Teardrop (song)

"Teardrop"
Single by Massive Attack
from the album Mezzanine
B-side "Euro Zero Zero"
Released 27 April 1998
Format
Recorded 1997–98
Studio Massive Attack Studios and Christchurch Studios (Bristol)
Genre Trip hop
Length 5:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Massive Attack singles chronology
"Risingson"
(1997)		 "Teardrop"
(1998)		 "Angel"
(1998)

"Risingson"
(1997)		 "Teardrop"
(1998)		 "Angel"
(1998)
Music video
"Teardrop" on YouTube

"Teardrop" is a song by English trip hop group Massive Attack. It features lead vocals and lyrics by Elizabeth Fraser, the lead singer for the Cocteau Twins. It was released as the second single from their third studio album, Mezzanine (1998), on 27 April 1998. The song became another hit for the group in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 10.

Development

"Teardrop" was first developed from a simple harpsichord riff picked out in the studio in April 1997. Andrew Vowles sent the demo to Madonna as he wanted her to record the vocals for the song (the band had previously worked with her on their 1995 reworking of the song "I Want You"). The two other band members Robert Del Naja and Grantley Marshall wanted Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins to record the vocals, feeling her ethereal style suited the mournful melody and feel of the piece. Madonna was very keen to record the vocals, and was disappointed when the two-to-one vote went in Fraser's favour.[1]

Fraser wrote the song's lyrics, inspired by the works of French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. While recording the song on 29 May 1997, she found out that her once-close friend, Jeff Buckley, had drowned. "That was so weird ... I'd got letters out and I was thinking about him. That song's kind of about him – that's how it feels to me anyway."[2]

The single peaked at number 16 in Australia.[3] It placed number 22 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009. It reached the top 10 in the UK and is the only Massive Attack track to do so. It was certified Silver by the BPI on 22 July 2013.

Music video

The song's music video featured a plastic foetus in the womb, singing the song. It was directed by Walter Stern.[4]

The song, especially the instrumental portions at the beginning and the end, has been used in numerous TV programmes and movies. The bass drum beat, reminiscent of a heartbeat, samples the Les McCann song "Sometimes I Cry".[5] An instrumental version of the tune is also used in a first season episode of Prison Break entitled "Tonight".

It was also featured as incidental music in a 2001 episode of the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street when Sarah Platt is chased. From 2004 to 2012, it was used as the opening theme of the American medical drama series House. The song also appeared in the 2005 pilot episode of Bones.

The song was featured at the beginning of a 2009 episode of the BBC One medical drama series Holby City entitled "Tough Love". The song was used in a twenty-first season episode of the American animated comedy series The Simpsons entitled "Postcards from the Wedge".

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Teardrop" (album version)5:31
2."Euro Zero Zero"5:24
3."Teardrop" (Scream Team Remix)6:45
4."Teardrop" (Mad Professor Mazaruni Instrumental Mix)6:24

The 12" release contains the same songs but in a different order. The cassette release contains an edited version of the original song, as well as the Scream Team remix and the B-side "Euro Zero Zero", but is missing the remix by Mad Professor.

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 16
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[7] 17
Denmark (Tracklisten)[8] 12
France (SNEP)[9] 115
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 52
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 64
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 19
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[14] 13
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 75
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[16] 10

Covers

Newton Faulkner

"Teardrop"
Single by Newton Faulkner
from the album Hand Built by Robots
Released
  • 30 July 2007 (UK)
  • 18 April 2008 (Germany)
  • 29 April 2008 (US)
Recorded Autumn 2005–Spring 2007
Label Ugly Truth
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Mike Spencer
Newton Faulkner singles chronology
"Dream Catch Me"
(2007)		 "Teardrop"
(2007)		 "All I Got"
(2007)

"Dream Catch Me"
(2007)		 "Teardrop"
(2007)		 "All I Got"
(2007)

Newton Faulkner covered the song on his album Hand Built by Robots, which was produced by Mike Spencer. On downloads alone, Faulkner's version reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart in August 2007.[17] It was released as an official single on 10 December 2007, and reached number 57 on the chart the following week.[17] The version of the album available from the Australian iTunes Music Store also incorporates an acoustic version.[18]

O'Hooley & Tidow

O'Hooley & Tidow covered the song on their album The Fragile. The Guardian described their version of "Teardrop" as "an exquisite reworking"[19] and it was voted by Guardian music critic Jude Rogers as one of the best tracks of 2012.[20]

Kris Ashok

Indian musician Kris Ashok covered looping remix of Massive Attack's Teardrop and Thyagaraja's Brova Bharama,[21]

Elbow

The band Elbow performed "Teardrop" for a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session in 2003, and released a studio version on their "Not a Job" single the following year.

José González

"Teardrop"
Single by José González
from the album In Our Nature
Released 12 November 2007
Format
  • CD
  • 7"
  • digital download
Length 3:22
Label Peacefrog
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) José González
José González singles chronology
"Killing for Love"
(2007)		 "Teardrop"
(2007)		 "Down the Line"
(2008)

"Killing for Love"
(2007)		 "Teardrop"
(2007)		 "Down the Line"
(re-issue)
(2008)

José González covered "Teardrop" for his second album In Our Nature. The single was released across Europe on 12 November 2007. The single features the non-album instrumental B-side "Four Forks Ache." This version was also featured in the medical drama House M.D. in the episode "Wilson's Heart".

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Teardrop"3:22
2."Four Forks Ache"5:25

The Collective

"Teardrop"
Single by The Collective featuring Wretch 32, Ed Sheeran, Labrinth, Tulisa, Tinchy Stryder, Rizzle Kicks, Ms. Dynamite, Chipmunk, Mz Bratt and Dot Rotten
from the album We Are the Collective
Released 18 November 2011
Format
Recorded 2011
Length 4:04
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Children in Need singles chronology
"Love You More"
(2010)		 "Teardrop"
(2011)		 "Something New"
(2012)

"Love You More"
(2010)		 "Teardrop"
(2011)		 "Something New"
(2012)
Gary Barlow singles chronology
"Shame"
(2010) Shame2010		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Sing"
(2012) Sing2012
Tinchy Stryder singles chronology
"Off the Record"
(2011) Off the Record2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Bright Lights"
(2012) Bright Lights2012
Ed Sheeran singles chronology
"Lego House"
(2011) Lego House2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Drunk"
(2012) Drunk2012
Wretch 32 singles chronology
"Hangover"
(2011) Hangover2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Forgiveness"
(2012) Forgiveness2012
Labrinth singles chronology
"Earthquake"
(2011) Earthquake2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Last Time"
(2011) Last Time2011
Tulisa singles chronology
"Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Young"
(2012) Young2012
Rizzle Kicks singles chronology
"When I Was a Youngster"
(2011) When I Was a Youngster2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Mama Do the Hump"
(2012) Mama Do the Hump2012
Ms. Dynamite singles chronology
"Neva Soft"
(2011) Neva Soft2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Light Up (The World)"
(2012) Light Up (The World)2012
Chipmunk singles chronology
"Take Off"
(2011) Take Off2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Bow Wow Wow"
(2012) Bow Wow Wow2012
Mz Bratt singles chronology
"Speedling"
(2011) Speedling2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Falling Dawn"
(2012) Falling Dawn2012
Dot Rotten singles chronology
"Keep It on a Low"
(2011) Keep It on a Low2011		 "Teardrop"
(2011) Teardrop2011		 "Are You Not Entertained?"
(2012) Are You Not Entertained?2012

The song was covered by English singer Gary Barlow's assembled group named The Collective and released as the official single for Children in Need 2011.[23] Produced by Labrinth, the performers,[24] consist of: Chipmunk, Dot Rotten, Ed Sheeran, Ms. Dynamite, Mz. Bratt, Tulisa, Rizzle Kicks, Tinchy Stryder and Wretch 32.

The song was released in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2011[25][26][27][28][29][30] and entered the charts at number 24.[31]

Track listing

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Teardrop"4:04
2."Teardrop" (R1 Remix)4:32
3."Teardrop" (Wideboys Remix)5:22
4."Teardrop" (Lonsdale Boys Club Remix)4:14

Chart performance

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[32] 30
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[33] 24
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[34] 7

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom 13 November 2011[35] Digital download Polydor

Brad Mehldau

The song is covered as a piano version "Teardrop" – Live 14:14 on the album Brad Mehldau's 10 Years Solo Live.

Voces8

The song was covered by British vocal ensemble Voces8 on their album Lux (2015)[36].

References

  1. ↑ "Massive Attack and Teardrop", Q Magazine, April 1999
  2. ↑ Dave Simpson "Elizabeth Fraser: the Cocteau Twins and me". The Guardian. 26 November 2009
  3. ↑ Pandora Archive. Pandora.nla.gov.au (23 August 2006). Retrieved on 9 December 2011.
  4. ↑ Ford, Piers. (2004-05-01) Piers Ford, ''Prince of Darkness'', 1 May 2004 Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine.. Boardsmag.com. Retrieved on 9 December 2011.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Massive Attack – Tear Drop". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Massive Attack – Tear Drop" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Massive Attack – Tear Drop". Tracklisten. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Massive Attack – Tear Drop" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Massive Attack – Tear Drop". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Teardrop". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Massive Attack – Tear Drop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Charts.nz – Massive Attack – Tear Drop". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Massive Attack – Tear Drop". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Newton Faulkner – Teardrop". ChartStats.com. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
  18. ↑ Newton Faulkner – Teardrop (Acoustic Version), Australian iTunes Music Store. Phobos.apple.com (17 December 2007). Retrieved on 19 December 2011.
  19. ↑ Denselow, Robin (2 February 2012). "O'Hooley & Tidow: The Fragile – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  20. ↑ Jude Rogers; et al. (17 December 2012). "The best albums of 2012: our critics' individual choices". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  21. ↑ Teardrop Bahudari
  22. ↑ http://www.italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Collective&titel=Teardrop&cat=s Hung Medien Archive
  23. ↑ The Sun Gordon Smart 'It's Gary Barlow and The Collective', Sept 12 2011. Thesun.co.uk (2011-09-12). Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  24. ↑ Gary Barlow names Children in Need band 'The Collective' DigitalSpy, Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  25. ↑ Digital Spy 7 October 2011. Digitalspy.co.uk (2011-10-07). Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  26. ↑ The Collective: 'Teardrop' – Single review – Music Singles Review. Digital Spy (2011-11-14). Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  27. ↑ Ryan, Damien. (2011-11-17) Track review: The Collective – Teardrop (Official Children In Need Single) | So So Gay magazine Archived 20 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine.. Sosogay.org. Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  28. ↑ Haider, Arwa. (2011-11-25) The Collective's Teardrop and Lighthouse by Westlife: Single reviews. Metro.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  29. ↑ THE GIZZLE REVIEW: The Collective – Teardrop. Thegizzlereview.blogspot.com (2011-10-25). Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  30. ↑ Single Review: The Collective – 'Teardrop' Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine.. Unreality Shout. Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  31. ↑ Gary Barlow's The Collective Are Biggest Children In Need Flops In 16 Years – Celebrity Gossip, News & Photos, Movie Reviews, Competitions Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine.. Entertainmentwise (2011-11-21). Retrieved on 2011-12-09.
  32. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  33. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ↑ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  35. ↑ Teardrop (feat. Labrinth, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chipmunk, Dot Rotten, Ed Sheeran, Ms. Dynamite, Mz Bratt, Rizzle Kicks, Tinchy Stryder & Wretch 32) – EP by The Collective iTunes
  36. ↑ Voces8 album Lux (retrieved 2017/12/09)iTunes
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.