The Tears Of A Clown

[45cellar]

Different Vocal

Edited February 18, 2010 by 45cellar

[Steve G]

Different Vocal

Well it's SPanish? How different is it?

[De-to]

Well it's SPanish? How different is it?

no s,

[45cellar]

Well it's SPanish? How different is it?

no sé,

I thought the same until it arrived, but it's Smokey's Vocal that first caught my attention.

He sings it slightly different, just listening to the first 30 Seconds, I think you can tell.

Very Similar, but phrased differently.Listen to

(Fool, within the first few seconds, it's Fo-ol on the Tamla Copy)

Edited February 18, 2010 by 45cellar

[kevinsoulman]

sounds slightly faster to these ears too

kev

[Kevinkent]

Definately sung differently, and does the Spanish one sound a tad speeded up - or is that my imagination?

- Kev.

[45cellar]

Definately sung differently, and does the Spanish one sound a tad speeded up - or is that my imagination?

- Kev.

Yes it does, Could be my Deck, However I don't think that there's a problem with it.

The Tamla Copy at 45

The Tamla_Motown (Argentina) at 33 1/3

Edited February 25, 2011 by 45cellar

[Tony Smith]

Tears was initally an LP track only (1967), it was selected to be a UK 45 release well before its eventual US 45 release(1970), it was also deemed to be a little slow, so it was speeded up slightly (in the UK); this may explain this anomaly. It was one of the first times the UK market dictated this unusual turn of events. There had been different mixes released here before, Contours "First I Look At The Purse" being a prime example, generally the US release would be out some 3 months before the UK one, by the time "Tears" was released stateside it had been at No.1 here for some time.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Tony Smith

[Ady Croasdell]

I always thought that the English "Old Soul" scene championed this track and made it an eventual hit, can anyone remember if that was the caSE?

[45cellar]

Tears was initally an LP track only (1967), it was selected to be a UK 45 release well before its eventual US 45 release(1970), it was also deemed to be a little slow, so it was speeded up slightly (in the UK); this may explain this anomaly. It was one of the first times the UK market dictated this unusual turn of events. There had been different mixes released here before, Contours "First I Look At The Purse" being a prime example, generally the US release would be out some 3 months before the UK one, by the time "Tears" was released stateside it had been at No.1 here for some time.

I always thought that the English "Old Soul" scene championed this track and made it an eventual hit, can anyone remember if that was the caSE?

I do remember hearing something along these lines when it came out in the U.K.

The different "B Sides" in the U.K. also noticed at the time, not sure why they changed "B Side" though.

[dthedrug]

I always thought that the English "Old Soul" scene championed this track and made it an eventual hit, can anyone remember if that was the caSE?

Hi Ady "tears of a clown" was a massive sound as a reissue in 69 and along with the must have LPs of that year Motown Chart-busters Vol 3 (perhaps the ultimate various artist LP of all-time) comes up this great record. in 1971/72 the Inst of it was on a CONTOUR LP "introducing the Detroit Sound" as a young DJ it was a very popular request, as was the Inst of "Band of Gold" on Studio2, 2 records these days that would never be played but they were still being searched for into 73, good old times, sadly by 71 Motown had passed until the Temptations "Tell Me it's Just a Rumor" & Contours "Baby Hit & Run" budget LPs the tracks fitted in with Afternoon on the Rhino & Book to Bach DAVE KIL

Edited February 19, 2010 by dthedrug

[Sean Hampsey]

I always thought that the English "Old Soul" scene championed this track and made it an eventual hit, can anyone remember if that was the caSE?

I think there's some truth in that Ady.

As I recall, it was a club biggie as an LP track (on the album "Make it Happen") before the 45 which was issued (September 1970) to meet the track's demand.

I have heard though that it was simply a trawl through the back catalogue for something worthy of a release that spawned the 45 (think that's what Dave told me) but I've always preferred to think that its success happened in the same way as Tami Lynn, Tams etc as a route to market.

Either way, the track was remixed (speeded up, as Tony says) for the 45 and became a huge UK hit with the 45 issue following on the other side of the Atlantic and elsewhere in Europe etc.

Always LOVED the flipside to the UK 45 "Who's Gonna Take The Blame". A fabulous record.

Is that on the flip to the Argie copy Roger?

Sean

[Sean Hampsey]

Hi Ady "tears of a clown" was a massive sound as a reissue in 69 and along with the must have LPs of that year Motown Chart-busters Vol 3 (perhaps the ultimate various artist LP of all-time) comes up this great record. in 1971/72 the Inst of it was on a CONTOUR LP "introducing the Detroit Sound" as a young DJ it was a very popular request, as was the Inst of "Band of Gold" on Studio2, 2 records these days that would never be played but they were still being searched for into 73, good old times, sadly by 71 Motown had passed until the Temptations "Tell Me it's Just a Rumor" & Contours "Baby Hit & Run" budget LPs the tracks fitted in with Afternoon on the Rhino & Book to Bach DAVE KIL

Agree on Motown Chartbusters Vol 3 Dave - the ultimate 'party' album... (but "Tell Me It's Just A Rumour" was the Isley Brothers mate).

Sean

[Sean Hampsey]

Always LOVED the flipside to the UK 45 "Who's Gonna Take The Blame". A fabulous record.

Is that on the flip to the Argie copy Roger?

Sean

Ah! answering my own question, I now see that it isn't!

Sean

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

The true story behind "Tears"' UK release on 45, is that Karen Spreadbury, who I think worked at EMI in those days and who certainly ran the UK Motown Fan Club "Motown Ad Astra", loved the 'Make It Happen' LP and told the Tamla Motown label boss John Reid that they were sitting on a certain hit with the track.

He gave it to Tony Blackburn to 'discover' and to play as a bit of an exclusive (not much of one, given that it had already been on the LP for a couple of years, but he wouldn't have known that). Tone loved it and played it every day on the Radio 1 breakfast show - just as he would another Karen 'discovery', Diana Ross' "I'm Still Waiting", a couple of years later.

He may not have discovered "Tears" himself, but the UK success of the track was entirely down to Tony Blackburn's promotion in the first instance. I doubt if the track got any sort of widespread club exposure until after it was issued on a single. If any was mentioned at the time, it was pure record company scam. I've had this story confirmed to me by several people who were involved in the plot to make 'Tears' a UK hit, and I have no reason to doubt any of it.

The UK single was the "Make It Happen" album version. "Who's Gonna Take The Blame" was selected for the flipside simply because it was the Miracles' current US 45 at the time. The US 'Tears' does indeed feature a recut Smokey vocal, plus new drum and percussion tracks. As others have pointed out, it's also fractionally slower. And it does have a lovely non-album B side, 'Promise Me', but I think I'd rather have 'Dancing's Alright' on my copy anyday!

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

There had been different mixes released here before, Contours "First I Look At The Purse" being a prime example

...Indeed. Others include Martha and the Vandellas' "Quicksand", the Marvelettes' 'Don't Mess With Bill' and Marvin Gaye's 'Little Darling (I Need You)'.

Technically speaking, many Tamla Motown 45s in the 500 series and earlier Stateside releases are 'different mixes' - or at least they sound a bit different - because so many of them were dubbed from US 45s, and are thus a generation further removed from the master tape. The Oriole's, however, were all pressed from US stampers (check your run out grooves for proof) so you have the best of both worlds there - a US-mastered 45, pressed on superior quality UK plastic! The handful of London releases were all from tape, too - I've not been able to discover the origins of the Fontana 45s, but they sound super clean and I suspect they're all from tape too.

Disc dubs or not, I personally think most UK TMG's in the 500 series sound better than the US 45s, having grown up on the former....

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

..worth noting that the original Australian 45 of "Tears" has "You Must Be Love" on the flip, and that the Canadian variant has "The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage".

Funnily enough, when Motown put "Tears" out in its "Yesteryear" series, they coupled it - as it had been coupled in the UK - with "Who's Gonna take The Blame".

Given that I've made three consecutive postings about "Tears Of A Clown" I've probably exhausted my supply of knowledge of and opinion on the track now...

Edited February 19, 2010 by TONY ROUNCE

[45cellar]

..worth noting that the original Australian 45 of "Tears" has "You Must Be Love" on the flip, and that the Canadian variant has "The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage".

Funnily enough, when Motown put "Tears" out in its "Yesteryear" series, they coupled it - as it had been coupled in the UK - with "Who's Gonna take The Blame".

Given that I've made three consecutive postings about "Tears Of A Clown" I've probably exhausted my supply of knowledge of and opinion on the track now...

Many Thanks to ALL for Information on this Record.

Thanks Tony for the behind the scenes Information, in fantastic detail.

Love stuff like this.

I'm Guessing That the "B Side", "Who's Gonna take The Blame" must have been a last minute change in the U.K.

Initial copies, "You Must Be Love" then changed to "Who's Gonna Take The Blame"

Edited February 19, 2010 by 45cellar

[Weingarden]

So is the Tamla Motown version the one that you all "grew up" with? The vocal phrasing is pretty different from the one I'm used to hearing on U.S. radio and on my U.S. 45 (and albums)...right from the start, Smokey goes down instead of up and up instead of down (on "fool" and "public", if you know what I mean....Or is it only the Spanish 45 that has this vocal take?

Edited February 23, 2010 by weingarden

[45cellar]

So is the Tamla Motown version the one that you all "grew up" with? The vocal phrasing is pretty different from the one I'm used to hearing on U.S. radio and on my U.S. 45 (and albums)...right from the start, Smokey goes down instead of up and up instead of down (on "fool" and "public", if you know what I mean....Or is it only the Spanish 45 that has this vocal take?

Many Thanks for the extra Information on this record.

I do know what you mean

...right from the start, Smokey goes down instead of up and up instead of down (on "fool" and "public", if you know what I mean....

Exactly where I first noticed the difference.

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

So is the Tamla Motown version the one that you all "grew up" with? The vocal phrasing is pretty different from the one I'm used to hearing on U.S. radio and on my U.S. 45 (and albums).

I'm assuming that when Motown 'remixed' the sleeve of the "Make It Happen" album and changed the title to "Tears Of A Clown" that they got rid of the album/UK chart topping version and replaced it with the US chart topping version? I've never bothered to check it out!

[Guest]

Also I heard that the US DJ copy with 'The Love I Saw In You' as the b-side has a different mix of Tears on it. Is it the same version as the Argentinian pressing I wonder???

[dthedrug]

Agree on Motown Chartbusters Vol 3 Dave - the ultimate 'party' album... (but "Tell Me It's Just A Rumour" was the Isley Brothers mate).

Sean

OF COURSE YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT THESE mfsp LPs DID BRING US STRANGE VERSIONS RD TAYLOR "THERES A GHOST" IS A BETTER VERSION & THARE ARE MORE DIFFERANT CUTS, BUT FROM THE TORCH CLOSING AND WIGAN OPENING THE EMI COMPANY EVEN ISSUED "ANDEL BABY" STEVIE WONDER, ICAN TAKE IT DAVE KIL