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 single in 1965. It became a No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart,^[1] and the best-selling single of 1965. The song also reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart.

The main theme is based on Delilah's aria from Samson & Delilah by Saint-Saëns

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 No. 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 number 1.^[5] It sold over a million copies in the UK, becoming the biggest-selling single of 1965, and was the third-biggest selling single of the 1960s; it was the only non-Beatles song in the top 5.^[6] In 2002 it was listed as the UK's 19th-best selling single of all time, with sales of 1,521,000.^[7]

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]

"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