Tears (Ken Dodd song)

"Tears" ("Tears for Souvenirs") is a song written by lyricist Frank Capano and composer Billy Uhr,[2] and was first recorded by Rudy Vallee in 1929.[3] It was made famous in a version recorded by Ken Dodd, released as a 45 rpm single in 1965. It became a No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart.[1] The song also reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart.

"Tears"
Single by Ken Dodd
from the album Tears of Happiness
B-side"You and I"
ReleasedAugust 1965
GenreEasy listening
Length2:52
LabelColumbia DB 7659[1]
Songwriter(s)Billy Uhr, Frank Capano[1]
Producer(s)Norman Newell[1]
Ken Dodd singles chronology
"So Deep is the Night"
(1964)		 "Tears"
(1965)		 "The River"
(1965)

Song synopsis

The main theme is based on Delilah's aria "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" ("Softly awakes my heart") from Act II of Camille Saint-Saëns's opera Samson and Delilah, which dates from 1877.

Music charts

Although best known as a comedian, Ken Dodd was a prolific recording artist throughout the 1960s and most of his music recordings were serious, not comic. His debut single "Love is like a Violin" reached #8 in 1960.[1] Between that and "Tears" he released nine further singles, several of which charted (though none of them made the top 20).[4]

The single spent 24 weeks in total on the chart, with five of those at #1.[5] It sold over 1,000,000 copies in the UK, becoming the biggest-selling single of 1965 in the UK, and was the third-biggest selling single of the 1960s; it was the only non-Beatles song in the top 5.[6] In 2017, it was listed as the UK's 39th-best selling single of all time (82nd with streaming), with sales of 1,523,690.[7]

Cover version

Bobby Vinton released a cover of the song in 1966. His version reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100,[8] while reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart.[9] In Canada, Vinton's version reached No. 24 on the "RPM Play Sheet"[10] and No. 14 on RPM's "GMP Guide".[11]

Parody

"Tears" was parodied in a section of the song "I'm Bored" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, on their album Gorilla (1967).

References
  1. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 96. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  2. Official Charts Company, "Million Sellers", Music Sales Group, November 20, 2012. Accessed October 24, 2015
  3. "The Unswinging Sixties". BBC News. 2010-06-03. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  4. "Ken Dodd". 45-rpm.org.uk. 1927-11-08. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 183–4. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. "Ken Dodd 'third best-selling artist of 1960s'". BBC News. BBC. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  7. Copsey, Rob (19 September 2017). "The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  8. Bobby Vinton - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed October 21, 2015
  9. Bobby Vinton - Chart History - Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Accessed October 21, 2015
  10. "R.P.M. Play Sheet", RPM, Volume 5, Ed. 3, March 13, 1966. Accessed October 24, 2015
  11. "GMP Guide", RPM, Volume 5, Ed. 3, March 14, 1966. Accessed October 24, 2015
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