Howdy, Dialophiles! Tonight, the Dial tunes into a
frequency from country crossover legend Juice Newton, as she puts her spin on
the mid ‘60s pop/rock hit “Tell Her No”.
The first single pulled from Newton’s 1983’s LP Dirty Looks, “Tell Her No” peaked at #27 on the Billboard top 40, and would be her final entry on that chart, following earlier smashes “Queen of Hearts”, and “Angel of the Morning”. THN was pushed exclusively to pop/top 40 stations, and had no special mix or release for country music stations.
Juice Newton was one of the prominent figures of what is now known as “Countrypolitan” music. A variant of country incorporating strong pop elements, artists like Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, and Eddie Rabbitt all enjoyed multiple crossover hits on top 40 even as their more traditional country leaning singles continued to find favor on country formats. The Countrypolitan genre tended to borrow elements of whatever the prevailing trend in top 40 was at the time, such as disco (Dolly’s “Two Doors Down”), soft rock (Milsap’s “There’s No Getting Over Me”), and even new wave, such as this excellent track by Ms. Newton.
Originally a #6 hit in 1965 for British rock legends The Zombies, the original THN is a warning from a jilted lover to a friend, cautioning him against moving forward with the singer’s unfaithful former flame so as to avoid heartbreak himself.
Juice’s gender switched version changes the story, into a tale of a woman warning her lover not to stray to another, for his love belongs to her.
The country cross over train derailed by mid-decade as top 40 became increasingly rock and soul based (no doubt due to influence from a certain Music Television channel), and traditional country performers often voiced their displeasure at crossover artists.
Juice recovered from this stumbling block beginning in 1985 with six consecutive top 10 country singles including the #1 “You Make Me Want To Make You Mine”, and the #5 “Old Flame”. By the end of the decade, Juice’s chart career had come to an end.
Whenever I listen to Juice’s THN (which I heard a few times back in the day), I visualize dim rooms lit by neon streaks flashing in time to the ascending and descending notes in the chorus, like something you’d expect to see in an ‘80s club or bar. Not sure where I got this mental image, as there doesn’t appear to have been a music video for this track, but it’s a quintessentially 80s visual for a great forgotten track. Sit back, and enjoy.
The first single pulled from Newton’s 1983’s LP Dirty Looks, “Tell Her No” peaked at #27 on the Billboard top 40, and would be her final entry on that chart, following earlier smashes “Queen of Hearts”, and “Angel of the Morning”. THN was pushed exclusively to pop/top 40 stations, and had no special mix or release for country music stations.
Juice Newton was one of the prominent figures of what is now known as “Countrypolitan” music. A variant of country incorporating strong pop elements, artists like Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, and Eddie Rabbitt all enjoyed multiple crossover hits on top 40 even as their more traditional country leaning singles continued to find favor on country formats. The Countrypolitan genre tended to borrow elements of whatever the prevailing trend in top 40 was at the time, such as disco (Dolly’s “Two Doors Down”), soft rock (Milsap’s “There’s No Getting Over Me”), and even new wave, such as this excellent track by Ms. Newton.
Originally a #6 hit in 1965 for British rock legends The Zombies, the original THN is a warning from a jilted lover to a friend, cautioning him against moving forward with the singer’s unfaithful former flame so as to avoid heartbreak himself.
Juice’s gender switched version changes the story, into a tale of a woman warning her lover not to stray to another, for his love belongs to her.
The country cross over train derailed by mid-decade as top 40 became increasingly rock and soul based (no doubt due to influence from a certain Music Television channel), and traditional country performers often voiced their displeasure at crossover artists.
Juice recovered from this stumbling block beginning in 1985 with six consecutive top 10 country singles including the #1 “You Make Me Want To Make You Mine”, and the #5 “Old Flame”. By the end of the decade, Juice’s chart career had come to an end.
Whenever I listen to Juice’s THN (which I heard a few times back in the day), I visualize dim rooms lit by neon streaks flashing in time to the ascending and descending notes in the chorus, like something you’d expect to see in an ‘80s club or bar. Not sure where I got this mental image, as there doesn’t appear to have been a music video for this track, but it’s a quintessentially 80s visual for a great forgotten track. Sit back, and enjoy.
“And if she should tell you “I love you”… if she whispers
with her charms…
And if she should tell you “come closer”, if she tempts you into her arms…
You tell her no, no. You tell her no, no, NO! You tell her no, no.
Don’t hurt me now, for your love, belongs to me.“
And if she should tell you “come closer”, if she tempts you into her arms…
You tell her no, no. You tell her no, no, NO! You tell her no, no.
Don’t hurt me now, for your love, belongs to me.“
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