You Tell Me Why
Encyclopedia
"You Tell Me Why" is a song by American
rock
group The Beau Brummels
, from the band's second album, The Beau Brummels, Volume 2
. The song was written by guitarist Ron Elliott
and produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
. "You Tell Me Why" was released as the album's lead single
, and peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100
in August 1965. The band revisited the song and included it on their 1975 eponymous album
. The original version later appeared on the band's 1987 compilation album
The Best of The Beau Brummels 1964–1968
.
The song peaked at number eight in Canada, making it the third consecutive single by the band to reach the top 10 on the Canadian Singles Chart
.
The song was written by Ron Elliott
and produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
, although his involvement, according to Elliott and lead vocalist Sal Valentino
, had diminished to the point the band does not recall any producer being in charge.
SF Weekly
journalist Justin F. Farrar said the song was "so prescient of the lush, melancholic vibe of early Jefferson Airplane
that Marty Balin
must have been digging it."
Allmusic writer Matthew Greenwald called it one of the band's "finest early ballads."
The single's B-side
, "I Want You," was also written by Elliott. Music critic and author Richie Unterberger
said it was "as good as any song the Beau Brummels ever did, with its dense humming harmonies and spellbinding melody.
. It was the only remake of the band's older material to appear on the album.
A live performance of the song from February 1974 is included on the band's 2000 Live!
album, which was recorded in Fair Oaks Village near Sacramento, California
.
Australia
n surf rock band The Atlantics
released a cover version
of the song as the B-side to their 1967 single "Come On."
Acoustic guitarist
Leo Kottke
included his rendition of the song on his 1974 album, Ice Water
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group The Beau Brummels
The Beau Brummels
The Beau Brummels were an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino , Ron Elliott , Ron Meagher , Declan Mulligan , and John Petersen...
, from the band's second album, The Beau Brummels, Volume 2
The Beau Brummels, Volume 2
The Beau Brummels, Volume 2 is the second studio album by American rock group The Beau Brummels. Released in August 1965, the album contains the U.S...
. The song was written by guitarist Ron Elliott
Ron Elliott (musician)
Ron Elliott on October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S...
and produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
. "You Tell Me Why" was released 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...
, and peaked at number 38 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...
in August 1965. The band revisited the song and included it on their 1975 eponymous album
The Beau Brummels (album)
The Beau Brummels is the sixth studio album by the American rock band of the same name. Released in April 1975, the album features the work of all five original bandmembers for the first time since the band's debut album, 1965's Introducing the Beau Brummels. The album peaked at number 180 on the U.S...
. The original version later appeared on the band's 1987 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
The Best of The Beau Brummels 1964–1968
The Best of The Beau Brummels 1964–1968
The Best of the Beau Brummels 1964-1968, sometimes titled The Best of the Beau Brummels: Golden Archive Series, is a compilation album by American rock band The Beau Brummels...
.
Release and reception
Released in the summer of 1965, "You Tell Me Why" was the Beau Brummels' third and final U.S. top 40 hit, reaching number 38 in August.The song peaked at number eight in Canada, making it the third consecutive single by the band to reach the top 10 on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
.
The song was written by Ron Elliott
Ron Elliott (musician)
Ron Elliott on October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S...
and produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
, although his involvement, according to Elliott and lead vocalist Sal Valentino
Sal Valentino
Sal Valentino is an American rock musician, singer and songwriter, best known as lead singer of The Beau Brummels, subsequently becoming a songwriter as well. The band released a pair of top 20 U.S...
, had diminished to the point the band does not recall any producer being in charge.
SF Weekly
SF Weekly
SF Weekly is a free alternative weekly newspaper in San Francisco, California. The newspaper, distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area every Wednesday, is published by Village Voice Media, a 16-paper alt weekly newspaper chain that also includes the New York City Village Voice and the Los...
journalist Justin F. Farrar said the song was "so prescient of the lush, melancholic vibe of early Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
that Marty Balin
Marty Balin
Marty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane.-Early life:Martyn Buchwald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio...
must have been digging it."
Allmusic writer Matthew Greenwald called it one of the band's "finest early ballads."
The single's B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "I Want You," was also written by Elliott. Music critic and author Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
said it was "as good as any song the Beau Brummels ever did, with its dense humming harmonies and spellbinding melody.
Other versions
The Beau Brummels re-recorded "You Tell Me Why" on their self-titled 1975 reunion albumThe Beau Brummels (album)
The Beau Brummels is the sixth studio album by the American rock band of the same name. Released in April 1975, the album features the work of all five original bandmembers for the first time since the band's debut album, 1965's Introducing the Beau Brummels. The album peaked at number 180 on the U.S...
. It was the only remake of the band's older material to appear on the album.
A live performance of the song from February 1974 is included on the band's 2000 Live!
Live! (The Beau Brummels album)
Live! is a live album by American rock group The Beau Brummels. The album, released in August 2000 by Dig Music, was recorded in February 1974 near Sacramento, California, shortly after it was announced that the band had reunited...
album, which was recorded in Fair Oaks Village near Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n surf rock band The Atlantics
The Atlantics
This article refers to the Australian Surf rock band. See paragraph at the end of this page for information on other bands called The Atlantics....
released a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song as the B-side to their 1967 single "Come On."
Acoustic guitarist
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...
included his rendition of the song on his 1974 album, Ice Water
Ice Water (album)
Ice Water is the seventh album by guitarist Leo Kottke. It contains Kottke's only charting single, the Tom T. Hall composition "Pamela Brown"...
.
Track listing
7" VinylChart performance
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 38 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 36 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 8 |