Tell Me 'bout It
Encyclopedia
"Tell Me 'bout It" is a song by English soul
singer-songwriter Joss Stone
from her third studio album, Introducing Joss Stone
(2007). Written by Stone, Raphael Saadiq
and Robert Ozuna (half of the duo Jake and the Phatman
), the Saadiq-produced track was released in March 2007 as the album's lead single
. It received its first play on BBC Radio 1
's The Jo Whiley Show
on 22 January 2007.
The single debuted at number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart
on 11 March 2007, but it fell to number forty the week after, staying on the chart for three weeks only. Having previously topped the U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart, "Tell Me 'bout It" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
at number eighty-three in late March, becoming Stone's first solo single to enter the U.S. chart.
The song was used in the second episode of the premiere season of The CW
's series Gossip Girl
, entitled "The Wild Brunch
", which originally aired on 25 September 2007. It was also used in the soundtrack to the 2007 EA Sports
video game NBA Live 08
.
for "Tell Me 'bout It" was directed by Bryan Barber
and filmed on location at 5 Pointz
, an industrial building used as a graffiti
space located in Queens
, New York City
. In December 2006, the place's owner, graffiti artist Jonathan "Meres" Cohen, received a phone call from a representative for Stone, asking him to use 5 Pointz as the backdrop for the single's video. He was initially unaware of who Stone was, but he eventually gave permission to her crew after speaking to her. Cohen would later be in charge of Stone's body painting
for the cover art and the photo shoot of Introducing Joss Stone.
Accompanying its setting, the video is noted for its hip hop-related elements such as graffiti and breakdancers. It features cameo appearances by Saadiq, who appears at the beginning playing the bass
, and Cohen, who is shown at the end doing a mural
of Stone's face (reminiscent of her face on the cover of 2004's Mind Body & Soul).
European, U.S., and Mexican promo CD single
A Yam Who? Rework digital single
A remix
by French electronica
producer DJ Mehdi
was made and was supposed to appear on the single, but was scrapped at the very last minute and replaced by "My God" on the CD single.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer-songwriter Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
from her third studio album, Introducing Joss Stone
Introducing Joss Stone
Introducing Joss Stone is the third studio album by English recording artist Joss Stone. It was released in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2007 by Relentless Records...
(2007). Written by Stone, Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
and Robert Ozuna (half of the duo Jake and the Phatman
Jake and the Phatman
Jake and the Phatman are Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum producers, songwriters, DJ's and Multi-Instrumentalists....
), the Saadiq-produced track was released in March 2007 as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
. It received its first play on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's The Jo Whiley Show
The Jo Whiley Show
The Jo Whiley Show was a British weekday radio show on BBC Radio 1 hosted by Jo Whiley. The programme was on air from February 2001 to September 2009 and was broadcast each morning between 10:00am and 12:45pm. And Bank Holidays And Good Fridays At 10.00-13.00-Show Format:The show began at 10:00am...
on 22 January 2007.
The single debuted at number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 11 March 2007, but it fell to number forty the week after, staying on the chart for three weeks only. Having previously topped the U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart, "Tell Me 'bout It" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number eighty-three in late March, becoming Stone's first solo single to enter the U.S. chart.
The song was used in the second episode of the premiere season of The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
's series Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
, entitled "The Wild Brunch
The Wild Brunch
"The Wild Brunch" is the second episode of the CW television series Gossip Girl. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage wrote the episode; it was directed by Mark Piznarski...
", which originally aired on 25 September 2007. It was also used in the soundtrack to the 2007 EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
video game NBA Live 08
NBA Live 08
NBA Live 08 is the 2007 installment of the NBA Live series by EA Sports. It was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PC , and PlayStation Portable. This is the first NBA video game to include all three next-generation consoles...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Tell Me 'bout It" was directed by Bryan Barber
Bryan Barber
Bryan Barber is a music video and motion picture director. He has directed many music videos for popular artists.-Personal:Barber graduated from Sacramento, CA Hiram Johnson High School in 1988...
and filmed on location at 5 Pointz
5 Pointz
5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin or the 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc. is an outdoor art exhibit space in Long Island City, New York, considered to be the world’s premiere “graffiti Mecca,” where aerosol artists from around the globe paint colorful pieces on the walls of a factory...
, an industrial building used as a graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
space located in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In December 2006, the place's owner, graffiti artist Jonathan "Meres" Cohen, received a phone call from a representative for Stone, asking him to use 5 Pointz as the backdrop for the single's video. He was initially unaware of who Stone was, but he eventually gave permission to her crew after speaking to her. Cohen would later be in charge of Stone's body painting
Body painting
Body painting, or sometimes bodypainting, is a form of body art. Unlike tattoo and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, painted onto the human skin, and lasts for only several hours, or at most a couple of weeks. Body painting that is limited to the face is known as face painting...
for the cover art and the photo shoot of Introducing Joss Stone.
Accompanying its setting, the video is noted for its hip hop-related elements such as graffiti and breakdancers. It features cameo appearances by Saadiq, who appears at the beginning playing the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and Cohen, who is shown at the end doing a mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
of Stone's face (reminiscent of her face on the cover of 2004's Mind Body & Soul).
Track listings
UK and European CD single- "Tell Me 'bout It" – 2:53
- "My God" – 3:48
European, U.S., and Mexican promo CD single
- "Tell Me 'bout It" (Radio Edit) – 2:41
- "Tell Me 'bout It" (Album Version) – 2:50
A Yam Who? Rework digital single
- "Tell Me 'bout It" (A Yam Who? Rework) – 4:21
- "Tell Me 'bout It" (A Yam Who? Club Rework) – 9:38
Official versions
- Album Version – 2:49
- Radio Edit – 2:43
- A Yam Who? Rework – 4:21
- A Yam Who? Club Rework – 9:38
A remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
by French electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
producer DJ Mehdi
DJ Mehdi
Mehdi Favéris-Essadi , better known by his stage name DJ Mehdi, was a French hip hop and electro producer of mixed French and Tunisian origin.-Biography:...
was made and was supposed to appear on the single, but was scrapped at the very last minute and replaced by "My God" on the CD single.
Musicians
- Joss Stone – lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Joi GilliamJoi (singer)Joi Elaine Gilliam , better known by her stage name Joi, is an American R&B/Rock singer, songwriter and record producer associated with the Dungeon Family collective based in Atlanta, Georgia, and as such often performs with OutKast, the Organized Noize production team, and Goodie Mob Joi Elaine...
– backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Keisha Jackson – backing vocals
- Jermaine PaulJermaine PaulJermaine Paul is an American R&B/soul singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.-Early life:Jermaine Paul was raised in New York City. When eight years old, he began to acquire a reputation for singing while playing the drums at local churches and talent shows with his family...
– backing vocals - Raphael SaadiqRaphael SaadiqRaphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Robert OzunaJake and the PhatmanJake and the Phatman are Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum producers, songwriters, DJ's and Multi-Instrumentalists....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, turntablesTurntablismTurntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer... - Khari Parker – additional drums
- Neil Symonette – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Chalmers "Spanky" Alford – guitar
Production
- Raphael Saadiq – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, hornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
arrangements - Glenn StandridgeJake and the PhatmanJake and the Phatman are Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum producers, songwriters, DJ's and Multi-Instrumentalists....
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Chuck Brungardt – mixing
- Oswald Bowe – assistant engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- John Tanksley – assistant engineer
- James Tanksley – assistant engineer
- Marlon Marcel – assistant engineer
- Charlie Stavish – assistant engineer
- Jeremy Mackenzie – Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
operator - Benjamin Wright – stringStrings (music)A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
arrangements
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
60 |
| Belgian Tip Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
2 |
| Belgian Tip Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
17 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
8 |
| Dutch Mega Top 50 Mega Top 50 The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30... |
1 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 46 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
64 |
| Greek Singles Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
29 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
10 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
12 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
33 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
28 |
| UK R&B Singles Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
83 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
73 |