"Tell Me" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Groove Theory | ||||
from the album Groove Theory | ||||
Released | June 23, 1995 [1] | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 3:56 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Bryce Wilson | |||
Groove Theory singles chronology | ||||
|
"Tell Me" is a song by American R&B duo Groove Theory from their debut album, Groove Theory (1995). The track is a cover of Rhythm-N-Bass' 1993 song "Tell Me (If You Want Me Too)", [2] which was also produced by Bryce Wilson. [3] The song contains an interpolation of Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long" which itself interpolates Keni Burke's "Risin' to the Top". [4] [5]
Released as a single in June 1995, "Tell Me" peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 in Australia and Canada, peaking at numbers six and eight, respectively. The single also peaked at number 14 in New Zealand and number 31 in both Iceland and the United Kingdom. "Tell Me" is certified gold in Australia and the United States.
The accompanying music video for "Tell Me", directed by Daniela Federeci, begins with Amel Larrieux and Bryce Wilson in a recording studio. Amel sings into the microphone, whilst Bryce produces behind the studio panel. Amel bops in front a city skyline in other scenes. In between scenes are transitional shots, which feature either Amel singing or Bryce nodding.
In 2003, Raymond & Co wrote "Playing Games", which was melodically inspired by "Tell Me". In 2017, Australian singer Starley wrote "Touch Me", which was also heavily inspired by "Tell Me". [6]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Pitchfork | The 53 Best R&B Songs of the ’90s | * | |
The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s | 189 | ||
Soul Bounce | Top 100 Soul/R&B Songs | 46 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [35] | Gold | 35,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [1] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | June 23, 1995 |
| Epic | [1] |
August 1, 1995 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [36] |
On June 9, 2017, production group AXSHN released a version of the song featuring Mexican singer Sofia Reyes. [37] Erica Russell from PopCrush described it as a "throbbing tropical dance banger". The reviewer also highlighted Reyes' voice, writing "Sofia's smooth, sultry vocals beckon to the dance floor like the reflection of the moon sparkling against the Caribbean Sea". [38]
Amel Eliza Larrieux is an American singer-songwriter, musician and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album, Infinite Possibilities, the following year on Epic Records.
Groove Theory was an American duo, with former member, singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux and songwriter/producer/actor, Bryce Wilson. The group is best known for their 1995 hit "Tell Me", which reached the top five of Billboard's Hot 100 and the US Billboard R&B chart.
Bryce Wilson is an American record producer/entrepreneur and actor. He was one half of the 1990s duo Groove Theory, and a former member of the dance/electro hip-hop group Mantronix.
"Fantasy" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on August 23, 1995, by Columbia Records as the lead single from her fifth album, Daydream (1995). The track was written and produced by Carey and Dave Hall. It samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". The lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard, something Carey arranged to assist in her crossover into the hip-hop market and credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act.
From October 26, 1974 until August 28, 1976, Billboard's Disco Action section published weekly single retail sales charts from various local regions along with Top Audience Response Records in their magazine. Billboard debuted its first national chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales in their issue dated March 16, 1985. This record type is most commonly used in disco and dance music genres where DJs use them to play in discos or dance clubs because of the exclusive extended remixes that are often only made available on this format, but Billboard's 12-inch Single Sales chart ranks releases by artists from all styles of music that release maxi-singles.
"Macarena" is a song by Spanish pop duo Los del Río, originally recorded for their 1993 album A mí me gusta. A dance remix by the electropop group Fangoria was a success in Spain, and a soundalike cover version by Los del Mar became popular in Canada. Another remix by Miami-based producers the Bayside Boys, who added a section with English lyrics and expanded its popularity, initially peaked at No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in late 1995.
"Don't Call Me Baby" is a song by Australian house music duo Madison Avenue, released as the first single from their only studio album, The Polyester Embassy (2000). Written by Cheyne Coates, Andy Van Dorsselaer, Duane Morrison, and Giuseppe Chierchia, the song includes a bassline sample from "Ma Quale Idea" by Italo disco artist Pino D'Angiò, which in turn is based on "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead.
"You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from American singer Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets (1996). The mid-tempo song represents a joint collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning producer Babyface and Bryce Wilson. The beat of the song was originally for singer-songwriter Brandy, with Dallas Austin pegged to write a lyric to override; however, Braxton had Babyface write lyrics for the song. It was ultimately issued in the United States as a double A-side with "Let It Flow", the airplay hit from the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale.
"Missing" is a song by English musical duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album, Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by the two band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and was produced by Watt and John Coxon. It was taken as the second single off the album on 8 August 1994 by Blanco y Negro Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It initially did not achieve much success until it was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released in 1995, resulting in worldwide success, peaking at or near the top of the charts in many countries. The release of the remixed version of "Missing" gave an indication of the band's future experimentation with more electronic dance music on subsequent albums.
"Ain't Nobody" is a song by American funk band Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983 by Warner Bros., as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, Stompin' at the Savoy (1983). "Ain't Nobody" quickly gathered popularity, and reached number one on the US Billboard R&B chart and number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1984 at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, "Ain't Nobody" won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It has become one of Khan's signature songs.
"Tell Me When" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League, released in December 1994 by East West Records as the first single from their seventh album, Octopus (1995). Written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and Paul C. Beckett, the song was produced by Ian Stanley. It peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, while reaching number four on the UK Dance Chart. In the US, it peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 15 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number eight on the Cash Box Top 100. The music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in the Czech Republic.
"Pony" is a song by American singer Ginuwine, released as the debut single from his first album, Ginuwine...The Bachelor (1996). Ginuwine co-wrote the song with Swing Mob associates Static Major and Timbaland; the latter made his breakthrough as a producer with the song. It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
"Hit Me Off" is a song by American R&B group New Edition, released in July 1996 as the first single from the group's sixth studio album, Home Again (1996), as well as their first single in seven years. Featuring lead vocals from all six New Edition members, it samples "Storm King" by Bob James, "I Got Cha Opin" by Black Moon, and "One Nation Under a Groove" by Funkadelic.
"You Remind Me of Something" is a song by American R&B singer R. Kelly. Released as the lead single from his self-titled album (1995), it became the fourth song from Kelly to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, where it stayed for a week, and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, it peaked at number 13 in New Zealand and found moderate success in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
"Candy Rain" is a song by American R&B group Soul for Real, released in 1994 through Uptown and MCA Records. The song was written by Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, Heavy D, and Terri Robinson. It spent three weeks at No. 1 on the US Hot R&B Singles chart and peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold 800,000 copies.
"Show Me Love" is a song by Swedish singer and songwriter Robyn. It was first released in Sweden in February 1997 as the fourth single from her debut studio album, Robyn Is Here (1995). The song was her third UK and second US single. Robyn wrote it with Max Martin, who also produced the song with Denniz Pop. It is sometimes confused with Robin S.'s 1993 single "Show Me Love" because of identical song titles and similar first names; however, the two songs are not related.
"You Were Meant for Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Jewel, released on her first album, Pieces of You (1995). It was written by Jewel and Steve Poltz. It describes a failed relationship and the narrator's inadequate attempts at moving on with her life.
"Love City Groove" is a song by British rap group Love City Groove that represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 1995.
"Don't You Want Me" is a song recorded by British DJ and producer Francis Wright, known under the pseudonym of Felix, released in July 1992 as his debut single from his album, #1 (1993). Musically, it samples Jomanda's "Don't You Want My Love" and credited as Felix featuring Jomanda. Released on 27 July 1992 by various labels, the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart reached number one in Finland, Spain, and Switzerland. It also went to number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. In 1995 and 1996, the song charted in the UK again, but in remixed form. British magazine Mixmag ranked the song number 98 in its "100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time" list in 1996.
"Groove Thang" is a song by American R&B group Zhané from their debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay (1994). Released in January 1994, it was produced by and features a rap verse from Naughty by Nature. The song is based on a sample of "Haven't You Heard" as performed by Patrice Rushen. It peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Markus Blunder.