Brian Ray's arrangement of The Tears of a Clown has been a staple of his live shows for years. He says he's been fascinated with the song, its lyrics and its impact on me as a kid. I was a big fan of Smokey’s ever since I first heard him singing through the earpiece of my new transistor radio as a kid, singing’ Shop Around.

Openly he admits that he feels privileged beyond words that Smokey offered to sing nearly 1/2 of the song with him on the new version of The Tears of a Clown. This recording is his way of celebrating Smokey and to thank him for making his song, One Heartbeat, a hit just as he was getting off drugs and alcohol at age 31.