"You Make the Whole World Cry"
Single by Tanita Tikaram
from the album Eleven Kinds of Loneliness
Released17 February 1992[1]
Length3:41
LabelEast West
Songwriter(s)Tanita Tikaram
Producer(s)Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram singles chronology
"I Love the Heaven's Solo"
(1991)		 "You Make the Whole World Cry"
(1992)		 "I Might Be Crying"
(1995)
Music video
"You Make the Whole World Cry" on YouTube

"You Make the Whole World Cry" is the only single to be released from the album Eleven Kinds of Loneliness by British musician Tanita Tikaram. The record was issued on 10 February 1992 via East West Records label.[2][3] In 1996 the song was included in her album The Best of Tanita Tikaram.[4]

Background

Speaking to Brum Beat in 1992, Tikaram revealed, "'You Make the Whole World Cry' is about suddenly realising that although you thought you were, you're not in control and you don't know what to do."[5]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Tony Kaye. It was shot in Los Angeles and featured Tikaram in a number of costumes, one of which portrayed the fictional character Tin Woodman.[6]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Music & Media noted the song's "rumbling drums" and felt the track "shows [Tikaram's] move into Walker Brothers territory".[7] Peter Kinghorn of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle considered it to show Tikaram's "huskily moody voice at its expressive best".[8] Jim Lawn of the Lennox Herald stated, "A plaintive cry with a slow burning build-up which combine brilliantly to suggest a massive hit!"[9] Cool FM presenter John Kearns, writing for the News Letter, was mixed in his review, remarking, "Sure, all the right bits are in the right places and the production is excellent, but, if only she would put even a hint of a smile into a song, she could appeal to a much wider audience. Then again, maybe she has no desire to be 'commercial'."[10]

David Stubbs of Melody Maker was critical of the song, writing, "This time, she's produced herself, embellishing her exercise-book poetry with a Phil Spector production that bursts in like the cavalry when her larynx seems just about to give out. I predict small things for this one."[11] Penny Kiley of Liverpool Echo described it as "over-produced" and added, "It is hard to pick out a song or tune, and Tanita's voice, sometimes so effective, just seems to be droning on this."[12] Patrick O'Flynn of the Hull Daily Mail gave a two star rating and called it "uninspiring". He commented, "Released with two new acoustic tracks on the B-side, 'You Make the Whole World Cry' disappoints principally because Ms Tikaram seems to believe she can sustain a career simply by looking and sounding depressed."[13]

In a review of Eleven Kinds of Loneliness, David Quantick of NME noted it "builds up in a weird sort of Leonard Cohen-meets-the-Eurythmics manner".[14] Adam Sweeting of The Guardian felt "both tune and lyrics are buried under thundering timpani".[15] Len Righi of The Morning Call described the "edgy, falling-in-love song" as "Spectoresque in the best sense".[16]

Track listing

7" and cassette
No.TitleLength
1."You Make the Whole World Cry"3:41
2."Rock Me 'Til I Stop"4:29
3."Me, You & Lucifer"3:35
CD
No.TitleLength
1."You Make the Whole World Cry"3:41
2."Me, You & Lucifer"3:36
3."This Stranger" (Alternate Version)3:07

Credits and personnel

  • Tanita Tikaram – vocals, backing vocals, guitar
  • David Hayes – guitar, bass
  • Mark Creswell – guitar
  • Bob Noble, Rod Argent – keyboards
  • Richie Buckley – saxophone
  • Nic France – drums, percussion

Production

  • Tanita Tikaram – producer
  • Simon Hurrell – engineer, mixing
  • Mark Creswell, Nic France – mixing
  • Tim Young – mastering
  • Peter Van Hooke, Rod Argent – producers of "This Stranger"

Other

  • Stefano Massei – photography
  • Bill Smith Studio – design

References

  1. ↑ Wright, Jonathan (14 February 1992). "UK Music News" (PDF). The Hard Report. No. 263. p. 59. Retrieved 22 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  2. ↑ "Tanita Tikaram – You Make The Whole World Cry". Discogs. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Tanita Tikaram – You Make the Whole World Cry". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Promis, Jose F. "The Best of Tanita Tikaram". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Davies, Mike (April 1992). "Alone Again Or...". Brum Beat. No. 136.
  6. ↑ Tanita Tikaram [@tanita_tikaram] (February 10, 2021). "For #ThrowbackThursday I will post 1992's 'You Make the Whole World Cry' & it's [sic] B-side" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ "New Releases". Music & Media. 18 April 1992.
  8. ↑ Kinghorn, Peter (11 February 1992). "Albums/Singles". Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
  9. ↑ Lawn, Jim (28 February 1992). "Reviews". Lennox Herald.
  10. ↑ Kearns, John (28 February 1992). "Record Reviews". News Letter. p. 16. Retrieved 7 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ Stubbs, David (15 February 1992). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 29.
  12. ↑ Kiley, Penny (10 February 1992). "Chart-busters". Liverpool Echo.
  13. ↑ O'Flynn, Patrick (22 February 1992). "Record Reviews". Hull Daily Mail. p. 12.
  14. ↑ Quantick, David (21 March 1992). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 31.
  15. ↑ Sweeting, Adam (26 March 1992). "Out of the country". The Guardian.
  16. ↑ Righi, Len (19 September 1992). "Records". The Morning Call.
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