| "Tell Him" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Exciters | ||||
| B-side | "Hard Way to Go" | |||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Recorded | 1962 | |||
| Genre | Girl group | |||
| Length | 2:21 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Writer(s) | Bert Berns | |||
| The Exciters singles chronology | ||||
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"Tell Him" is the name of a song written by Bert Berns that was first recorded as "Tell Her" in 1962 by Gil Hamilton aka Johnny Thunder with Berns producing. "Tell Her" was also a single for Ed Townsend before Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller produced the version by the Exciters released — as "Tell Him" — in October of 1962. "Tell Him" reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated 26 January 1963. A #5 R&B hit, "Tell Him" was #1 in France for two weeks and reached #5 in Australia.
In the UK the single peaked at #46 bested by a cover by Billie Davis, who took the song to #10[1]. Another UK cover version by Alma Cogan did not chart in the UK but reached #53 in France, whilst the Exciters version reached #1 there.
Dusty Springfield was on a stop-over in New York City en route to Nashville to make a country music album with The Springfields in 1962, when she heard the Exciters' "Tell Him" playing while taking a late night walk by the Colony Record Store on Broadway: the experience decided Springfield to embark on a solo career with a Pop/Soul direction. She'd recall: "The Exciters sort of got you by the throat...out of the blue comes blasting at you “I know something about love”, and that’s it. That’s what I wanna do."[2]
"Tell Him" had its highest UK charting — #6 — via a 1974 remake by Hello whose producer Mike Leander had cut an earlier version with the Glitter Band which he felt could be improved upon. Hello's "Tell Him" also hit #32 in Germany.[1]. "Tell Him" would return to the UK charts in 1996 when Caroline Quentin and Leslie Ash who co-starred in the series Men Behaving Badly hit #25 with their remake credited to Quentin and Ash.
In the US "Tell Him" has reappeared on the Hot 100 twice both times as "Tell Her": in 1966 by Dean Parrish (#97) and in 1989 by Kenny Loggins (#76).
"Tell Him" has also been recorded by Sonny and Cher, Josie Cotton and Vonda Sheppard, whose version was heavily featured on the show Ally McBeal.
Covered in 1963 as "Dis-lui" (literally "Tell Him") by French pop singer Claude François, reaching No.1 in French chart.
The female regulars the TV show Living Single performed a comic version of this song.
Linda Ronstadt recorded a cover for her album "Get Closer" (1982).
Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes covered the song for their 1984 television special "I Love the Chipmunks Valentine Special."
In 1984 in Bulgaria, Rositsa Kirilova, in collaboration with the Brothers Argirovi, recorded a disco version of "Tell Him" titled “Избрах нарочно вас” (I've Chosen You Intentionally). The track - whose Bulgarian lyrics are unconnected to the original English version - became a major dance floor hit.
In American Dreams, Nicole Richie portrayed Brenda Reid, the lead singer of the girl group The Exciters, and sang "Tell Him" in the show.[3]
In 2009, The Exciters' "Tell Him" was included on the soundtrack for the DreamWorks Animation film Monsters vs. Aliens.
In 2011, the television series Glee featured "Tell Him" in the episode "Silly Love Songs".
Also in 2011, a parody of "Tell Him" was performed on Saturday Night Live in a malt shop setting.