(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - "The Tears of a Clown"
Hit Number 1: December 12, 1970
Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks
If "The Tears of a Clown" sounds out-of-date for its time, that's because it is. It was recorded in 1967 with the intentions of it being on Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' album Make It Happen. That still ended up happening, but the song wasn't released as a single, instead only existing as something to help fill the album. Motown Britain decided that in order to capitalize on the Miracles' success in the U.K, they would select "The Tears of a Clown" from the Miracles' catalog for single release. It didn't take long for the song to become a hit, as it peaked at #1 on the U.K. Singles chart only 7 weeks after it was released. Motown then released it in America, where it achieved the same success that it had in England. Before the sudden success of "The Tears of a Clown" Robinson had grown tired of life on the road. He wanted to stay In Detroit and raise his two children instead. However upon the success of "The Tears of a Clown", he was persuaded to stick around for a couple more years with the Miracles.
Robinson and the Miracles were the first Motown act to have any kind of chart success. They made it to #2 in 1961 with "Shop Around", a perfect piece of fun classic Motown music. (It's a 10) Robinson still remained with the Miracles all this time and took care of lead vocals for the Miracles and all their songs, but it was the behind-the-scenes work that Robinson had really found success. He's responsible for the production of previous Motown #1 hits "My Guy" and "My Girl", along with many other Motown hits. He was quickly becoming a prominent figure for not only Motown, but all of music. So much so, that after writing the music for "The Tears of a Clown", Stevie Wonder brought the instrumental tape to one of Motown's Christmas parties to see what Robinson could do with the song. Wonder was having a hard time placing words with the music. Robinson noted that it sounded like a circus, and decided to go with an idea that was similar to his vision. That's when he came up with a story of a guy who is sad because his girl left him, and the character compares himself to Pagliacci, an opera where comedians/clowns hide their hurt behind their smiles. There's even a line in the song that says "Just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my surface hid".
At that point, the song was Robinson's. And he used an interesting approach to the song. It's one of those songs to where, if you were to look at the lyrics on paper, you'd think this would be a sad song. But the circus vibes and the up-tempo beat turns it into something fun. Just like the character of the song, the song disguises its sad lyrics by making it sound joyous. It's a genius approach.
I like "The Tears of a Clown" as a song, but to me it's nothing too incredible. It sounds just like something that you would expect a mid-60s song to sound like. It has that classic up-tempo Motown beat, a calliope that helps create images of a circus in my head and Robinson, who really does sing the hell out of it. It's just right in the same category of the Four Tops, the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas, Motown artists who all released similar sounding songs. But this was a sound that was dying, and it didn't make it that far into the 70s at all. "The Tears of a Clown" is just a final goodbye to that classic Motown sound before the record company was forced to switch to something else. Albeit, it's still an enjoyable and fun goodbye.
As far Robinson, he committed to his decision to leave the Miracles in 1972, and he introduced Billy Griffin at a show in July of that year, who would replace Robinson as the Miracles' new lead singer. (With Griffin on lead vocals, the Miracles will appear in this blog again) As for Robinson, he wouldn't hit #1 again, which is hard to believe. He still made hits though, and made it to #4 in 1980 with "Cruisin'" (a 9) and almost hit #1 in 1981 with "Being With You", which peaked at #2. (That one is a 7) Either way, his legacy for Motown as well as the rest of the music industry is a strong one.
GRADE: 7/10
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