| "Tell Me Why" | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Single by Marie Knight | |
| Released | 1956 |
| Genre | Rhythm and blues |
| Songwriter(s) | Titus Turner |
| "Tell Me Why" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
) | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| B-side | "Blue River" | |||
| Released | December 14, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | January 12, 1957 | |||
| Studio | Radio Recorders, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, pop | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Titus Turner | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Tell Me Why" is a popular song, written by Titus Turner in 1956. It is a slow, strong rhythm and blues ballad, and has a melody reminiscent of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee".
The first hit version was by Marie Knight, a black R&B singer, on the Mercury's subsidiary label, Wing. It was a local hit in New Orleans and Texas. When it attracted attention, it went on to become a moderate hit for Gale Storm and The Crew-Cuts in 1956 and for Elvis Presley in 1966. Presley recorded the track in 1957, but it was not released at that time. It reached #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a gold record.
Song sample