The Tears of a Clown

"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 Black Singles Chart. 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.

1 History
2 Credits
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Origins

Stevie Wonder and his producer Hank Cosby wrote the music for the song, and Cosby produced the instrumental track recording. Wonder gave Smokey Robinson the instrumental track as a Christmas present at the 1966 Motown Christmas party. 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, hurt by a lover who left him, compares himself to the characters in the opera Pagliacci, comedians/clowns who hide their hurt and anger behind empty smiles. 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 material available from the group, which was now planning to break up, Motown 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.

[edit] 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.)

The 45 single was issued with two different b-sides. The first pressing had an alternate version of the 1967 Miracles 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.

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

[edit] Cover versions

A ska-flavored cover of the song was a hit for the English ska/ New Wave band The Beat in 1979.

Covered by the Flying Pickets in 1984 on their album Lost Boys

In late 1993, Australian punk-rock band Caligula had an Australian #25 hit with the song.

The song was later covered by La Toya Jackson in 1994 for her album Stop! In the Name of Love!, and by Eve of Summer in 2007, for their album 7.

[edit] Trivia

The Tears of a Clown features the bassoon as part of the instrumental arrangement, to provide part of the "reedy calliope" sound.

In the American sitcom Malcolm In The Middle, "The Tears of a Clown" is Lois and Hal's "song."

In The Miracles' Motown "Definitive DVD", released in late 2006, Smokey revealed that their song "The Tears Of A Clown" was the 1st Motown hit ever to reach # 1 in the charts in Britain.

The song provides the template for the 1987 hit "When Smokey Sings," by the New Wave band ABC from ABC's album Alphabet City.

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.

The American Dad episode "Tears Of A Clooney" is a reference to the song.

In the American Dad episode entitled "Tearjerker" an apparantly remixed version of the song is featured shortly.

[edit] Credits

Lead vocals by Smokey Robinson
Background vocals by Claudette Rogers Robinson. Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Bobby Rogers.
Guitar by Marv Tarplin
Written by Stevie Wonder, Hank Cosby, and William "Smokey" Robinson
Produced by Hank Cosby and William "Smokey" Robinson
Other instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

Preceded by "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family	Billboard Hot 100 number one single December 12, 1970	Succeeded by "My Sweet Lord" / "Isn't It a Pity" by George Harrison
Preceded by "The Wonder of You (Live)" by Elvis Presley	UK number one single September 8, 1970	Succeeded by "Band of Gold" by Freda Payne
Preceded by "Super Bad (Part 1)" by James Brown	Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single December 5 - December 19, 1970	Succeeded by "Stoned Love" by The Supremes