It’s been a couple of weeks since I posted anything new – That would be because I’ve been getting a bit side-tracked around here of late, and some of my recent rants have involved family members, so time to rein it in a bit I think. Getting back to what this blog was always supposed to be about (that would be nostalgically revisiting the tracks of my years), today’s pick is this wonderful example, Teardrops by Womack & Womack. The song reached the No. 3 spot in the UK Singles Chart in August 1988, when I was in my late twenties. No problem with over-sharing this time as I have no particular personal memories attached to it at all, other than it was a great sounding song and was always included on the mix-tapes I was still putting together at that time.
Teardrops by Womack and Womack:
It is the kind of song however that really conjures up the memory of particular “feelings”, ones most of us will have experienced at some point in our lives:
And the music don’t feel like it did when I felt it with you (yes, we’ve all been there haven’t we?)
Whispers in the powder room, “She cries on every tune” (not called the powder room where I come from but yes, where such things are discussed).
As for Womack & Womack, I always knew they had a touch of rock and pop royalty about them but it was not until today that I found out exactly what the connections were. Linda Womack was the daughter of Sam Cooke, and her husband Cecil Womack was the younger brother of Bobby Womack. They all worked together, then after Sam’s death, Bobby married his widow. Cecil had first met Linda when he was thirteen and she was eight but after her father’s death he married singer Mary Wells, writing material for her and managing her career until they broke up in 1977. Shortly after the split, Cecil and Linda married. Phew, that was complicated.
In 1983, Cecil and Linda began performing and recording together as Womack & Womack, and released a successful album “Love Wars”, drawing from their own, convoluted, personal experiences. Cecil and Linda wrote most of the songs they recorded and it seems, as with Teardrops, they were experts at capturing the trials and tribulations of love.
Watching the music video for the song, all these years later the artists still look cool. Who wouldn’t look cool wearing a pair of shades indoors? – Well most of us actually, but that certainly didn’t happen in the case of those Womacks. It was shot in a film studio in Berlin apparently over a period of 3 days and although there was no plot, it has been described as a funky, disco-dance-energy-video. Sounds fair to me.
So, “What’s It All About?” – The edit function has been used a lot here over the last fortnight but the upshot is I am building up a fine music archive which is now being visited by many people daily. My most visited post is still the one featuring the song Sunshine On Leith by The Proclaimers. Most unexpectedly, the post that may well take over that crown soon is the one featuring the song Jessie by Joshua Kadison – Didn’t expect that when I dashed it off one Saturday afternoon last year, but just goes to show what a fascinating place the blogosphere can be!
Until next time….
Teardrops Lyrics
(Song by Cecil Womack/Linda Womack)
Whenever I hear goodbyes
Remind me baby of you
I break down and cry
Next time I’ll be true, yeah
Fever for lost romance
Remind me baby of you
I took a crazy chance
Next time I’ll be true
I’ll be true, I’ll be true
Footsteps on the dance floor
Remind me baby of you
Teardrops in my eyes
Next time I’ll be true, yeah
Whispers in the powder room
“She cries on every tune
Every tune, every tune”
When I’m dancin’ ’round
Remind me baby of you
I really let you down
Next time I’ll be true, yeah
I took a crazy chance
“She cries on every tune
Every tune, every tune”
Footsteps on the dance floor
Remind me baby of you
Teardrops in my eyes
Next time I’ll be true, yeah
Whispers in the powder room
“She cries on every tune
Every tune, every tune”
And the music don’t feel like it did when I felt it with you
Nothing that I do or feel ever feels like I felt it with you
Hurting deep inside
She cries on every tune
I break down and cry
“She cries on every tune
Every tune, every tune”
Footsteps on the dance floor
Remind me baby of you
Teardrops in my eyes
Next time I’ll be true, yeah
Whispers in the powder room
“She cries on every tune
Every tune, every tune”
What's It All About? 