Looking Through a Tear
Encyclopedia
Looking Through A Tear is the third studio album by Australian pop
singer Johnny Farnham
, it was released in Australia by EMI Records
in July 1970. Farnham's covers
of Harry Nilsson
's "One
", and B. J. Thomas
' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
" were released as singles, and helped to propel the album to #11 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Album Charts. "One"/"Mr. Whippy" (non-album track) was released as a double A-side in July 1969 and peaked at #4 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" was released in November and peaked at #1 for seven weeks in January–March 1970.
entitled "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)
", which was released in November 1967, it made #1 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts in January 1968 and remained there for five weeks. Selling 180 000 copies in Australia, "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" was the highest selling single by an Australian artist of the decade. Farnham's first album, Sadie
, produced by David Mackay
was released in April. Almost immediately, Farnham was recording his second album, Everybody Oughta Sing A Song
released in November. This was followed by a non-album single, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", in November 1968. In July 1969, Farnham released a cover
of Harry Nilsson
's "One
" with another novelty song, "Mr. Whippy", as a double A-side single, Produced by Howard Gable which peaked at #4 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts. Farnham then released a cover of B. J. Thomas
' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
" also produced by Howard Gable, in November, which peaked at #1 for seven weeks in January–March 1970. Both of these singles were contained on his third album, Looking Through A Tear released in July 1970, which peaked at #11 on the Kent Music Report
Albums Charts.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer Johnny Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, it was released in Australia by EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
in July 1970. Farnham's covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
's "One
One (Harry Nilsson song)
"One" is a song written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by Three Dog Night whose cover in 1969 reached number 5 on the Billboard chart. The song is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." It appeared initially on Aerial Ballet, Nilsson's third album.Nilsson...
", and B. J. Thomas
B. J. Thomas
Billy Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s—appearing on the pop, adult contemporary, country and Hot 100 charts.-Career:...
' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is B. J. Thomas's #1 song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. It was recorded in seven takes, after...
" were released as singles, and helped to propel the album to #11 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Album Charts. "One"/"Mr. Whippy" (non-album track) was released as a double A-side in July 1969 and peaked at #4 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" was released in November and peaked at #1 for seven weeks in January–March 1970.
Background
Johnny Farnham's first solo single was the novelty songNovelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
entitled "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)
Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)
"Sadie " was Australian pop singer Johnny Farnham's first solo single. The novelty song was released in November 1967 and was #1 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts for five weeks in early 1968 . It was the largest selling single in Australia by an Australian artist in the 1960s...
", which was released in November 1967, it made #1 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts in January 1968 and remained there for five weeks. Selling 180 000 copies in Australia, "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" was the highest selling single by an Australian artist of the decade. Farnham's first album, Sadie
Sadie (album)
Sadie is the debut studio album by Australian pop singer Johnny Farnham, it was released by EMI Records in April 1968. The lead single, "Sadie " had been released in November 1967, it was #1 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts for five weeks, and was the largest selling single in Australia by an...
, produced by David Mackay
David Mackay (producer)
David Mackay is an Australian record producer/arranger and musical director. He was born in Sydney, Australia and began his music career at the age of 15 in a production of Bye Bye Birdie for J.C. Williamson Theatre Company...
was released in April. Almost immediately, Farnham was recording his second album, Everybody Oughta Sing A Song
Everybody Oughta Sing a Song
Everybody Oughta Sing A Song is the second solo studio album by Australian pop singer Johnny Farnham and was released on EMI Records in November 1968. Its first single, released in July, was the double A-sided, "Jamie"/"I Don't Want To Love You", which peaked at #8 on the Go-Set National Singles...
released in November. This was followed by a non-album single, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", in November 1968. In July 1969, Farnham released a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
's "One
One (Harry Nilsson song)
"One" is a song written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by Three Dog Night whose cover in 1969 reached number 5 on the Billboard chart. The song is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." It appeared initially on Aerial Ballet, Nilsson's third album.Nilsson...
" with another novelty song, "Mr. Whippy", as a double A-side single, Produced by Howard Gable which peaked at #4 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts. Farnham then released a cover of B. J. Thomas
B. J. Thomas
Billy Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s—appearing on the pop, adult contemporary, country and Hot 100 charts.-Career:...
' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is B. J. Thomas's #1 song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. It was recorded in seven takes, after...
" also produced by Howard Gable, in November, which peaked at #1 for seven weeks in January–March 1970. Both of these singles were contained on his third album, Looking Through A Tear released in July 1970, which peaked at #11 on the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Albums Charts.
Track listing
- "OneOne (Harry Nilsson song)"One" is a song written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by Three Dog Night whose cover in 1969 reached number 5 on the Billboard chart. The song is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." It appeared initially on Aerial Ballet, Nilsson's third album.Nilsson...
" (Harry NilssonHarry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
) - 2:49 - "I've Been Rained On" (Dallas FrazierDallas FrazierDallas Frazier is an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma but was raised in Bakersfield, California...
) - 2:22 - "Mirror of My Mind" (Flynn, Douglas) - 2:15
- "The World Goes Round and Round" (Michael Kunze, Ralph Siegel) - 3:55
- "All Night Girl" (Peter Lee Stirling, John Barry Mason, Sylvan Whittingham) - 2:06
- "You're Breaking Me Up" (Roy Wood) - 2:28
- "Two" (John Farnham) - 4:42
- "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My HeadRaindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is B. J. Thomas's #1 song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. It was recorded in seven takes, after...
" (Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
, Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
) - 2:29 - "Looking Through A Tear" (Bobby Scott, Arthur Resnick) - 3:40
- "Visions of Sugarplums" (Jerry Fuller, Glen CampbellGlen CampbellGlen 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...
) - 2:12 - "What Can I Do" (John Farnham) - 2:43
- "In a Moment of Madness" (Ralph Freed, Jimmy McHugh) - 2:48
- "Ain't Society Great" (Bobby RussellBobby RussellBobby Russell was an American singer and songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he charted five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts, including the crossover pop hit "Saturday Morning Confusion." Russell was also married to singer and actress Vicki Lawrence from 1972 to 1974.-Career:Russell wrote...
) - 2:34 - "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" (Bobby Russell) - 3:58
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
11 |
| Go-Set Go-Set Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble... Albums Chart |
9 |