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==History==
==History==
===Origins===
===Origins===
[[Stevie Wonder]] and his producer [[Hank Cosby]] wrote the music for the song, and Cosby produced the instrumental track recording. Contrary to popular belief, the track was not a Christmas present from Stevie Wonder.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Instead, Wonder brought the instrumental track to the 1966 Motown Christmas party because he could not come up with a song to fit the instrumental.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Wonder wanted to see what Robinson could come up with for the track.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Robinson, who remarked that the song's distinctive [[calliope (music)|calliope]] motif "sounded like a circus", provided lyrics that reflected his vision and sang lead vocal. In the song, Robinson's character, sad because he did not have a woman who loved him, compares himself to the characters in the [[opera]] ''[[Pagliacci]]'', comedians/clowns who hide their hurt and anger behind empty smiles.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Robinson had used the ''Pagliacci'' comparison before: the line "just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my sadness hid" also appears in the song "My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down)", which Robinson wrote in 1964 for Motown artist [[Carolyn Crawford]].
[[Stevie Wonder]] and his producer [[Hank Cosby]] wrote the music for the song, and Cosby produced the instrumental track recording. Wonder brought the instrumental track to the 1966 Motown Christmas party because he could not come up with a lyric to fit the instrumental.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Wonder wanted to see what Robinson could come up with for the track.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Robinson, who remarked that the song's distinctive [[calliope (music)|calliope]] motif "sounded like a circus", provided lyrics that reflected his vision and sang lead vocal. In the song, Robinson's character, sad because he did not have a woman who loved him, compares himself to the characters in the [[opera]] ''[[Pagliacci]]'', comedians/clowns who hide their hurt and anger behind empty smiles.<ref>Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009</ref> Robinson had used the ''Pagliacci'' comparison before: the line "just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my sadness hid" also appears in the song "My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down)", which Robinson wrote in 1964 for Motown artist [[Carolyn Crawford]].


Issued as an album track on the ''[[Make It Happen (Miracles album)|Make It Happen]]'' LP, "The Tears of a Clown" was not released as a single. By 1969, Robinson had tired of endlessly touring with the Miracles, and wanted to remain home in [[Detroit, Michigan]] with his wife [[Claudette Rogers Robinson|Claudette]] and their two children, Berry and Tamla (both named after aspects of the Motown corporation). Robinson informed his bandmates [[Pete Moore]], [[Bobby Rogers]], and best friend [[Ronald White]] that he would be retiring from the act to concentrate on his duties as [[vice-president]] of Motown Records.
Issued as an album track on the ''[[Make It Happen (Miracles album)|Make It Happen]]'' LP, "The Tears of a Clown" was not released as a single. By 1969, Robinson had tired of endlessly touring with the Miracles, and wanted to remain home in [[Detroit, Michigan]] with his wife [[Claudette Rogers Robinson|Claudette]] and their two children, Berry and Tamla (both named after aspects of the Motown corporation). Robinson informed his bandmates [[Pete Moore]], [[Bobby Rogers]], and best friend [[Ronald White]] that he would be retiring from the act to concentrate on his duties as [[vice-president]] of Motown Records.

Revision as of 18:43, 29 April 2010

"Tears of a Clown" redirects here. For the 1999 album by Andre Nickatina, see Tears of a Clown (album).
"The Tears of a Clown"
Song
B-side"Promise Me"

"The Tears of a Clown" is a 1967 song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label, originally released on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in September 1970, where it became a number-one hit on the UK singles chart. Subsequently, Motown released "The Tears of a Clown" as a single in the United States as well, where it quickly became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles Chart.[1].This song is an international multi-million seller and a 2002 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee. The single's success caused Miracles lead singer/producer/songwriter Smokey Robinson, who had announced plans to leave the act, to stay with the group until 1972.

History

Origins

Stevie Wonder and his producer Hank Cosby wrote the music for the song, and Cosby produced the instrumental track recording. Wonder brought the instrumental track to the 1966 Motown Christmas party because he could not come up with a lyric to fit the instrumental.[2] Wonder wanted to see what Robinson could come up with for the track.[3] Robinson, who remarked that the song's distinctive calliope motif "sounded like a circus", provided lyrics that reflected his vision and sang lead vocal. In the song, Robinson's character, sad because he did not have a woman who loved him, compares himself to the characters in the opera Pagliacci, comedians/clowns who hide their hurt and anger behind empty smiles.[4] Robinson had used the Pagliacci comparison before: the line "just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my sadness hid" also appears in the song "My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down)", which Robinson wrote in 1964 for Motown artist Carolyn Crawford.

Issued as an album track on the Make It Happen LP, "The Tears of a Clown" was not released as a single. By 1969, Robinson had tired of endlessly touring with the Miracles, and wanted to remain home in Detroit, Michigan with his wife Claudette and their two children, Berry and Tamla (both named after aspects of the Motown corporation). Robinson informed his bandmates Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, and best friend Ronald White that he would be retiring from the act to concentrate on his duties as vice-president of Motown Records.

In the meantime, Motown's British offices were clamoring for a new hit single from the Miracles, who were very popular in the United Kingdom. With no new material available from the group, which was now planning to break up, Motown Britain searched through their back catalog and happened upon "The Tears of a Clown". A new mix of the song was made in February 1970 for the single release, and "The Tears of a Clown" became a number-one hit in the UK after its September release.

Commercial success

This newfound popularity prompted Motown to release the song as a single in the United States, where it became a number-one hit on both the pop and R&B charts within two months of its release. Despite the fact that The Miracles had been one of Motown's premier acts in the early and mid-1960s and its first successful group act, "The Tears of a Clown" was their first and only #1 hit while Smokey Robinson was lead singer. (The Miracles hit number one again several years later with the smash hit "Love Machine", but by that time Smokey had long since left the group, replaced by Billy Griffin. Shop Around had hit #1 pop on the Cash Box Pop Chart, but only # 2 on Billboard's).

The 45 single was issued with two different b-sides. The first pressing had an alternate version of the 1967 Miracles Top 20 hit single "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" included on the flip side of "The Tears of a Clown", while the second included a new Miracles song, "Promise Me". Motown released a Tears of a Clown LP in 1970 as well, which was essentially a re-packaging of the Miracles' 1967 Make It Happen LP.

Two years later, Smokey Robinson decided to follow through with his plans to leave the Miracles and retire. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles embarked on a six-month farewell tour, which culminated in a July 16, 1972 performance in Washington, DC, where Robinson introduced the Miracles' new lead singer, Billy Griffin. Interestingly,The Tears of a Clown charted again in England six years later, in 1976, becoming a Top 40 hit, peaking at # 34 (see Miracles Discography) .

Today, "The Tears of a Clown" continues to be a popular radio request.

Cover versions

  • The song was covered by Eumir Deodato in his 1982 album "Happy Hour" in a funk re-arrangement.
  • The song was covered on Enuff Z'Nuffs compilation of their original demo's 1985 In 1987 a cover was done by "Bassix".
  • In late 1993, Australian punk-rock band Caligula had an Australian #25 hit with the song.
  • The Eminem song 'Beautiful' references this when he says "You should be a comedian god damn! unfortunately I am. I just hide behind the tears of a clown."
  • Jazz artist Nnenna Freelon included the song both on her 2002 studio album Tales of Wonder and in a live setting on her 2008 best-of compilation Better Than Anything: The Quintessential Nnenna Freelon.[5]
  • Brian Ray, guitarist for Paul McCartney, released a rock-flavored version of the song in 2005.

Trivia

  • The Tears of a Clown features the bassoon as part of the instrumental arrangement, to provide part of the "reedy calliope" sound.
  • A reference to the "Tears of a Clown" is contained in "Spending My Time" - one of the most popular songs by the Swedish duo Roxette.

Personnel

Personnel: The Miracles

Other personnel

See also

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 404.
  2. ^ Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009
  3. ^ Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009
  4. ^ Spectacle with Elvis Costello, 2009
  5. ^ "Music - Nnenna Freelon". Nnenna Freelon. Retrieved 2010-4-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
Preceded by UK number-one single
September 12, 1970 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"Super Bad (Part 1)" by James Brown
 Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles number-one single
December 5–19, 1970 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
December 12, 1970 – December 19, 1970 		Succeeded by
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