Tell Me 'bout It

Infobox Single
Name = Tell Me 'bout It


Artist = Joss Stone
Album = Introducing Joss Stone
B-side = "My God"
Released = 6 February 2007 (digital download)
2 March 2007 (Germany)
5 March 2007 (UK, U.S.)
Format = CD single, digital download
Recorded = Compass Point Studios
(Nassau, Bahamas)
Genre = Neo soul, alternative hip hop, funk
Length = 2:49
Label = Relentless, Virgin
Writer = Joss Stone, Raphael Saadiq, Robert Ozuna
Producer = Raphael Saadiq
Last single = "Cry Baby Cry"
(2006)
This single = "Tell Me 'bout It"
(2007)
Next single = "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now"
(2007)
Misc = Extra track listing
Album = Introducing Joss Stone
Type = studio
prev_track = "Headturner"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Tell Me 'bout It"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now"
next_no = 5 Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = single


Lower caption = A Yam Who? Rework cover

"Tell Me 'bout It" is a neo soul–alternative hip hop–funk song written by English singer-songwriter Joss Stone, Raphael Saadiq, and Robert Ozuna for Stone's third studio album, "Introducing Joss Stone" (2007). Released in March 2007 as the album's lead single, it received its first play on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 1 show on 22 January 2007.

The single debuted at number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart on 11 March 2007, but it fell to number forty the week after, staying on the chart for three weeks only. Having previously topped the U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, "Tell Me 'bout It" debuted on the "Billboard" Hot 100 at number eighty-three in late March, becoming her first solo single to enter the Hot 100.

The song was used in the second episode of The CW's series "Gossip Girl", "The Wild Brunch", originally aired on 25 September 2007.

Music video

The music video for "Tell Me 'bout It" was directed by Bryan Barber and filmed on location at 5 Pointz, an industrial building used as a graffiti space located in Queens, New York City. In December 2006, the place's owner, graffiti artist Jonathan "Meres" Cohen, received a phone call from a representive for Stone, asking him to use 5 Pointz as the backdrop for the single's video. He was initially unaware of who Stone was, but he eventually gave permission to her crew after speaking to her. Cohen would later be in charge of Stone's body painting for the cover art and the photo shoot of "Introducing Joss Stone". [cite web |url=http://www.johnstownbreeze.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=2297 |title=The Gatekeeper of New York's 'graffiti mecca,' 'Meres' decides who paints – and how long it stays |accessdate=2008-05-17 |last=Kiper |first=Dmitry |date=2 August 2007 |work=The Johnstown Breeze]

Accompanying its setting, the video is noted for its hip hop-related elements such as graffiti and breakdancers. It features cameo appearances by producer Raphael Saadiq, who appears at the beginning playing the bass, and Jonathan Cohen, who is shown at the end doing a mural of Stone's face (reminiscent of her face on the cover of 2004's "Mind, Body & Soul").

Track listings and formats

;European CD single
#"Tell Me 'bout It" – 2:53
#"My God" – 3:48

;European, U.S., and Mexican promo CD single
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (Radio Edit) – 2:41
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (Album Version) – 2:50

;A Yam Who? Rework digital single
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (A Yam Who? Rework) – 4:21
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (A Yam Who? Club Rework) – 9:38

Personnel

Musicians

*Joss Stone – lead vocals
*Joi Gilliam – backing vocals
*Keisha Jackson – backing vocals
*Jermaine Paul – backing vocals
*Raphael Saadiq – bass, guitar
*Robert Ozuna – drums, turntables
*Khari Parker – additional drums
*Neil Symonette – percussion
*Chalmers "Spanky" Alford – guitar

Production

*Raphael Saadiq – producer, horn arrangements
*Glenn Standridge – mixing
*Chuck Brungardt – mixing
*Oswald Bowe, John Tanksley, James Tanksley, Marlon Marcel, Charlie Stavish – assistant engineerers
*Jeremy Mackenzie – Pro Tools operator
*Benjamin Wright – string arrangements

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!align="center"|Chart (2007)!align="center"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|LCC Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs [cite web |url=http://www.blogas.lt/hitfm/209276/lcc-hot-rbhip-hop-songs.html |title=LCC Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |accessdate=2008-01-19 |work=Lithuania Charts Company |language=Lithuanian]
align="center"|4
-
align="left"|Portuguese National Top 50
align="center"|46
-
align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
align="center"|33
-
align="left"|Turkey Top 20 Chart [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com.tr/pages/Turkiye_top20.aspx/ |title=Billboard Türkiye Top 20 |accessdate=2008-04-11 |work=Billboard Türkiye |language=Turkish]
align="center"|9
-
align="left"|UK Singles Chart
align="center"|28
-
align="left"|UK R&B Singles Chart
align="center"|11
-
align="left"|United World Chart
align="center"|27
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100
align="center"|83
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Pop 100 [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=396&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Pop+100&ci=3083233&cdi=9227333&cid=04%2F14%2F2007 |title=Pop 100 |accessdate=2008-01-19 |work=Billboard]
align="center"|73

Official versions

*Album Version – 2:49
*Radio Edit – 2:43
*A Yam Who? Rework – 4:21
*A Yam Who? Club Rework – 9:38

A remix by French electronica producer DJ Mehdi was made and was supposed to appear on the single, but was scrapped at the very last minute and replaced by "My God" on the CD single.

References