Don't Explain (Robert Palmer album)

Don't Explain is the tenth solo studio album by English singer Robert Palmer, released in 1990. During the course of its 18 tracks, Palmer displays rock, R&B, jazz and Bahamian influences. Several classic songs are covered, as well. The album peaked at number 9 in the UK and number 88 in the US.^[4]

Don't Explain
Studio album by Robert Palmer
Released	5 November 1990
Recorded	Logic (Milan)
Genre	Rock Eurodisco dance-pop hi-NRG Eurodance
Length	66:33
Label	EMI USA
Producer	Teo Macero Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer chronology
Addictions: Volume 1 (1989) Don't Explain (1990) Addictions: Volume 2 (1992)
Singles from Don't Explain
"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" Released: 22 October 1990 "You're Amazing" Released: November 1990 "Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You" Released: 24 December 1990 "Happiness" Released: April 1991 "Dreams to Remember" Released: June 1991

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Billboard	favourable^[2]
New Musical Express	6/10^[3]

In the UK the album was certified Gold by the BPI in November 1990.^[5]

Track listing

1. "Your Mother Should Have Told You" (Robert Palmer, Guy Pratt) – 3:41
2. "Light-Years" (Divinyls, Robert Palmer) – 4:27
3. "You Can't Get Enough of a Good Thing" (Robert Palmer) – 4:08
4. "Dreams to Remember" (Otis Redding, Zelda Reading, Joe Rock) – 4:25
5. "You're Amazing" (Stephen Fellows, Alan Mansfield, Robert Palmer, Guy Pratt, Steve Stevens) – 3:49
6. "Mess Around" (Stephen Fellows, Robert Palmer) – 4:50
7. "Happiness" (Robert Palmer) – 2:52
8. "History" (Robert Palmer) – 4:32
9. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"; with UB40 (Bob Dylan) – 3:26
10. "Housework" (Stephen Fellows, Robert Palmer) – 3:12
11. "Mercy Mercy Me" (Marvin Gaye) / "I Want You" (Arthur "T-Boy" Ross, Leon Ware) – 5:59
12. "Don't Explain" (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday) – 2:28
13. "Aeroplane" (Robert Palmer) – 3:04
14. "People Will Say We're in Love" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein) – 2:20
15. "Not a Word" (Robert Palmer, Guy Pratt, Colin Vearncombe) – 4:18
16. "Top 40" (Mose Allison) – 2:40
17. "You're So Desirable" (Ray Noble) – 2:24
18. "You're My Thrill" (Sidney Clare, Jay Gorney) – 3:58

  Note:

• The liner notes for the first US pressing (EMI/Capitol – CDP-7-93935-2) attribute the final song to Ned Washington and Burton Lane. While they co-wrote a song by that name, the one on Palmer's album is the Clare & Gorney composition made popular by Billie Holiday.

Personnel

• Robert Palmer – lead and backing vocals, guitars, drums
• Brent Bourgeois – keyboards, backing vocals (2, 3)
• Alan Mansfield – keyboards, drums
• William Bryant – acoustic piano, bass
• Dennis Budimir – guitars
• Alan Darby – guitars
• Eddie Martinez – guitars
• Saverio Porciello – guitars
• Steve Stevens – guitars
• Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar
• Frank Blair – bass
• Guy Pratt – bass
• Dony Wynn – drums, percussion
• Cyro Baptista – percussion
• Pino Pischetola – percussion
• Claudio Pascoli – saxophones
• Chuck Findley – flugelhorn, trumpet
• Demo Morselli – trumpet
• Luka Belak – violin
• Clare Fischer – clarinet, string and horn arrangements, conductor
• Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
• B.J. Nelson – backing vocals (2, 3, 4)
• Pamela Starks – backing vocals (9)
• UB40 – backing vocals (9)

Production

• David Harper – executive producer
• Robert Palmer – producer (1–6, 9, 10, 17), co-producer (7, 8, 11, 13)
• Teo Macero – producer (7, 8, 11–16, 18)
• Arne Frager – engineer
• Pino Pischetola – engineer
• Mike Fraser – mixing (1, 5)
• Eric "ET" Thorngren – mixing (2, 3, 4, 6–18)
• Richard Cobble – production coordination
• Henry Marquez – art direction, design
• Timothy Greenfield-Sanders – photography
• David King – stylist

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990–1991) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)^[6] 29 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[7] 17 Canadian Albums (RPM)^[8] 28 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[9] 85 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[10] 40 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[11] 48 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[12] 48 UK Albums (OCC)^[13] 9 US Billboard 200^[14] 88

Year-end charts Chart (1991) Position German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[15] 99

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[16]	Gold	35,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. William Ruhlmann. "Don't Explain - Robert Palmer | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
2. "Album Reviews: Spotlight". Billboard. 17 November 1990. p. 64.
3. Dalton, Stephen (1 December 1990). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 35.
4. "ROBERT PALMER - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
5. "Album artist 453 – Robert Palmer". Tsort.info. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
6. "Australiancharts.com – Robert Palmer – Don't Explain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
7. "Austriancharts.at – Robert Palmer – Don't Explain" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
8. "Bienvenue au site Web BIBLIOTHÈQUE ET ARCHIVES CANADA | Welcome to the LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA website". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
9. "Dutchcharts.nl – Robert Palmer – Don't Explain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Robert Palmer – Don't Explain" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
11. "Charts.nz – Robert Palmer – Don't Explain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
12. "Swedishcharts.com – Robert Palmer – Don't Explain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
14. "Robert Palmer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
15. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
16. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1991 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2021.