Lonely Teardrops
"Lonely Teardrops" is a song written by Berry Gordy Jr., Gwen Gordy and Roquel "Billy" Davis, first recorded and released as a single in 1958 by R&B singer Jackie Wilson,[1] on the Brunswick label. The single was commercially successful, reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, and number-one on the R&B chart. It is ranked as the 57th biggest U.S. hit of 1959.[2]
| "Lonely Teardrops" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
One of side-A labels of the US single | ||||
| Single by Jackie Wilson | ||||
| from the album Lonely Teardrops | ||||
| B-side | "In the Blue of the Evening" | |||
| Released | November 17, 1958 | |||
| Recorded | 1958 | |||
| Genre | Rhythm & Blues | |||
| Length | 2:41 | |||
| Label | Brunswick | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Berry Gordy | |||
| Jackie Wilson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named it one of "Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[3] In 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. "Lonely Teardrops" was also ranked #315 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2011).[4]
Song information
Written by Berry Gordy Jr.,[5] Gwendolyn Gordy (Berry's sister) and Roquel "Billy" Davis, going under the pseudonym Tyran Carlo, the single, alongside Wilson's debuting five consecutive singles between 1957–58, turned Wilson into an R&B superstar and influenced the later careers of Davis, who joined the staff of Chess Records while Gordy used the money from the song's success to form Motown Records within a year. The song raced up to number one on the Billboard R&B chart and became Wilson's first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at number seven. According to Wilson, it was originally intended by Gordy to be recorded as a ballad. After recording it, Wilson and Brunswick executives felt the song lacked something. It was then given to veteran Decca Records arranger Dick Jacobs who re-arranged it into the smash hit it became.[6][better source needed]
The hit's success helped land Wilson on American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show performing to receptive audiences on the respective shows, as well as other shows such as Shindig and Hullabaloo.
This was the last song Jackie Wilson performed. He collapsed on-stage from a heart attack, while he was in the middle of the phrase, "My Heart is Crying", while appearing as one of the feature acts in Dick Clark's 'Good Ol' Rock and Roll Revue' in 1975.
Cover versions
- The title was covered by the rhythm and blues singer Chuck Jackson in his solo 1961 album I Don't Want to Cry!.
- Jay and the Americans covered the song on their 1970 album, Wax Museum.
- Brian Hyland also recorded a version of the song that reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.
- In 1975 John Fogerty released a version of it on his solo album John Fogerty.
- The biggest hit cover version was recorded by country music singer Narvel Felts. His version was released in 1976 and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that June. He also reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Victor Wood covered this song on his 1971 album Mr. Lonely.[7]
Covers of the song have also appeared in several films: Michael McDonald covered the song in the early 1990s and his version was used in the film Leaving Las Vegas. It was also covered by Howard Huntsberry, who portrayed Wilson, for the 1987 biographical movie about Ritchie Valens, La Bamba, and Huey Lewis's performance of the song in the 2000 karaoke-themed film Duets was also released as part of the film's soundtrack.
Charts
| Chart (1958–59) | Date | Position |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | February 9–16, 1959[8] | 7 |
| US Billboard R&B | March 1959 | 1 |
See also
- Shout (The Isley Brothers song), a call and response answer to the song.[citation needed]
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1958 (U.S.)
References
- ^ Video of the original Jackie Wilson version on Video on YouTube
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1959/Top 100 Songs of 1959". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ "The 660 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll - Music - Forums". Best Ever Albums. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ . Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017.
- ^ "Show 17 - The Soul Reformation: More on the evolution of rhythm and blues. [Part 3] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
- ^ "Jackie Wilson - The Man Behind The Music - Rare Interview". YouTube. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ David Gonzales. "Mr. Lonely - Victor Wood | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ "The Hot 100 Chart - 9 February 1958". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
External links
- Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops on YouTube