"I Don't Want to Talk About It" is a song written by American guitarist Danny Whitten. It was first recorded by American rock band Crazy Horse and issued as the final track on side one of their 1971 eponymous album. It was Whitten's signature tune, but gained more fame via its numerous cover versions, especially that by Rod Stewart. Cash Box magazine has described it as "a magnificent ballad outing."[1]
| "I Don't Want to Talk About It" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Crazy Horse | |
| from the album Crazy Horse | |
| Released | February 1971 |
| Genre | Country rock |
| Length | 5:18 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Songwriter(s) | Danny Whitten |
| Producer(s) | Jack Nitzsche, Russ Titelman, Bruce Botnick |
Original recording personnel
- Danny Whitten — guitar, lead vocals
- Nils Lofgren — guitar, backing vocals
- Ry Cooder — slide guitar
- Billy Talbot — bass guitar
Rod Stewart version
| "I Don't Want to Talk About It" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Rod Stewart | ||||
| from the album Atlantic Crossing | ||||
| A-side |
| |||
| Released | March 1977[2] | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:13 (single version) | |||
| Label | Riva | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Danny Whitten | |||
| Producer(s) | Tom Dowd | |||
| Rod Stewart singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I Don't Want to Talk About It" on YouTube | ||||
British singer Rod Stewart recorded the song at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama for his 1975 album Atlantic Crossing. When it was released as a single in 1977, it topped the singles chart in the United Kingdom as a double A-side with "The First Cut Is the Deepest".[3] The song is widely believed to have benefitted from being deliberately released as a budget single in order to keep the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" off the top of the UK singles chart.[4][5][6] In February 2021, the song received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry for sales and streams of over 200,000.[7]
In the United States, it was released as a single in December 1979 to promote Stewart's Greatest Hits album.[8] It peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100[9] and number 44 Adult Contemporary.[10]
In 1989, Stewart cut a new rendition of the song for Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990. It was later included on Downtown Train – Selections from the Storyteller Anthology. The song received extensive airplay on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States as an album cut, reaching number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Stewart also sang this song as a duet with Amy Belle during his 2004 tour[11] and it is included in his concert DVD. The official Rod Stewart video of the performance has received over 912 million Youtube views (as of January 30, 2024).[12]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1977–1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] | 11 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] | 36 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] | 51 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[2] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] | 2 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[18] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 46 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[20] | 44 |
| West Germany (Official German Charts)[21] | 44 |
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[22] | 19 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[23] | 3 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[20] | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1977) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[24] | 70 |
Everything but the Girl version
| "I Don't Want to Talk About It" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Everything but the Girl | ||||
| from the album Idlewild | ||||
| B-side | "Oxford Street"[25] | |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Length | 4:17 | |||
| Label | Blanco y Negro | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Danny Whitten | |||
| Producer(s) | Ben Watt | |||
| Everything but the Girl singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1988, English musical duo Everything but the Girl released their version of the song as a stand-alone single; it was later included on the reissue of their fourth studio album, Idlewild (1988). Tracey Thorn has said that Stewart had been regarded as "a heroic figure" in her home when she was growing up, and that her brother Keith owned the "albums with grimy-sounding titles like An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down, and Gasoline Alley". She herself had "always liked Atlantic Crossing."[26]
This version was also met with success in the UK, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart. It was the duo's first British top-10 hit and would remain their only one until 1995, when the Todd Terry remix of "Missing" also peaked at number three. Outside the UK, the song reached number three in Ireland and number 19 in New Zealand.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[27] | 9 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] | 85 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] | 19 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[30] | 3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[31] | 75 |
Other cover versions
- In 1988, Arthur Conley, (famous for his 1967 hit "Sweet Soul Music") sang his version live on Dutch television.[citation needed] Conley had previously changed his name to Lee Roberts whilst living in The Netherlands.
- Other notable artists who have recorded versions of this song include Ian McNabb, Blue, Rita Coolidge, Billie Jo Spears, Ian Matthews, Nils Lofgren, and Indigo Girls (on the Philadelphia soundtrack).