Garland Jeffreys – 96 Tears

I’ve been listening to Garland Jeffreys since last week or so. He has performed some very quality covers. Today I have two of them. I’ve been presenting music covers on Tuesdays for a few months. I’ll still have them every once in a while… until then go to my friend Randy’s site…he specializes in them and has a wealth of information.

Jeffreys covered this song in 1980 and it charted at #66 on the Billboard 100. I didn’t think I’d ever heard him before but I was wrong. When heard his version of this song not long ago… I seem to remember it in the 80s. It was probably the first time I had heard the song by anyone. I remember him on a show singing it.

The original release contained an EP called Escapades. He had a tremendous band backing him. Jeffreys had members of the E-Street Band AND Graham Parker’s band Rumour on the album.

Allmusic review by Mark Deming said: The guitar-fueled cover of “96 Tears” pushed Escape Artist into the charts and made it Jeffreys’ first real hit in the United States, but there isn’t a single tune on this album that doesn’t sound great and have something to say; with the possible exception of Ghost Writer, this is Garland Jeffreys’ finest hour.

This classic sixties song was originally by “? and the Mysterians.” It was written by “?,” the band’s frontman who wanted to be anonymous (he’s listed on the composer credits as (Rudy Martinez). At one point he referred to the individual band members only by three-letter names (at one point, the band was known as XYZ). The mystery helped market the group, who wore dark glasses to add to the intrigue. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard 100 and #37 in the UK in 1966.  They were an American garage rock band of Mexican origins from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969.

I’m also including his cover of…a 2017 rendition of Waiting For The Man by his friend Lou Reed. 

96 Tears

Too many teardropsFor one heart to be cryingToo many teardropsFor one heart to carry onYou’re way on top nowSince you left meYou’re always laughingWay down at meBut watch out nowI’m gonna get thereWe’ll be togetherFor just a little whileAnd then I’m gonnaPut you way down hereAnd you’ll start cryingNinety-six tearsCry, cryAnd when the sun comes upI’ll be on topYou’ll be way down thereLooking upAnd I might waveCome up hereBut I don’t see youWaving nowI’m way down hereWondering howI’m gonna get youBut I know nowI’ll just cry, cry

I’ll just cryToo many teardropsFor one heart to be cryingToo many teardropsFor one heart to carry onYou’re gonna cry ninety-six tearsYou’re gonna cry ninety-six tearsYou’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry nowYou’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cryNinety-six tearsCome on and lemmeHear you cry, nowNinety-six tears, wooI wanna hear you cryNight and day, yeahAll night longUh, ninety-six tearsCry, cry, cryCome on, babyLet me hear you cry nowAll night longUh, ninety-six tearsYeah, come on nowUh, ninety-six tears

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

18 thoughts on “Garland Jeffreys – 96 Tears”

    1. I remember it in the 80s after I heard it recently…I had forgotten about it. Probably the version I heard first…well I know it is…it was before I started to listen to oldies.

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  5. Great versions. Guys like Garland always bust out these gems. I really like his cover of the Lou tune. A bit of a tribute to his old friend. Love it
    Max, The Stranglers do a bang up job on tears (at least I think so). Be careful writing anything negative because they are know for hurting people that give them bad reviews.

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    1. He gave it some…power…and yes I like the Reed cover also. He also has a fantastic cover of Help!.
      I like The Stranglers..I still have a song of them in my drafts. It’s a song called “Peaches”…great sound them guys had. I’ll be nice though!

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  9. Pingback: ? & the Mysterians – 96 Tears – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

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