 5:50

US & Canadian cassette

1. "Tears on My Pillow" - 2:33
2. "Nothing to Lose" - 3:20

Release history

Country	Date
Australia	November 12, 1989
Europe	January 8, 1990

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	20
Belgium Singles Chart	9
Canadian Singles Chart	35
Dutch Singles Chart	20
Eurochart Hot 100	2
German Singles Chart	31
Ireland Singles Chart	2
New Zealand Singles Chart	33
Slovania Singles Chart	1
Sweden Singles Chart	3
UK Singles Chart	1

End of Year charts

Year	Chart	Position
1990	UK Singles Chart	34

See also

• List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)