Sweet And Sour Tears
Album by Ray Charles
Ray Charles loved thematic concept albums; on the 1964 LP Sweet And Sour Tears, every song has a variation of “cry”, “tears”, or “weep” in the title. And as you might imagine, there are many moments of sadness and self-pity on the album; what’s not as obvious is that there are quite a few instances of the tables being turned as well, when Ray gets to be defiant and angry. In both cases, Ray Charles is at the top of his game, and offers mesmerizing performances rich with experience, heartache, and self-reliance.
Sweet And Sour Tears was released in January 1964 at a time when the United States was still in grief over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy the previous November. Crying and weeping would seem to have fit the mood of the times. Three singles would be released from the album, though by then The Beatles ruled over everything musical and Ray Charles was not exactly in favor.
But now, independent of historical context, we can listen to Sweet And Sour Tears and judge it merely on its artistic merits. The LP was split into two parts, an idea Ray had established on his 1959 LP The Genius Of Ray Charles: Side 1 of Sweet And Sour Tears was recorded with a full orchestra and a chilly, snow-white chorus (the Gene Lowell Singers) in New York; Side 2 featured generally peppier R&B-esque songs recorded in Hollywood with a brass band.
The structure of the album
Both sides of the LP contain six songs, and all twelve were produced by Sid Feller, who worked closely with Ray from 1960 onwards. Sid also arranged the orchestral songs on Side 1; the brass band was arranged by Calvin Jackson. As Rick Ward’s liner notes point out, though, Ray was really responsible for every detail on Sweet And Sour Tears:
Not only was this album entirely Ray’s own idea, but he also laid out every arrangement in minute detail. After deciding just how each arrangement should be handled, he taped each number, indicating the exact routine to be followed, harmony and rhythm patterns, and then sent the tapes to the arrangers. From these tapes, arrangers Feller and Jackson were able to develop Ray’s ideas, resulting in the outstanding arrangements you’ll hear on the record. Ray’s demand for perfection makes it necessary for him to select arrangers with whom he can work probably more closely than any other artist.
Sweet And Sour Tears releases
Sweet And Sour Tears was released in both mono (ABC 480) and stereo (ABCS 480) versions. Both are easy to find used in good condition in online sales, and aren’t expensive. A CD version was released with so-called “bonus tracks” which were other “crying” songs Ray recorded, but not necessarily around the time of this album. (None were previously unissued songs.) Opt for the original vinyl LP, which is how Ray intended the music to be experienced. These twelve songs and nothing else.
About the songs on Sweet And Sour Tears
Side 1
The LP begins with the most basic possible version of the album’s concept: a song called simply “Cry”, originally a hit in 1951 for Johnny Ray with the Four Lads singing backup. Ray’s version is sweet and high, and sets the tone of Side 1 of Sweet And Sour Tears with its gentle pace and soaring lushness. “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry”, from the 1944 show Glad To See You, had been covered by Frank Sinatra, and here is very slow and even romantic, despite the barren heartache of the weirdly impressionistic lyric: “Dry little tear drops, hanging on a string of dreams.”
Two country songs come next, orchestrated in the style of Ray’s then-recent and most famous work. “A Tear Fell” is a 1956 Teresa Brewer hit, and Ray’s version of the waltz is a little faster than the preceding tracks and he enjoys singing the simple, down-home country melody. The lyrics are once again clever, if self-pitying – his tears on the floor were crushed by her when she danced over them. The orchestra in this song is very sweeping, and Ray lets his voice rise to a forceful, even angry pitch at times. Less lush but still sweet is “No One To Cry To”, originally a 1946 song by the Sons of the Pioneers. The chorus is very prominent throughout, but it feels a little forced, as if the Gene Lowell Singers were hastily shoehorned into the arrangement.
The gloom starts to break up a little on “You’ve Got Me Crying Again”, a 1933 song recorded by many (Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, et cetera) that is more indignant and defensive than sad. The strings are sappy but the sentiment is coldly condemning: those kisses came from your lips, not your heart. Elsie Carlisle’s 1933 version was much quicker in tempo, and also showed that the lyrics could work for both men and women.
Sweet And Sour Tears‘ first side ends with its oldest song, “After My Laughter Came Tears”, which dates from 1927 and was a fun, jazzy hit for Annette Hanshaw; it was also recorded by Cliff Edwards, a.k.a. “Ukulele Ike”. Ray Charles’ emotional version is slower and has the chorus answering his vocals throughout. He gives the song a new country-ish lilt.
Side 2
Side 2, the brassy half of Sweet And Sour Tears, opens with Ruth Brown’s 1950 classic “Teardrops From My Eyes”, big and bold like the original, and quite different than anything on the first side of the LP. This is catharsis, not misery. On “Don’t Cry, Baby”, done by Bessie Smith in 1929, by Erskine Hawkins in 1943 (a #1 R&B smash), and in 1961 by Etta James, the brass is a little slower and quieter and Ray takes a remarkable piano solo, underscoring the fact that the keyboard was basically an extension of his body.
Julie London’s 1955 super smash “Cry Me A River” comes next; this song has proven to be versatile over the years, becoming a rock hit for Joe Cocker and a country hit for Crystal Gayle and also being covered by Diana Krall. Ray’s take finds him enjoying a moment of resentful standoffishness: I cried a whole river of tears for you and now you want to come back? Cry me a river, lady, it’s over! The arrangement’s dramatic minor chords are propelled by the defiant little rhythm that scoots along, out of the situation and away from this woman’s life. (Or, from Julie London’s perspective, this man’s life.)
“Baby, Don’t You Cry” is hyped as featuring “The New SWINGOVA Rhythm” on the LP jacket and the record label, and was an attempt to have its chirpy rhythm style catch on like Bo Diddley’s had. (It didn’t work, as you’ll no doubt be aware – have you heard of it?) The song was written in 1943 and was a hit for its author Buddy Johnson. It’s another proud, accusatory lyric, and is fun and fast, not sad. At one point the music stops so a short drum solo can take center stage, with Ray cackling maniacally over the top of it. (And still Swingova didn’t take the world by storm.)
“Willow, Weep For Me” is the album’s standout track, a spectacular arrangement and performance on all fronts. The longest song on Sweet And Sour Tears, it starts with Ray singing solo with just his piano, and the dramatic chords mixed with his brilliant vocals create a sensation that’s riveting. The band comes in eventually, slowly at first, and by the end has built up into a fearsome force, jetting through a dense, daring arrangement that leaves listeners breathless. Originally from 1932, this jazz standard was covered by everyone – Ella, Billie, Frank, Louis, and even Chad & Jeremy, who had a hit with it in the same year that Ray released his.
The final song on Sweet And Sour Tears is the album’s oldest: “I Cried For You”, a hit in 1923 for Benny Krueger and His Orchestra. It ends the album on a brassy note, and again the mood is not one of sadness or pity but of brushing the woman off, just like “Cry Me A River”: I’m done with crying, now it’s your turn. (The lyrics were adapted by Bob Dylan for his 2001 song “Cry A While”.)
Record covers
Record labels
Singles with songs from Sweet And Sour Tears
Three singles were released from Sweet And Sour Tears, though one came a full year later.
“Cry”
b/w
“Teardrops From My Eyes”
Track listing
Side A
1. “Cry”
2. “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry”
3. “A Tear Fell”
4. “No One To Cry To”
5. “You’ve Got Me Crying Again”
6. “After My Laughter Came Tears”
Side B
1. “Teardrops From My Eyes”
2. “Don’t Cry, Baby”
3. “Cry Me A River”
4. “Baby, Don’t You Cry”
5. “Willow, Weep For Me”
6. “I Cried For You”
Listen to Sweet And Sour Tears
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