Teardrops from My Eyes
"Teardrops from My Eyes", written by
Billboard's number-one R&B hit for 11 non-consecutive weeks. It was Atlantic's first release on the new 45-rpm record format. The huge hit earned Brown the nickname "Miss Rhythm" and within a few months she became the acknowledged queen of R&B. "Teardrops from My Eyes" was her first of five number-one R&B hits.[1]
Background
Before this hit single, Brown was thought of strictly as a
Ahmet Ertegün, sensing the time was right, urged her to try the song.[2] The song has a tenor solo by Budd Johnson.[3]
Atlantic used a process that it repeated over the years, that is, turning an uptown singer
funky. As with Brown, Ertegün's method was to introduce popular black musical artists to older and more powerful black musical modes.[2]
Important cover versions
- Louis Jordan
- Rex Allen
- June Hutton
- Louis Prima
- Wynonie Harris
- BB King
- Ray Charles
- Bill Haley and His Saddlemen- a country-western/early rockabilly version recorded for Atlantic soon after Brown's version, but not released until 2006
References
- ISBN 978-0-571-12939-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-02-061740-2.
- ISBN 978-0-306-80683-4.