Don't Explain (Robert Palmer album)

Don't Explain is the tenth solo studio album by English singer Robert Palmer, released in 1990. During the course of its 18 tracks, Palmer displays rock, R&B, jazz and Bahamian influences. Several classic songs are covered, as well. The album peaked at number 9 in the UK and number 88 in the US.

In the UK the album was certified Gold by the BPI in November 1990.

Track listing

 * 1) "Your Mother Should Have Told You" (Robert Palmer, Guy Pratt) – 3:41
 * 2) "Light-Years" (Divinyls, Robert Palmer) – 4:27
 * 3) "You Can't Get Enough of a Good Thing" (Robert Palmer) – 4:08
 * 4) "Dreams to Remember" (Otis Redding, Zelda Reading, Joe Rock) – 4:25
 * 5) "You're Amazing" (Stephen Fellows, Alan Mansfield, Robert Palmer, Guy Pratt, Steve Stevens) – 3:49
 * 6) "Mess Around" (Stephen Fellows, Robert Palmer) – 4:50
 * 7) "Happiness" (Robert Palmer) – 2:52
 * 8) "History" (Robert Palmer) – 4:32
 * 9) "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"; with UB40 (Bob Dylan) – 3:26
 * 10) "Housework" (Stephen Fellows, Robert Palmer) – 3:12
 * 11) "Mercy Mercy Me" (Marvin Gaye) / "I Want You" (Arthur "T-Boy" Ross, Leon Ware) – 5:59
 * 12) "Don't Explain" (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday) – 2:28
 * 13) "Aeroplane" (Robert Palmer) – 3:04
 * 14) "People Will Say We're in Love" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein) – 2:20
 * 15) "Not a Word" (Robert Palmer, Guy Pratt, Colin Vearncombe) – 4:18
 * 16) "Top 40" (Mose Allison) – 2:40
 * 17) "You're So Desirable" (Ray Noble) – 2:24
 * 18) "You're My Thrill" (Sidney Clare, Jay Gorney) – 3:58


 * The liner notes for the first US pressing (EMI/Capitol – CDP-7-93935-2) attribute the final song to Ned Washington and Burton Lane. While they co-wrote a song by that name, the one on Palmer's album is the Clare & Gorney composition made popular by Billie Holiday.

Personnel

 * Robert Palmer – lead and backing vocals, guitars, drums
 * Brent Bourgeois – keyboards, backing vocals (2, 3)
 * Alan Mansfield – keyboards, drums
 * William Bryant – acoustic piano, bass
 * Dennis Budimir – guitars
 * Alan Darby – guitars
 * Eddie Martinez – guitars
 * Saverio Porciello – guitars
 * Steve Stevens – guitars
 * Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar
 * Frank Blair – bass
 * Guy Pratt – bass
 * Dony Wynn – drums, percussion
 * Cyro Baptista – percussion
 * Pino Pischetola – percussion
 * Claudio Pascoli – saxophones
 * Chuck Findley – flugelhorn, trumpet
 * Demo Morselli – trumpet
 * Luka Belak – violin
 * Clare Fischer – clarinet, string and horn arrangements, conductor
 * Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
 * B.J. Nelson – backing vocals (2, 3, 4)
 * Pamela Starks – backing vocals (9)
 * UB40 – backing vocals (9)

Production

 * David Harper – executive producer
 * Robert Palmer – producer (1–6, 9, 10, 17), co-producer (7, 8, 11, 13)
 * Teo Macero – producer (7, 8, 11–16, 18)
 * Arne Frager – engineer
 * Pino Pischetola – engineer
 * Mike Fraser – mixing (1, 5)
 * Eric "ET" Thorngren – mixing (2, 3, 4, 6–18)
 * Richard Cobble – production coordination
 * Henry Marquez – art direction, design
 * Timothy Greenfield-Sanders – photography
 * David King – stylist