A Tear Dropped By

Last updated
"A Tear Dropped By"
Single by Jean Shepard
from the album Heart, We Did All That We Could
B-side "He Plays the Bongo (I Play the Banjo)"
ReleasedOctober 1964
RecordedJanuary 27, 1964
Studio Columbia (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre Country [1]
Length2:20
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s)
  • Larry Lee
  • Rusty Adams
Producer(s) Marvin Hughes
Jean Shepard singles chronology
"Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)"
(1964)		"A Tear Dropped By"
(1964)		"Someone's Gotta Cry"
(1965)

"A Tear Dropped By" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Composed by Larry Lee and Rusty Adams, it was released as a single in 1964, reaching the top 40 of the US country chart that year. It was one of 30 top 40 singles Shepard had in her career. It was given positive reviews from critics following its release.

Contents

Background, content and recording

Jean Shepard first found success in the 1950s honky tonk era of country music with top ten singles like "A Satisfied Mind" and "Beautiful Lies". As the decade progressed and honky tonk fell out of fashion, Shepard's popularity declined. Then in 1964, she had a comeback with the top te single "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)". This would start a series of chart singles for Shepard during the 1960s. [2] "A Tear Dropped By" was among her charting singles that followed. [3] Composed by Larry Lee and Rusty Adams, [4] the song was described by Cash Box as a "weeper". [1] It was recorded on August 29, 1963, at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The session was produced by Marvin Hughes. Three additional sides were cut at the same session. [5]

Release, critical reception and chart performance

"A Tear Dropped By" was issued as a single by Capitol Records in October 1964. It was distributed as a seven-inch vinyl record, with "He Plays the Bongo (I Play the Banjo)" on the B-side. [4] Billboard magazine praised the song, commenting, "Tender ballad in fine Shepard style. Plenty of sales potential. Fans will be happy to have her back." [6] Cash Box found the song to have "a real pretty chorus" combined with "an infectious repeating melodic riff." [1] "A Tear Dropped By" rose into the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at the number 38 position. It was one of 30 singles by Shepard to reach the country top 40 in her career. [3] It was eventually included on her 1967 studio album Heart, We Did All That We Could . [7]

Track listings

7" vinyl single [4]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "A Tear Dropped By"
Chart (1964)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [8] 38

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "COUNTRY REVIEWS" (PDF). Cash Box . November 7, 1964. p. 82. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  2. ↑ Cooper, Dan. "Jean Shepard Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  3. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research.
  4. 1 2 3 Shepard, Jean (October 1964). ""A Tear Dropped By"/"He Plays the Bongo (I Play the Banjo)" (7" vinyl single)". Capitol Records . 5304.
  5. ↑ Skinker, Chris (1995). "The Melody Ranch Girl (box set biography book)". Bear Family Records : 34. BCD-15905-EI.
  6. ↑ "Country & Western Spotlights" (PDF). Billboard . November 7, 1964. p. 16. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Shepard, Jean (January 1967). "Heart, We Did All That We Could (Liner Notes)". Capitol Records . ST-2690.
  8. ↑ "Jean Shepard Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
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