Tell Him No

"Tell Him No" is a 1959 song by Travis and Bob and was the only Top 40 hit for the duo in the United States while peaking at #1 in Canada and the Netherlands. The song also reached #1 in the Netherlands with cover versions by Dean and Marc, The Mudlarks and The Fouryo's.

"Tell Him No"
Single by Travis and Bob
B-side"We're Too Young"
ReleasedMarch 9, 1959 (1959-03-09)
Length2:05
LabelSandy
Songwriter(s)Travis Pritchett

Background

"Tell Him No" was written about a boy telling a girl to watch out for another boy interested in her.[1]

Recording

"Tell Him No" was planned to be the B-side for Travis and Bob's cover of "All I Have to Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers. However, after performing for record producer Henry Bailey in Mobile, Alabama, the duo were offered a record deal. Travis and Bob recorded the track in Gulfport, Mississippi for Sandy Records.[2]

Acquisition

In March 1959, Dot Records bought the distribution rights for "Tell Him No" from Sandy Records for $12,000. Cameo Records and Liberty Records also competed for the rights of the single.[3]

Reception

Billboard predicted Travis and Bob's version of "Tell Him No" would become a future hit.[4]

Chart performance

In the United States, Travis and Bob's version of "Tell Him No" charted at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100[5] while a cover by Dean and Marc reached #42.[6] Other non-charting covers in the US include a Bigtop recording by The Jackson Brothers and Margie Rayburn's rendition of the song produced for Liberty but later retracted.[3]

Outside of the United States, non-charting covers of "Tell Him No" were released in Australia by The Unichords for W&G and Ted & Ray for HMV.[7] Alternatively, "Tell Him No" reached #1 in the Netherlands for Travis and Bob alongside covers by Dean and Marc, The Mudlarks and The Fouryo's,[8] which was released under the name "Zeg niet nee".[9]

Charts

Travis & Bob version
Chart (1959) Peak
position
Canada (CHUM) 1[10]
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12] 21

Dean & Marc version
Chart (1959) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 42
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 1

The Fouryo's version
Chart (1959) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 1

The Mudlarks version
Chart (1959) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 1

See also

References
  1. Howes, Paul; Clark, Petunia (2010). The Complete Dusty Springfield (Revised and expanded ed.). Titan Books. p. 18. ISBN 9781781165409.
  2. Jancik, Wayne (1998). The Billboard Book of One-hit Wonders (2 ed.). Billboard Books. p. 73. ISBN 0823076229.
  3. Rolontz, Bob (16 March 1959). "Dot Snares Sandy 'Tell Him No' Master With Capping 12G Bid". Billboard. p. 3. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  4. "The Billboard Spotlight Winners of the Week". Billboard. 9 March 1959. p. 48. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  5. "Travis-Bob Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. "Dean & Marc Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  7. Laird, Ross (1998). The first wave: Australian rock and pop recordings (1955–1963). National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. pp. 81, 84. ISBN 0642365105. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  8. "Dutch Single Top 100". Dutch Charts. 3 October 1959. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  9. "Benelux". The Cash Box. Vol. 21, no. 47. 6 August 1960. p. 108.
  10. "CHUM Hit Parade Chart: Week of May 4, 1959". las-solanas.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  11. "Travis & Bob – Tell Him No" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  12. "Travis-Bob Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  13. "Dean and Marc – Tell Him No" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  14. "The Fouryo's – Zeg niet nee" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. "The Mudlarks – Tell Him No" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
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