Tears Keep on Falling
| "Tears Keep on Falling" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jerry Vale | ||||
| from the album Have You Looked into Your Heart | ||||
| B-side | "Now" | |||
| Released | April 1965 | |||
| Genre | Easy listening | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Columbia 4-41238 | |||
| Songwriter | Lawrence Madison | |||
| Producer | Ernie Altschuler | |||
| Jerry Vale singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | Positive (Spotlight Pick) |
| Cashbox | A-grade (Pick of the Week) |
"Tears Keep on Falling" is a song written by Lawrence Madison and most notably performed by Jerry Vale, who released it as a single under Columbia Records in early 1965, with a positive reception and a moderate chart presence. It was his fourth and final single from his 1965 album Have You Looked into Your Heart.
Jerry Vale version
Background and release
Jerry Vale was first noticed by Columbia Records' Guy Mitchell in the early 1950s, after which Vale began recording for the records label. He quickly had a few traditional pop hits, but by the 1960s, they were less common. Following "Have You Looked into Your Heart" in 1964, which hit the top-40, Columbia scheduled to release "Tears Keep on Falling" for April 1965. It was backed by an Italian song "Now", lifted from his 1963 album The Language of Love, on the B-side. Marty Manning conducted and arranged the chorus and orchestra on both sides, with production by Ernie Altschuler.
Critical reception
The single was met with a positive critical reception upon its release. Cashbox reviewed the single in early May and classified it as a "Pick of the Week", meaning it was an A-grade single. They stated that "both Top 40 and middle-of-the-road deejays should really dig this new Jerry Vale platter called 'Tears Keep On Falling,'" adding that "The tune is an easy-going, shufflin', chorus-backed romantic ballad in the currently popular years-back lush style." Billboard magazine gave the single a positive review stating "nother commercial winner much in the vein of Vale's 'Have You Looked Into Your Heart' success," calling it a "Good group, sing-a-long style for all forms of programming."
Chart performance
"Tears Keep On Falling" did not restore momentum to Vale's singles' chart performance. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 22, 1965, reaching No. 96 during a three-week run on it. The track entered the Cashbox Top 100 Singles chart in the issue dated May 15, 1965, peaking at a higher No. 65 during its five-week stay on it. The song reached the top-40 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart as well, rising to the number 30 position in June.
Track listing
Charts
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 96 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 30 |
| US Cashbox Top 100 Singles | 65 |
References
- 1 2 "Review Spotlight on... Pop Records: Reviews and Ratings" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 18. May 1, 1965. p. 47. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- 1 2 3 4 "Record Reviews: Only those records best suited for commercial use are reviewed" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXVI, no. 41. May 1, 1965. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ↑ Bush, John. "Jerry Vale's biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 736. ISBN 0898201551. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Vale, Jerry (April 1965). ""Tears Keep on Falling"/"Now" (7" vinyl single)". Columbia Records. 4-43252.
- 1 2 Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 360. ISBN 1-56308-316-7. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
- 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7. Retrieved November 7, 2026.