Don't Tell Me

"Don't Tell Me"
Single by Madonna
from the album Music
B-side	"Cyberraga" (UK) "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Radio Mix) (US)
Released	November 21, 2000 (non-US) January 16, 2001 (US)
Format	CD single CD maxi single Cassette single 7" single 12" single
Recorded	1999
Genre	Country pop
Length	4:39 (album version) 4:10 (radio edit)
Label	Maverick, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Madonna Mirwais Ahmadzaï Joe Henry
Producer	Madonna Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Certification	Gold (RIAA) Platinum (ARIA)
Madonna singles chronology
"Music" (2000) "Don't Tell Me" (2000/2001) "What It Feels Like for a Girl" (2001)

	"Don't Tell Me"
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"Don't Tell Me" is the second single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on November 21, 2000 by Maverick Records. The release date in North America was postponed to January 16, 2001 due to the huge success of the first single "Music".^{[citation needed]} The single has sold around 4.5 million copies to date.

Song information

The track was written by Joe Henry, Madonna's brother-in-law. He recorded the track on its own, simply called "Stop", which was released on his 2001 album Scar. His wife, Melanie, sent a demo of the track to her sister, who recorded her own version with the help of Mirwais Ahmadzaï. Singer Lizz Wright recorded a jazzy take on "Stop" which she included in her 2005 release "Dreaming Wide Awake".

Madonna performed "Don't Tell Me" on her 2001 Drowned World Tour and her 2004 Re-Invention Tour.

In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their top 20 favourite Madonna singles of all time by Q magazine. "Don't Tell Me" was allocated the #13 spot.

In 2005, the song placed at #285 on Blender magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".[1]

Chart performance

"Don't Tell Me" peaked at number four on the U.S. charts and spent eight weeks in the top ten. It made gains at radio for three months consecutively (her longest-growing hit since "Take a Bow"), and also spent a long time on the club-play chart. Despite spending only one week at number one (most of her recent dance hits have spent at least two, and "Music" five), it managed fourteen weeks on the chart, out-lasting "Music" and tying with "Ray of Light" as Madonna's longest running club hit since "Bedtime Story" in 1995. In addition, "Don't Tell Me" is Madonna's biggest hit on the Adult Top 40 chart, where it peaked at number four, making it her only top five single on that chart. Charting at #10 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, it was Madonna's last top 10 hit on the chart to date.

Many fans hoped the single would hit #1 in the United States and felt that Warner Brothers had ruined the single's chances of becoming a #1 hit due to it being released so late. Some believe if it had been released just a couple weeks earlier it would hit the top spot with its strong airplay and sales. But since "What It Feels Like for a Girl" was released so soon after, radio turned their focus to the latest Madonna single which left "Don't Tell Me" to fall on the charts before hitting #1.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2001 the single was certified gold. With this twenty-fourth gold record, Madonna tied with The Beatles for the second spot of most gold records in the United States.

The song was also a huge hit around the world, peaking in the top five in many countries. It hit the number one spot in Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa, remaining at #1 for 3 weeks in the latter two countries. It also reached the number four slot in the United Kingdom. The single is often referred to as one of the most successful Madonna singles in Ireland.

Music video

Madonna in "Don't Tell Me" video flanked by the cowboys.

The music video for "Don't Tell Me" was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and filmed in October 2000. The choreography was done by Alex Magno, who also collaborated on the Drowned World Tour. The tour designers Dsquared and Arianne Phillips also designed her cowgirl costume in the video. The video features Madonna walking down an automated walk-way in front of a screen. Cowboys play on sand in the video played on the screen. Later they join Madonna on the walk-way in a choreographed dance routine.

• Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
• Producer: Maria Gallagher
• Director of Photography: Alex Barber
• Editor: Angus Wall
• Production company: DNA Inc.

Legacy

At the MTV Video Music Awards as hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Kirsten Dunst, a parody of the song (and video) were performed by the hosts, as they detailed the anticipated events of the evening. Fallon at one time dropped to the floor to bathe himself in sand, a la Madonna in the video. Fallon, however, got most of it in his pants.

Rock band The Androids recorded a song entitled "Do It with Madonna", where they detail how they would prefer sex with the titular star as opposed to more recently unveiled pop idols. One citation they make to Madonna's appeal is a music video in which she's wearing a "cowboy hat and [...] kicking the dirt", a clear reference to the video for "Don't Tell Me".

Track listings and formats

Official versions

Official versions

• Don't Tell Me (Album version) - 4:40
• Don't Tell Me (Radio edit) - 4:10
• Don't Tell Me (Instrumental version) - 4:40
• Don't Tell Me (A cappella) - 3:03
• Don't Tell Me (Video version) - 4:38

Remixes

• Don't Tell Me (Timo Maas Mix) - 6:56
• Don't Tell Me (Timo Maas Dub)
• Don't Tell Me (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
• Don't Tell Me (Vission Remix) - 7:51
• Don't Tell Me (Vission Radio Mix) - 3:48
• Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 7:50
• Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) - 3:42
• Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
• Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss 2001 Hands in the Air Radio Mix) - 4:26
• Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss Tribe-A-Pella) - 8:31
• Don't Tell Me (Thunderdub) - 6:58
• Don't Tell Me (Tracy Young Club Mix 1) - 11:00
• Don't Tell Me (Tracy Young Club Mix 2) - 11:08
• Don't Tell Me (Tracy Young Dub) - 8:11
• Don't Tell Me (Dave Aude Funk Mix) - 7:57
• Don't Tell Me (Dave Aude Funk Mix Edit) - 7:57

Charts

References

1. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
2. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
3. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
4. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
5. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
6. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
7. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
8. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
9. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
10. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me
11. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me (CD 2)
12. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me (Remixes)
13. ^ Madonna - Don't Tell Me (The Remixes)
14. ^ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/am.htm
15. ^ Swiss Singles Chart

External links

• Mad-Eyes.net - "Don't Tell Me" Single Page