Don't Speak

Last updated

"Don't Speak"
Don't Speak.jpg
Artwork for non-US commercial releases
Single by No Doubt
from the album Tragic Kingdom
B-side
  • "Hey You!" (acoustic version)
  • "Greener Pastures"
Released1996 [1]
Genre Alternative rock
Length4:24
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Matthew Wilder
No Doubt singles chronology
"Spiderwebs"
(1995)		"Don't Speak"
(1996)		"Excuse Me Mr."
(1996)
Music video
"Don't Speak" on YouTube

"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was released in 1996 as the third single from Tragic Kingdom in the United States by Interscope Records. Lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric Stefani, former No Doubt member, wrote the song originally as a love song. The song went through several rewrites and new versions. Gwen modified it into a breakup song about her bandmate and ex-boyfriend Tony Kanal, shortly after he ended their seven-year relationship. [2] [3]

Contents

Despite the song's popularity and substantial airplay, "Don't Speak" did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 (as rules of the times required commercial singles for charting and one was not issued for the song), but it did reach number one on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for 16 weeks. [4] Outside the United States, it topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, becoming No Doubt's most successful international single. "Don't Speak" was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 40th Grammy Awards. [5] [6]

"Don't Speak" was ranked at number 495 on Blender magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". [7] The song is a playable track in the 2009 video game Band Hero , [8] and is also included as a downloadable song in 2008's Rock Band 2 , [9] as well as part of the No Doubt Track Pack for Guitar Hero III . [10] The song has been sampled by multiple hip hop artists, including in Rakim's song "Dedicated" [11] and Ice Cube's "War & Peace". [12]

Background and composition

"Don't Speak" is an alternative rock [13] [14] [15] [16] power ballad [17] written by lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric Stefani, and produced by Matthew Wilder. It was originally a love song, but Stefani rewrote the lyrics almost completely after her breakup with the band's bass player Tony Kanal. According to her, "It used to be more upbeat, more of a Seventies rock-type thing. [When] Tony and I broke up... it turned into a sad song." [18] A live version that exists from April 1994 shows off a bouncy tune that has the same skeleton as the released version, but not the same urgency. [19] The band performed part of the original song on VH1 Storytellers on August 10, 2000. [20]

The band's lead guitarist Tom Dumont said about the song's composition:

There's a lot of stories about that song, because that one unfolded over a longer period of time. Originally, Gwen's brother wrote most of that song, and then after we got at it as a band, Gwen changed the lyrics around to fit her life. Musically, we brought it to another level, but near the end we reworded it. There's an earlier version of the song where the verses are totally different, which is a really beautiful version and it's awesome but it's way more jazzy and really different. That song had a long incubation process. [2]

Sheet music for "Don't Speak" shows the key of C minor [21] with the chorus in F minor. A demo version also appeared on a demo CD, which was presented to Interscope Records prior to the release of Tragic Kingdom. [22]

Critical reception

British magazine Music Week rated the song three out of five, writing that "this Californian quartet sound more like Swedish Eurovision hopefuls on this debut UK offering but, if radio bites, it could be a smash." [23]

Chart performance

Upon release, "Don't Speak" immediately began to receive extensive airplay and it eventually became the most widely played song on American radio in 1996. [24] It reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart and maintained that position for 16 non-consecutive weeks, a record at the time. [25] Despite its copious airplay, "Don't Speak" was not allowed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 since no commercial single was released for it in the United States (a requirement for charting purposes at the time). Slate magazine music critic Chris Molanphy has stated that if the song had been eligible to chart, it almost certainly would have claimed the number one spot. [26] An import CD did sell in the US, but this format was not allowed to chart either. [27]

On other Billboard charts, "Don't Speak" stayed at number two on Modern Rock Tracks chart for five consecutive weeks. [28] The song also proved to be a crossover hit, reaching number one on the Adult Top 40 chart for 15 consecutive weeks as well as numbers six and nine on the Adult Contemporary and Rhythmic charts, respectively. [28] It was ultimately placed at number one on the Hot 100 Airplay year-end chart of 1997. [29]

Internationally, "Don't Speak" was also very successful. In February 1997, it peaked at number one in both the United Kingdom and Ireland for three weeks. Elsewhere in Europe, "Don't Speak" reached the top position in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Australia was another major music market where the song received widespread airplay, debuting at number one and maintaining the peak position for eight weeks.

Music video

The video was directed by Sophie Muller and it is the first of the long-time collaboration between the band and the director. Before the music starts, at the beginning of the music video, there is a scene of Kanal picking a rotten orange from a tree (these scenes are usually cut out when VH1 airs this video). The majority of the video for "Don't Speak" takes place on Stage 2 at Mack Sennett Studios in Silver Lake as the band plays. Other scenes tell the story of how the media mainly focused on Stefani while the band was always in the background. [30] The second half of the video features snippets of live footage filmed during the band's performance with Dog Eat Dog and Goldfinger at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on August 21, 1996. The video also features a short footage showing Dumont playing together with Foo Fighters's guitarist Pat Smear. The video ends with Kanal replacing the orange in the tree, which is actually footage of Kanal in reverse pulling the orange off.

Tensions in the band had been running high and they reportedly were on the verge of breaking up the day before they were scheduled to film the video. They decided to go ahead and film it as a form of "therapy".

The video won the award for Best Group Video and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. It has 1 Billion views on YouTube as of May 2023, and 700 million of the views come from 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 alone. The video, now remastered in 4K, was uploaded on October 7, 2009.

There is an alternate video version of the video showing just the live performance part. Both versions of the video are included on the DVD release The Videos 1992–2003 (2004).

Track listings

Australian, Japanese, and UK CD single [31] [32]

  1. "Don't Speak" – 4:23
  2. "Don't Speak" (alternate version) – 4:23 (*)
  3. "Hey You" (acoustic version) – 3:27 (*)
  4. "Greener Pastures" (from The Beacon Street Collection album) – 5:05

European CD single; UK 7-inch and cassette single [33] [34] [35]

  1. "Don't Speak" – 4:23
  2. "Greener Pastures" (from The Beacon Street Collection album) – 5:05

(*) Recorded at York Street Studios, Auckland, New Zealand, in September 1996.

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [94] 2× Platinum140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [95] Gold25,000*
Belgium (BEA) [96] Platinum50,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [97] Gold45,000‡
France (SNEP) [98] Gold250,000*
Germany (BVMI) [99] Platinum500,000^
Italy (FIMI) [100] Gold25,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI) [101] Gold50,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway) [102] 2× Platinum 
Sweden (GLF) [103] Gold25,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [104] Platinum50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [105] 2× Platinum1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [106] 3× Platinum3,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesApril 15, 1996Radio[ citation needed ]
United KingdomFebruary 10, 1997
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
  • Interscope
  • Trauma
  • MCA
[107]
JapanFebruary 21, 1997CD
  • Interscope
  • MCA
 [108]

Cover versions

Notes

  1. ↑ "As 'Don't Speak' Turns 25, Gwen Stefani Looks Back at the No Doubt Hit and Ahead to Her Next Musical Chapter". April 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Nostro, Lauren (September 25, 2012). "No Doubt Tells All: The Stories Behind Their Classic Records". complex.com. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  3. ↑ Sieczkowski, Cavan (September 24, 2012). "Gwen Stefani And Tony Kanal Talk About 'Brutal' Breakup & The Pain Of Performing 'Don't Speak'". HuffPost . Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "No Doubt Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ Strauss, Neil (January 7, 1998). "Grammy Nominations Yield Surprises, Including Newcomer's Success". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ "List of Grammy award nominations". CNN . January 6, 1998. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 451–500". Blender . Alpha Media Group Inc. October 2005. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  8. ↑ Reilly, Jim (October 19, 2009). "Band Hero Track List Revealed". IGN . Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  9. ↑ Burg, Dustin (December 9, 2008). "No doubt, No Doubt Rock Band DLC now available". Engadget. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  10. ↑ Hryb, Larry (February 28, 2008). "Guitar Hero III: No Doubt Track Pack". Major Nelson's Blog. Archived from the original on March 1, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Album Review: Rakim – The Seventh Seal (2009)". November 22, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  12. ↑ Hodari Coker, Cheo (December 1998 – January 1999). "Ice Cube – 'War & Peace, Vol 1. (The War Disc)'". Vibe . p. 182. ISSN   1070-4701 . Retrieved August 11, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ "The 50 Greatest Breakup Songs of All Time". The Ringer . February 14, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ Gracie, Bianca (November 21, 2014). "In Celebration Of Gwen Stefani: 12 Of The Best Songs From Our Favorite Hollaback Girl". Idolator. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  15. ↑ Richin, Leslie (April 12, 2016). "20 Alternative Rock Music Videos Turning 20 in 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  16. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Gwen Stefani Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  17. ↑ "No Doubt : Singles 1992–2003". NME. September 12, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  18. ↑ Webb, Robery (August 5, 2010). "Story of the song: 'Don't Speak', No Doubt, 1996". The Independent . Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  19. ↑ Alper, Eric (February 19, 2022). "Here's The Original Version Of No Doubt's "Don't Speak"". That Eric Alper. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Flashback Friday: VH1's Storytellers". Beacon Street Online. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  21. ↑ Gwen, Stefani; Eric, Stefani; Doubt, No (January 4, 2016). "Don't Speak". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  22. ↑ Archived June 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . February 1, 1997. p. 27. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  24. ↑ "No Doubt History Website". No Doubt Official Website. Interscope Records/Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on November 21, 2003.
  25. ↑ "No Doubt". Rock On The Net. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
  26. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (September 29, 2017). "The Great War Against the Single Edition". Slate (Podcast). Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  27. ↑ Sandiford-Waller, Theda (March 15, 1997). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight". Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 11. p. 117. However, a CD single import of 'Don't Speak' has found its way stateside. Import sales are not counted toward the Hot 100.
  28. 1 2 "Tragic Kingdom > Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic . Retrieved August 1, 2007.
  29. ↑ "Billboard: 1997 Year-End Chart-Toppers". Rock On The Net. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
  30. ↑ "It's No Doubt, Not The Gwen Stefani Experience". MTV News. January 17, 1997. Retrieved December 24, 2006.
  31. ↑ Don't Speak (Australian & UK CD single liner notes). No Doubt. Interscope Records, Trauma Records, MCA Records. 1997. IND 95515.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ↑ Don't Speak (Japanese CD single liner notes). No Doubt. Interscope Records, Trauma Records, MCA Records. 1997. MVCP-13008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ↑ Don't Speak (European CD single liner notes). No Doubt. Interscope Records, Trauma Records, MCA Records. 1997. IND 97505.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ↑ Don't Speak (UK 7-inch single sleeve). No Doubt. Interscope Records, Trauma Records, MCA Records. 1997. INSP 95515.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ↑ Don't Speak (UK cassette single sleeve). No Doubt. Interscope Records, Trauma Records, MCA Records. 1997. INC 95515.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  51. ↑ "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 16. April 19, 1997. p. 62. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  52. ↑ "M-1 TOP 40". February 23, 1997. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
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  57. 1 2 "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on September 22, 2005.
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  59. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   978-84-8048-639-2.
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  61. ↑ "No Doubt – Don't Speak". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
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  63. ↑ "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  64. ↑ "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  65. ↑ "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  66. ↑ "No Doubt Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  67. ↑ "No Doubt Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  68. ↑ "No Doubt Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  69. ↑ "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
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  72. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1997" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  73. ↑ "Rapports annuels 1997" (in French). Ultratop . Retrieved June 20, 2018.
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"Sunday Morning" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Eric Stefani, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's fifth single on May 27, 1997. The song has also been included on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Its lyrics describe a romantic relationship that ended in a breakup and was inspired by a discussion that Gwen Stefani had with Kanal. The song has been described as a ska and ska punk recording with elements of reggae and Motown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Baby (No Doubt song)</span> 2001 single by No Doubt

"Hey Baby" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album Rock Steady (2001). Written by band members Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal and Tom Dumont, "Hey Baby" was released as the album's lead single in October 2001 by Interscope Records. "Hey Baby" is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges of their Return of Saturn tour. Its lyrics describe the debauchery with groupies at these parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hella Good</span> 2002 single by No Doubt

"Hella Good" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album, Rock Steady (2001). Written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal and the Neptunes, and produced by Nellee Hooper and the band, "Hella Good" was released as the album's second single on March 11, 2002, and received positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who made comparisons to the work of a diverse range of artists such as Afrika Bambaataa and Madonna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Me Blow Ya Mind</span> 2001 single by Eve featuring Gwen Stefani

"Let Me Blow Ya Mind" is a song by American rapper Eve featuring American singer Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. It was released on April 2, 2001, as the second and final single from the former's second album, Scorpion. It became Eve's highest-charting single on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two on the week of August 18, 2001. Worldwide, the song reached number 29 in Canada, number four in Australia and the United Kingdom, and number one in Belgium, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ex-Girlfriend (song)</span> 2000 single by No Doubt

"Ex-Girlfriend" is a song by American ska band No Doubt from their fourth studio album, Return of Saturn (2000). The song was released as the album's lead single in early 2000 and was moderately successful, reaching the top 40 in most countries it charted in, including peaking within the top 10 in Australia, Iceland, and Spain. A review from Billboard magazine called Stefani's vocal performance on the song "fantastic".

<i>Live in the Tragic Kingdom</i> 1997 video by No Doubt

Live in the Tragic Kingdom is a video album by American rock band No Doubt. It was released on VHS on November 11, 1997, by Interscope Records, and consists of a filmed concert at The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California, on May 31, and June 1, 1997, as part of the Tragic Kingdom World Tour. It was later released on DVD on November 25, 2003, as part of No Doubt's box set album Boom Box, and as a stand-alone DVD on June 13, 2006. A LaserDisc version was also released in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excuse Me Mr.</span> 1996 single by No Doubt

"Excuse Me Mr." is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). The song was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, while produced by Matthew Wilder. It was released as the fourth single from the album on August 21, 1996. The song has also been included on the band's 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Musically, the former is a rock-influenced ska track with lyrics describing a woman trying to get the attention of a man. A country version of the song was also created but never released. The single received positive reviews from music critics who labelled it a successful breakup song and as one of the best tracks on Tragic Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Stefani discography</span>

American singer Gwen Stefani has released four studio albums, two extended plays, 34 singles, six promotional singles, one video album, and 28 music videos. She has sold more than nine million albums as a solo artist. Stefani is also the lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, with which she has released several albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sweet Escape (song)</span> 2006 single by Gwen Stefani featuring Akon

"The Sweet Escape" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her 2006 second solo studio album of the same name. It was written by Stefani, Aliaune "Akon" Thiam and Giorgio Tuinfort, and produced by the latter two. Akon, who is also a featured artist, developed the song's beat before collaborating with Stefani. He designed it based on her previous work with No Doubt, and Stefani later commented that it put her "on the yellow brick road to the No Doubt record I might do". "The Sweet Escape" is an apology for a fight between two lovers and describes a dream of a pleasant life for them. As the album's title track, its title was chosen to help market Stefani's music and fashion lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey You!</span> 1998 single by No Doubt

"Hey You!" is a song recorded by American rock band No Doubt. It was released as the seventh and final single from their third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995). The single was released as a CD single in the Netherlands on February 23, 1998. It is the final single to feature content from original keyboardist Eric Stefani, who left the group in 1995 due to creative issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Now? (No Doubt song)</span> 1997 single by No Doubt

"Happy Now?" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's sixth single overall on September 23, 1997. The commercial CD singles were distributed exclusively in Australia and Europe. However, the song was still released to radio stations in the United States. Musically, "Happy Now?" is a ska and rock song with and lyrics detailing a painful breakup, specifically the former relationship between Stefani and Kanal. Despite not receiving a formal release in the United States nor filming a proper music video, "Happy Now?" received heavy rotation on Californian radio stations, such as KROQ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Make It Feel Like Christmas (song)</span> 2017 single by Gwen Stefani featuring Blake Shelton

"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her fourth studio album of the same name (2017). It features guest vocals from her husband, Blake Shelton. The song was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Shelton and busbee, while production was handled by busbee and Eric Valentine. It was recorded during the summer months, with the song title leaking in August 2017. The song was eventually released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from the album by Interscope on September 22, 2017. It was influenced by popular holiday music from Stefani's childhood and marks Stefani and Shelton's second collaboration following their duet "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" in 2016. A Christmas track, the song includes country and pop music elements, with lyrics describing a romantic holiday season.

References

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