What Am I Gonna Do About You (song)

Last updated
"What Am I Gonna Do About You"
Reba McEntire-What Am I Gonna Do About You.JPG
Single by Reba McEntire
from the album What Am I Gonna Do About You
B-side "I Heard Her Crying"
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1986
Recorded1986
Genre Country
Length3:28
Label MCA
Songwriter(s) Jim Allison
Doug Gilmore
Bob Simon
Producer(s) Jimmy Bowen
Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire singles chronology
"Little Rock"
(1986)
"What Am I Gonna Do About You"
(1986)
"Let the Music Lift You Up"
(1987)

"What Am I Gonna Do About You" is a song written by Jim Allison, Doug Gilmore, and Bob Simon. It was first recorded by American country music artist Con Hunley in 1986 on the Capitol Records label and later by Reba McEntire for her 1986 studio album of the same name. Produced by Jimmy Bowen and McEntire, it was a number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. [1]

Contents

It debuted at #54 on the Hot Country Single's chart for the week of October 11, 1986 and peaked at #1 for the week of January 17, 1987.

Background

"What Am I Gonna Do About You" was recorded by Con Hunley in 1985 on the Capitol Records label with "Lord, She Sure Looks Good Tonight" on the B-side. His version was released on the Capitol #5525, spending 15 weeks on the country charts and peaking at #48.

It was recorded by Reba McEntire in 1986 at the Sound Stage Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. [2]

Content

The song is characterized as a slow ballad, which describes how a woman tries to recover from a love affair, [3] saying throughout the song, "what am I gonna do about you." The song's chorus is also repeated throughout the song:

What in the world am I gonna do about you
Oh your memory keeps coming back from out of the blue
Oh well I try and I try, but I still can't believe that we're through
So tell me what in the world am I gonna do about you
What am I gonna do about you

Critical reception

Upon its release and many years afterward, "What Am I Gonna Do About You" gained positive reviews. Although William Ruhlmann of Allmusic found the song not to have the characteristics of her previous releases, he received the song well. Ruhlmann found it to be nearly similar to that of her number one single, "Whoever's in New England," stating, "the title song had something of the feel of "Whoever's in New England" in its portrayal of a woman trying to recover from a painfully ended love affair." [3]

Release and reception

"What Am I Gonna Do About You" was released as McEntire's final single of the year September 15, 1986. The song became a preface of her 1986 album of the same name (her second studio album of the year) and became a major hit in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks the following year on January 17, 1987, becoming her seventh song to top the charts. The song's success helped the album certify "Gold" (and eventually "Platinum") by the Recording Industry Association of America. [4] [3] It also became McEntire's first single to top the Canadian RPM Country Tracks charts, reaching number one January 24.

Charts

Related Research Articles

Reba McEntire American country music artist and actress

Reba Nell McEntire, also known simply by her first name, Reba, is an American country singer, songwriter, and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band, on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. While a sophomore in college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, she performed the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City and caught the attention of country artist Red Steagall who brought her to Nashville, Tennessee. She signed a contract with Mercury Records a year later in 1975. She released her first solo album in 1977 and released five additional studio albums under the label until 1983.

Brooks & Dunn American country music duo

Brooks & Dunn is an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before the foundation, both members were solo recording artists. Both members charted two solo singles apiece in the 1980s, with Brooks also releasing an album for Capitol Records in 1989 and writing hit singles for other artists.

<i>What Am I Gonna Do About You</i> 1986 studio album by Reba McEntire

What Am I Gonna Do About You is the twelfth studio album released by American country music artist Reba McEntire. The album was released October 6, 1986 on MCA Records and was produced by McEntire and Jimmy Bowen. It was her second #1 album on the Billboard country charts, containing two #1 singles, What Am I Gonna Do About You and One Promise Too Late. The opening track "Why Not Tonight" was also featured on the end credits of the 1990 film Tremors which was her film debut.

Linda Kaye Davis is an American country music singer. Before beginning a career as a solo artist, she had three minor country singles in the charts as one half of the duo Skip & Linda. In her solo career, Davis has recorded five studio albums for major record labels and more than 15 singles. Her highest chart entry is "Does He Love You", her 1993 duet with Reba McEntire, which reached number one on the Billboard country charts and won both singers the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. Her highest solo chart position is "Some Things Are Meant to Be" at No. 13 in 1996. Davis is the wife of the country singer Lang Scott and the mother of Hillary Scott of Lady A.

<i>Room to Breathe</i> (Reba McEntire album) 2003 studio album by Reba McEntire

Room to Breathe is the twenty-sixth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released on November 18, 2003, by MCA Nashville Records. It was produced by Buddy Cannon, McEntire, and Norro Wilson.

<i>Reba Number 1s</i> 2005 compilation album by Reba McEntire

Reba #1s is a double-disc compilation album released in 2005 celebrating Reba McEntire's thirty years in the music industry. It is the first compilation of her career to include tracks from her early Mercury Records years along with her MCA recordings. The album features all of McEntire's solo number one hits spanning her career. The thirty-five-track compilation features twenty-two Billboard number-one hits, eleven non-Billboard number ones and two new tracks, "You're Gonna Be" and "Love Needs a Holiday", which respectively reached 33 and 60 on the Hot Country Songs charts. Both of the new tracks were accompanied by videos. The album debuted and peaked at number four on the Billboard country album chart and number twelve on the Billboard 200. It has sold over 1 million copies and has been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA because it is a double-disc compilation album.

<i>Reba: Duets</i> 2007 studio album by Reba McEntire

Reba: Duets is the twenty-seventh studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released September 18, 2007,by MCA Nashville Records and September 24, 2007, by Humphead Records in the UK, and was produced by Tony Brown, Dann Huff, McEntire, and Justin Timberlake.

"Whoever's in New England" is a song written by Kendal Franceschi and Quentin Powers, and recorded by American country music entertainer Reba McEntire. It was released in March 1986 as the first single and title track from the album Whoever's in New England. The song was considered one of her signature and breakthrough singles.

<i>Loving Every Minute</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Mark Wills

Loving Every Minute is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2001 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced two singles: the title track and "I'm Not Gonna Do Anything Without You", which peaked at #18 and #31, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The album itself reached a peak of #10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts, and #93 on The Billboard 200.

<i>Keep On Loving You</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Reba McEntire

Keep On Loving You is the twenty-eighth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released August 18, 2009 on Starstruck/Valory and on Humphead Records in the UK, and was produced by Tony Brown, Mark Bright, and McEntire.

How Blue 1984 single by Reba McEntire

"How Blue" is a song written by John Moffat, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in September 1984 as the first single from the album My Kind of Country. It was her third number one single on the Billboard country music chart and would be the first of a series of number one singles during the 1980s and 1990s.

Somebody Should Leave 1985 single by Reba McEntire

"Somebody Should Leave" is a song written by Harlan Howard and Chick Rains, and recorded by American country music artist, Reba McEntire. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from her album My Kind of Country. It was McEntire's second number one single in a row on the Billboard country music chart, being the first of a series of number one singles McEntire would acquire under MCA.

"Only in My Mind" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in September 1985 as the second single from the album Have I Got a Deal for You. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It is still the only single ever released that was solely written by McEntire.

"Little Rock" is a song written by Pat McManus, Bob DiPiero and Gerry House, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It released in June 1986 as the second single from the album Whoever's in New England. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in late 1986.

"One Promise Too Late" is a song written by Dave Loggins, Don Schlitz and Lisa Silver, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in May 1987 as the third single from the album What Am I Gonna Do About You. The song was McEntire's eighth number one country single as a solo artist. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the country chart.

"What Do You Say" is a song written by Neil Thrasher and Michael Dulaney, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released on September 14, 1999 as the first single from her album So Good Together. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2000 and number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming her first crossover hit and top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It is her highest peaking single on that chart.

"Let the Music Lift You Up" is a song written by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in February 1987 as the second single from the album What Am I Gonna Do About You. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>All the Women I Am</i> 2010 studio album by Reba McEntire

All the Women I Am is the twenty-ninth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released November 9, 2010, through the Valory Music Group, a division of Big Machine Records. Its first single is "Turn On the Radio", which was released in July and debuted at #54 and peaked at #1 in January 2011. The second single "If I Were a Boy" and was released in January 2011 and re-entered the Billboard Country Charts at #60, peaking at #22 in April 2011. The third single, "When Love Gets a Hold of You", was released on April 11, 2011, peaking at #40 in six weeks. McEntire's fourth single from the album was "Somebody's Chelsea," which peaked at #44. The album was produced by Dann Huff. As of 2012 it is her 1st studio album since 1984's Just a Little Love not to be certified.

Reba McEntire singles discography

The singles discography of American country music singer Reba McEntire consists of 123 singles.

Somebodys Chelsea 2011 single by Reba

"Somebody's Chelsea" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It is the fourth single from her 2010 album All the Women I Am.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. p. 226.
  2. "What Am I Gonna Do About You CD". CD Universe. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  3. 1 2 3 Ruhlmann, William. "What Am I Gonna Do About You > Review". Allmusic . Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  4. Ruhlmann, William. "Reba McEntire > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  5. "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  6. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2021.