The Tracks of My Tears

"The Tracks of My Tears"
Single by The Miracles
from the album Going to a Go-Go
A-side	The Tracks of My Tears
B-side	"A Fork in the Road"
Released	June 23, 1965
Format	7" single
Recorded	Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1965
Genre	Soul
Length	2:55
Label	Tamla T 54118
Writer(s)	William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr., Warren Moore, Marvin Tarplin
Producer	Smokey Robinson
The Miracles singles chronology
"Ooo Baby Baby" 1965 "The Tracks of My Tears" 1965 "My Girl Has Gone" 1965

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a multiple award-winning and much covered love ballad introduced in 1965 by The Miracles on Motown's' Tamla label. This song is considered to be among the finest recordings of The Miracles, and it sold over one million records within two years, making it The Miracles' fourth million-selling record.[2]

Original version

"The Tracks of My Tears" was written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson (lead vocalist), Pete Moore (bass vocalist), and Marv Tarplin (guitarist).

In the five-LP publication The Motown Story, by Motown Records, Smokey Robinson explained the origin of this song in these words: "'Tracks of My Tears' was actually started by Marv Tarplin, who is a young cat who plays guitar for our act. So he had this musical thing [sings melody], you know, and we worked around with it, and worked around, and it became 'Tracks of My Tears'."

"The Tracks of My Tears" was a #2 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and it reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Belatedly released in the UK in 1969, it became a Top Ten hit that summer, reaching #9. A 1987 re-release – as "Tracks of My Tears" – appeared on the UK charts with a #82 peak. (Both UK releases were credited to "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles").

The Miracles can be seen performing "The Tracks of My Tears" on their Motown DVD release, The Definitive Performances (1963–1987).

Legacy

"The Tracks of My Tears" is The Miracles' most recognized, most honored, and most covered song, ranked at or near the top of many "best of" lists in the music industry over the last 40 years.

Remarkably "The Tracks of My Tears" is not among the seven Miracles' tracks to reach the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and the highest charting Pop version of the song was the 1967 cover by Johnny Rivers which reached #10. However, The Miracles' original version did reach the Top 10 on the British Charts.

Aretha Franklin recorded the song for her Soul '69 album from which it was issued as a single although the B-side: Franklin's version of "The Weight", became the favored track with "Tracks of My Tears" peaking at #76 Pop and #21 R&B.

"Tracks of My Tears" became a Pop Top 40 hit for the third time when the version recorded by Linda Ronstadt for her 1975 album release Prisoner in Disguise album was issued as that album's second single: the track was not one of Ronstadt's biggest hits peaking at #25 ("Tracks of My Tears" reached #11 on the C&W chart in tandem with its B-side: the Emmylou Harris duet: "The Sweetest Gift"). Conversely Ronstadt would score one of her biggest hits with her 1978 single "Ooo Baby Baby" which was a remake of the Miracles' hit single release precedent to "The Tracks of My Tears". Ronstadt and Smokey Robinson performed both "The Tracks of My Tears" and "Ooo Baby Baby" on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special broadcast 16 May 1983.

In 1993 Go West reached #16 UK with "Tracks of My Tears"; since the Miracles' original had reached the UK Top Ten in 1969 the song had been a minor chart item via the Linda Ronstadt remake (#42 in 1976) and a 1982 version by Colin Blunstone which reached #60.

Other Cover Versions:

• The Jackson 5 Recorded for Steeltown Records in 1968 and was to be part of an 11 track studio album but remained unreleased until The Steeltown Sessions released in 2008.
• Pat Kelly (1969)
• Dean Martin (1970)
• Gladys Knight & the Pips - B-side of single "If I Were Your Woman" (1970)
• The Pharaohs - The Awakening (1972)
• Bryan Ferry - These Foolish Things (1973)
• Graeme Strachan - (1976)
• The Mighty Diamonds - (1977)
• The Flying Pickets - Live at the Albany Empire (1982); an a cappella version
• Big Country - B-side of single "Chance" (1983)
• Carmel - The Drum is Everything (1984)
• Dogbowl & Kramer - Hot Day in Waco (1994)
• La Toya Jackson - Stop in the Name of Love (1995)
• Patty Griffin with Billy Mann (1996); a live recording on Detroit's 93.9, The River
• Peter André - Time (1997)
• Mietta - La Mia Anima (1998)
• Billy Bragg (2002) on his album, England, Half-English. In "Tears of My Tracks", a man laments selling his vinyl record collection. Bragg had previously recorded a version of "The Tracks of My Tears" that was issued, along with other demos, b-sides, and rarities, on the second disk of the re-released Talking with the Taxman about Poetry.
• Gavin DeGraw (2004)
• Michael McDonald - Motown Two (2005)
• Mica Paris - Soul Classics (2005)
• Human Nature - Reach Out: The Motown Record (2005)
• Ben Mills - The X Factor (UK Series 3) (2006)
• Boyz II Men - Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (2007); also released as the first single from the album
• Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie (2008)
• Adam Lambert - American Idol Season 8 (2009) When he sang the song during the competition Smokey gave him a standing ovation.
• Rod Stewart - Soulbook (2009)
• UB40 - Labour of Love IV (2010)
• Paul McDonald - American Idol 10 (2011) Paul sang the song during Motown week (Top 11) during the competition.

Also covered by: Soul Asylum, Billy Bragg, Susan Cadogan, The Contours, The Jackson 5, Martha and the Vandellas, Mary Beth Maziarz, The Mega Kids, The Mighty Diamonds, Q-Tip, Dianne Reeves, Brenda Russell, Mongo Santamaría, Paul Young and others. Despite the plethora of covers recorded over the decades, however, The Miracles' original is still considered the definitive version.

Awards and Accolades

The Miracles' recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" ranked at #50 on Rolling Stone Magazine's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004; the track was also a 2007 inductee into the Grammy Hall of Fame. On 14 May 2008 the track was preserved by the United States Library of Congress as an "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significance" to the National Recording Registry. The song "The Tracks of My Tears" was also awarded "The Award Of Merit" from The American Society of Composers, Authors,and Publishers (ASCAP) for Miracles members/composers Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin, and Smokey Robinson.

Ranked by the RIAA and The National Endowment for the Arts at #127 in its list of the Songs of the Century - the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century - "The Tracks of My Tears" was also chosen as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Additionally the song ranked at #5 of the Top 10 Best Songs of All Time by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers including Hal David, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Jerry Leiber, and others as reported to Britain's Mojo music magazine. A 2006 poll for Britain's Favorite Break-up Songs, a Network 5 TV program, "The Tracks of My Tears" ranked at #16.

Films/TV

"The Tracks of My Tears" by the Miracles is a soundtrack item in the films The Big Chill (1983) and Platoon (1986).

The 17 February 1983 broadcast of the sitcom Gimme a Break! entitled "The Return of the Doo-Wop Girls" featured an a cappella performance of "The Tracks of My Tears" by series star Nell Carter collaborating with the Pointer Sisters.

"The Tracks of My Tears" Credits

• Written by William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr., Warren "Pete" Moore, and Marvin "Marv" Tarplin of "The Miracles"
• Produced by "Smokey" Robinson
• Other Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Recording Personnel for "The Miracles"

• Smokey Robinson - lead vocals, co-writer, producer
• Marv Tarplin - guitar, co-writer
• Claudette Rogers Robinson - background vocals
• Pete Moore - background vocals, co-writer, vocal arranger
• Ronnie White - background vocals
• Bobby Rogers - background vocals

Bibliography

Coryton, Demitri; Joseph Murrells. Hits Of The Sixties: The Million Sellers. pp. 131.