The Tears of a Clown
A Motown classic revived as a 2 Tone ska cover.
"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for Motown's Tamla label. It became a number-one hit in the UK in 1970 and later in the US, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
- Album
- Make It Happen (aka The Tears of a Clown)
- B-side
- Promise Me
- Released
- 1970
- Recorded
- 1967
- Studio
- Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A), Detroit
- Genre
- Soul; pop
- Length
- 3:02
Facts from the source article.
History
Stevie Wonder and his producer Hank Cosby wrote the music for the song, with Cosby producing the instrumental track. Wonder brought the instrumental to the 1966 Motown Christmas party because he could not come up with a lyric to fit it, wanting to see what Smokey Robinson could create. Robinson, noting that the calliope motif "sounded like a circus," wrote lyrics comparing his character's sadness to the clowns in the opera Pagliacci, who hide their hurt behind smiles. He had used a similar line in a 1964 song for Carolyn Crawford. The recording features the bassoon, played by Charles R. Sirard, one of the few pop hits to do so. Originally an album track on 1967's Make It Happen, it was not released as a single. The monaural version of the album contains an alternate lead vocal with a slightly different verse melody. By 1969, Robinson was tired of touring and wanted to stay in Detroit with his family, informing his groupmates he would retire from the act to focus on his Motown vice-president role. In 1970, Motown Britain selected the track for single release due to the group's success and a lack of new material. The record reached number one in the UK seven weeks after its July release.
Personnel
The Miracles included Smokey Robinson on lead vocals, with Claudette Rogers Robinson, Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Bobby Rogers on background vocals, and Marv Tarplin on guitar. Other personnel included Charles R. Sirard on bassoon, Mike Terry on baritone saxophone, and Melvin Davis on drums, with additional instrumentation by the Funk Brothers. There is uncertainty about which Funk Brother played bass on the original recording; Tony Newton, Bob Babbitt, and James Jamerson have all been noted. When Motown prepared the song for a US single release in 1970, new drums and bass were dubbed in, with Babbitt credited on that version.
The Beat version
In November 1979, the Beat, a British ska and new wave band, put out their first single on the 2 Tone label. It was a cover of this song, paired as a double A-side with "Ranking Full Stop." The single climbed to number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's third most successful hit, and earned a silver certification from the BPI in the UK. The track did not appear on the original UK version of the debut album I Just Can't Stop It, but it was added to the US pressing and later CD editions. The band's lineup for the recording included Dave Wakeling, Ranking Roger, Andy Cox, David Steele, Everett Morton, and Saxa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which label released The Tears of a Clown?
The Tears of a Clown was released by Tamla and T 54199.
What genre is The Tears of a Clown?
The Tears of a Clown is classified as Soul and pop.
How long is The Tears of a Clown?
The Tears of a Clown runs 3:02.
More in 2 Tone Records Singles
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