"Teardrop" is a song by Massive Attack, which was first released on their 1998 album Mezzanine. It was released as a single on 27 April 1998. The song became another UK hit for the group, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The song features vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins.

The song is also known for its use in numerous TV programs and movies, notably as the theme song, on American TV, of the medical television series House. The instrumental portions of the song at the beginning and the end which feature a bass drum beat reminiscent of a heartbeat are used in the opening theme.

Development[link]

"Teardrop" was first developed from a simple harpsichord riff picked out in the studio in April 1997, later piano chords and drum beats were added, and at this early demo stage it had the working title "No Don't". Vowles sent the demo to Madonna as he wanted her to record the vocals for the song (the band had previously worked with her on their 1995 reworking of the song "I Want You"). However, the two other band members Robert Del Naja and Grantley Marshall wanted Elizabeth Fraser of the band The Cocteau Twins to record the vocals, feeling her ethereal style suited the mournful melody and feel of the piece. Madonna fell in love with the track and was very keen to record the vocals, but was disappointed when the two-to-one vote went in Fraser's favour.^[1]

Fraser wrote the song's lyrics and was recording the song when she got the news of the death by drowning on 29 May 1997 of her once-close friend, Jeff Buckley. "That was so weird ... I'd got letters out and I was thinking about him. That song's kind of about him – that's how it feels to me anyway."^[2]

The single peaked at #16 in Australia.^[3] It placed number 22 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009, and number 23 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 1998, the year of its release.

Music video[link]

The song's music video featured a plastic foetus in the womb, singing the song. It was directed by Walter Stern.^[4]

Track listing[link]

1. "Teardrop" (album version) – 5:31
2. "Euro Zero Zero" – 5:24
3. "Teardrop" (Scream Team Remix) – 6:45
4. "Teardrop" (Mad Professor Mazaruni Instrumental Mix) – 6:24

The 12" release contains the same songs but in a different order. The cassette release contains an edited version of the original song, as well as the Scream Team remix and the B-side "Euro Zero Zero", but is missing the remix by Mad Professor.

Promotion[link]

• The track was released to radio at 8am 7 October 2011 and received its first play on the Chris Moyles Radio 1 Breakfast Show.

• The song was performed for the first time at the Children in Need Rocks Manchester event on Thursday 17 November 2011. It was then performed on the night of Children in Need 2011

Covers[link]

O'Hooley and Tidow[link]

O'Hooley and Tidow covered "Teardrop" on their 2012 album 'The Fragile'.

Newton Faulkner[link]

Newton Faulkner covered the song on his album Hand Built by Robots. On downloads alone, Faulkner's version reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart in August 2007.^[5] It was released as an official single on 10 December 2007, and reached #57 on the chart the following week.^[5] The version of the album available from the Australian iTunes Music Store also incorporates an acoustic version.^[6]

José González[link]

José González covered "Teardrop" in his second album In Our Nature. The single was released across Europe on 12 November 2007. The single features the non-album instrumental B-side "Four Forks Ache." This version was also featured in the medical drama House M.D. in the episode "Wilson's Heart".

Track listing[link]

1. "Teardrop" – 3:22
2. "Four Forks Ache" – 5:25

Civil Twilight cover[link]

Civil Twilight covered "Teardrop" on their 13 April 2010 release "Live from SoHo", an iTunes-only release. The band, signed to Wind-Up Records, released the studio version of the song as a single on 10 August 2010.

Brad Mehldau[link]

Brad Mehldau covered "Teardrop" during different solo concerts, though he did not release it on any of his albums.

Elbow[link]

Elbow covered "Teardrop" live at BBC Radio 1. A recorded version was also included as a B-side on their 2004 single "Not a Job".

Red Hot Chilli Pipers[link]

Celtic rock band Red Hot Chilli Pipers covered the song at the end of their album "Blast" in 2008, a live performance at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. The performance of this piece is instrumental based chiefly off of Scottish smallpipes and Highland bagpipes and is merged with a reel titled "Brenda Stubberts".

Simple Minds[link]

The song was also covered by Scottish rock band Simple Minds and is found on their cover album entitled Searching For The Lost Boy. This album was only released as the bonus second album in the 2-CD Deluxe Edition of their 15th studio album entitled Graffiti Soul, released on 25 May 2009.

Track listing[link]

Searching for the Lost Boys (Graffiti Soul's Deluxe Edition Bonus CD)

The Collective[link]

The song was covered by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow's assembled group named The Collective and released as the official single for Children in Need 2011.^[7] Produced by Labrinth, the performers,^[8] consist of: Chipmunk, Dot Rotten, Ed Sheeran, Ms. Dynamite, Mz. Bratt, Tulisa, Rizzle Kicks, Tinchy Stryder and Wretch 32.

The song was released in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2011 ^[9] to largely negative reviews ^{[10][11][12][13][14]} and entered the charts at number 24 – the worst chart performance of any Children In Need Song in 16 years.^[15]

Music video[link]

The official music video was released in early October 2011, and features Gary Barlow and the members of The collective performing the song directly to the camera whilst shots of children and lyrics from a poem written by a teenager intersperse as the song is performed.

Background[link]

Gary Barlow was asked by BBC Children in Need organizers to come-up with an idea for the official single this year and immediately contacted Labrinth (famed for his production on Tinie Tempah’s Pass Out which won Best British Single at The BRIT Awards 2011) to produce it and to assemble the cream of the UK urban scene including: Chipmunk, Dot Rotten, Ed Sheeran, Ms Dynamite, Mz Bratt, Rizzle Kicks, Tinchy Stryder, Tulisa and Wretch 32.

Barlow said of the single, "I think this is a brilliant project. Children In Need has a history of doing upbeat singles with comedians but it's a serious charity doing a lot of hard work for serious causes," "It's time to do something with artists who young people actually listen to. I've done these things before, I'm used to doing group situations, I like it – it's a challenge."^[16]

On the naming of the project, Barlow asked The Sun newspaper readers to suggest names for his Children In Need all-star supergroup and the newspaper was inundated with suggestions with literally thousands pouring in. After much deliberation, Gary said one name shone out and ‘The Collective’ were born.^[17]

Track listing[link]

Chart performance[link]

Release history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official "Teardrop" Videoclip on EMI's channel on YouTube