Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)
Encyclopedia
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is an American country
and pop
song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters
, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender
.
sent her version to No. 33 on the country charts.
In 1974, record producer Huey P Meaux
approached Fender about overdubbing vocals for an instrumental track. Fender agreed, performing the song bi-lingual style — singing the first verse in English, then repeating the verse in Spanish.
"The recording only took a few minutes," Fender once told an interviewer. "I was glad to get it over with and I thought that would be the last of it."
However, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" immediately took off in popularity when released to country radio in January 1975. The song ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart in March, spending two weeks atop the chart. Thereafter, the song caught on just as strongly at Top 40
radio stations, and it wasn't long before Fender had a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100
hit as well.
The song is about a man's undaunted determination to save his heart for the just-departed object of his deep (but unrequited
) love, and sincere hope that should the woman's new relationship not work out, she will remember his love and return to him.
A showcase of Fender's fluttering tenor
and Meaux's Tex-Mex musical styling, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" jump-started his career. (Fender's career had stalled in 1960 after his arrest on drug charges.) In the months and years that followed, Fender recorded several bi-lingual standards which became major hits, most notably "Secret Love."
BMI Songwriter Sterling Blythe claimed authorship and recalled having sold the rights to a portfolio of songs, among them "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," for $4,500 to settle debts when he left Nashville for the West Coast prior to Fender's recording. Until his death in Sacramento in 2001, Blythe carried a newspaper clipping about Fender's bankruptcy filing in his wallet.
. http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp The song also won the Single of the Year award from the Country Music Association
in 1975, and was instrumental in Fender also winning that year's Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year awards.
" by B.J. Thomas, "Rhinestone Cowboy
" by Glen Campbell
; "Thank God I'm a Country Boy
" and the two-sided hit "I'm Sorry
"/"Calypso
," both by John Denver
; and "Convoy
" by C.W. McCall.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters
Ben Peters
Ben James Peters was an American country music songwriter who wrote many #1 songs. Charley Pride recorded 40 of his songs and 4 of them went to #1 on the American country charts...
, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
.
Song history
The song was written in the late 1960s and had been recorded more than two dozen times. At best, the song had achieved modest success by other performers. For example, Linda MartellLinda Martell
Linda Martell, born Thelma Bynem , is an American rhythm and blues and country music singer. In August 1969, she became the first African-American woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.-Biography:...
sent her version to No. 33 on the country charts.
In 1974, record producer Huey P Meaux
Huey P Meaux
Huey Purvis Meaux was an American record producer and recording studio owner .Meaux was born in Wright, Louisiana...
approached Fender about overdubbing vocals for an instrumental track. Fender agreed, performing the song bi-lingual style — singing the first verse in English, then repeating the verse in Spanish.
"The recording only took a few minutes," Fender once told an interviewer. "I was glad to get it over with and I thought that would be the last of it."
However, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" immediately took off in popularity when released to country radio in January 1975. The song ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in March, spending two weeks atop the chart. Thereafter, the song caught on just as strongly at Top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
radio stations, and it wasn't long before Fender had a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit as well.
The song is about a man's undaunted determination to save his heart for the just-departed object of his deep (but unrequited
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
) love, and sincere hope that should the woman's new relationship not work out, she will remember his love and return to him.
A showcase of Fender's fluttering tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and Meaux's Tex-Mex musical styling, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" jump-started his career. (Fender's career had stalled in 1960 after his arrest on drug charges.) In the months and years that followed, Fender recorded several bi-lingual standards which became major hits, most notably "Secret Love."
BMI Songwriter Sterling Blythe claimed authorship and recalled having sold the rights to a portfolio of songs, among them "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," for $4,500 to settle debts when he left Nashville for the West Coast prior to Fender's recording. Until his death in Sacramento in 2001, Blythe carried a newspaper clipping about Fender's bankruptcy filing in his wallet.
Successes
"Before The Next Teardrop Falls" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of AmericaRecording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp The song also won the Single of the Year award from the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
in 1975, and was instrumental in Fender also winning that year's Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year awards.
The 1975 country-pop "half-dozen"
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" was one of six songs released in 1975 that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The other songs were "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
" Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" is an American country and pop song made famous by B.J. Thomas.The song became Thomas' second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1975. In addition, it ascended to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart three weeks after...
" by B.J. Thomas, "Rhinestone Cowboy
Rhinestone Cowboy (song)
"Rhinestone Cowboy" is the title of a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. The song enjoyed immense popularity with both country and pop audiences when it was released in 1975....
" by Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
; "Thank God I'm a Country Boy
Thank God I'm a Country Boy
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy", also known as "Country Boy" is a song written by John Martin Sommers and recorded by American singer/songwriter John Denver.The song was originally included on Denver's 1974 album Back Home Again....
" and the two-sided hit "I'm Sorry
I'm Sorry (John Denver song)
"I'm Sorry" is a song written and recorded by American country-folk singer-songwriter John Denver. Released in 1975, it was his final number-one pop hit released during his career.-Chart performance:...
"/"Calypso
Calypso (song)
"Calypso" is a song written by John Denver in 1975 as a tribute to Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his research ship Calypso. The song was featured on Denver's 1975 album Windsong....
," both by John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
; and "Convoy
Convoy (song)
"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts...
" by C.W. McCall.
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 18 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 6 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 6 |
See also
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2006.
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006," 2007.