Tell Her No

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"Tell Her No"
Tell Her No label.jpg
Single by the Zombies
from the album The Zombies
B-side "What More Can I Do" (UK) / "Leave Me Be" (US)
Released28 December 1964 (US)
January 1965 (UK)
RecordedNovember 25, 1964
Genre
Length2:07
Label Decca F12072
Parrot 9723
Songwriter(s) Rod Argent
Producer(s) Ken Jones
The Zombies UKsingles chronology
"Leave Me Be"
(1964)
"Tell Her No"
(1965)
"She's Coming Home"
(1965)
The Zombies USsingles chronology
"She's Not There"
(1964)
"Tell Her No"
(1964)
"She's Coming Home"
(1965)

"Tell Her No" is a hit single written by Rod Argent and included by English rock band the Zombies on their debut album The Zombies in 1965. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in March 1965 and was one of three big American hits by the Zombies (the others being "She's Not There", in 1964, and "Time of the Season", in 1969). "Tell Her No" was only a minor hit for the Zombies in their native Britain, where it peaked at No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1965.

Contents

In 1983, Juice Newton scored a Billboard Top 40 hit in the United States with her version of the song.

Style

According to Argent, "Tell Her No" was influenced by the music of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. [3] In a contemporary review, Record World said "The fellows have slowed down their frenzy to sing a good follow-up to 'She's Not There.'" [4] Cash Box described it as a "striking rock-a-rhythmic jumper" that's "a softly-essayed affair that moves along in ear-arresting fashion." [5]

The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll described it as "a standard Beatles cop" stating that it was "almost as good" as the Zombies' earlier hit single "She's Not There." [6] Music critic Maury Dean described it as a precursor to jazz fusion for the way the song moves in fits and starts and for its polyrhythms. [7] According to Allmusic critic Lindsay Planer, the song's "quirky instrumental introduction is repeated throughout and practically sounds off-key before it remarkably resolves into the slightly baroque verses." [3] Planer praised the catchy melody, the tight arrangement and the song's "creative advancement." [3] Dean called it an "excellent song," especially noting how Rod Argent's keyboards drive it. [7] Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock states that the song doesn't waste a second of its little more than two minutes. [8]

The word "No" is mentioned a total of 63 times in the lyrics. Lead singer Colin Blunstone mumbled one line in the second refrain and wanted to rerecord it, but producer Ken Jones liked it that way and left it in, leading listeners to wonder what was actually being sung. [9] Blunstone thinks the words sung were "Don’t love this love from my arms." [9] Gallucci particularly praised how Blunstone sang the "whoa-oh-oh" a little earlier in the song, during the second verse. [8]

Cover versions

In 1969 the song was given a dramatic makeover by Californian blues-rock group Smith, which featured female lead singer Gayle McCormick, with the lyrics recast for a female narrator and re-titled "Tell Him No". This version was included on their debut album 'A Group Called Smith', which also featured their Top 5 hit version of the Bacharach-David song "Baby It's You".

In 1983, country-pop singer Juice Newton recorded a cover of "Tell Her No". [10] Newton reached No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary singles chart and No. 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. She changed the song's lyrical gender and point of view, which significantly altered the song's meaning to being about a woman convincing her man to resist the temptations of a potential adulteress.

Del Shannon also did a take on the song. [3] Tahiti 80 did a rendition in concert. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Zombies</span> English rock band

The Zombies are an English rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968—were also successful.

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Rodney Terence Argent is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the rock band the Zombies, and went on to form the band Argent after the first break-up of the Zombies.

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"I Want You Back Again" is a song written by keyboardist Rod Argent and originally recorded by his band the Zombies. Initially laid down during a session at Decca Studios on 25 November 1964, the group was unsatisfied with the result and the song was not re-recorded until 2 March 1965, together with several other songs. The song largely departs from the soft rock sound of their earlier singles and ventures into jazz rock. Characterized by an unusual rhythmic melody, the song was liked by lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, who didn't like the genre.

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"Whenever You're Ready" is a song written by English keyboardist Rod Argent, first recorded by his band the Zombies. Following an American tour in April 1965 supporting their then single "She's Coming Home", the band were disappointed in finding out it had been a chart failure. After the follow-up "I Want You Back Again" was an even less commercial song, pressure from the group's management came forward in order for them to write a commercial song in the style of their earlier singles, which had been hits.

References

  1. "The Zombies Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  2. "The Zombies: *The Zombies / I Love You / R.I.P." Pitchfork .
  3. 1 2 3 4 Planer, Lindsay. "Tell Her No". Allmusic . Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  4. "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World. January 2, 1965. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  5. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 2, 1965. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  6. DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll. Random House. p. 206. ISBN   0-679-73728-6.
  7. 1 2 Dean, Maury (2003). Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush. Algora Publishing. pp. 184, 296–297. ISBN   9780875862071.
  8. 1 2 Michael Gallucci (21 October 2016). "5 Reasons the Zombies Should Be in the Hall of Fame". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  9. 1 2 Righi, Len (August 13, 2007). "Colin Blunstone's voice reanimates the Zombies". Pop Matters. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  10. "Dirty Looks". Allmusic . Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  11. McCormick, Moira (October 21, 2000). "Tahiti 80's Heartbeat Catches Ears". Billboard Magazine . p. 11. Retrieved 2017-01-26.