Tell Me Why

I like this song and hearing it for the first time in 1965 I knew it was the 50's Elvis voice immediately because his voice had changed so much by then. Would have fit nicely on a 1950's EP, but this was way out of touch to 1965 pop music to be a single release. If it was rejected for release in the 50's , so why did RCA think it would click in 1965? Thats how desperate they were for new studio non-soundtrack songs.

Love his voice in the 50's he was the best then and still the best now!

The follow up single to Crying in the Chapel, and another recording from RCA's vaults. Even RCA had began to realise that some of Elvis' movie songs were not very suitable chart material any more. The song was a popular r&b number which Elvis must have heard many times in the 1950s particularly by Marie Knight and Gale Storm. A very unusual song one that you may either love or hate. I bought it when it came out and played it countless times, driving my then girlfriend mad at the sound of it.

I've always loved this song! It's raucous blues sound mixed with an almost ballad love song just makes it perect!!! An easy 5 stars from me!

The " Why can't I have all of you " part of this ballad gets the raw Elvis treatment....Magic !

Truly an overlooked gem in the Elvis catalog of music. "Tell Me Why" was overlooked by RCA when it was recorded in 1957 and continues to be under appreciated today. It was not released until December of 1965 when it was the follow up single (backed with "Blue River") to the top 20 hit "Puppet On A String" in the U.S. While a little out of place in the top 40 world of 1966, it still managed to hit #33 and sell around 500,000 copies. Very Bluesy, and just an awesome vocal performance with Elvis using those raw vocals that he used so well on "Jailhouse Rock", "Mean Woman Blues" and later with "Wearin' That Loved On Look". There is nothing soft about his voice on this performance and it is truly one of the most powerful tracks he ever recorded. I always wondered why this song was not released as a single in the fall of 1959? RCA and Colonel Parker let 8 months slip away between single releases ("A Big Hunk O' Love" in July of 59 to "Stuck On You" in March of 60) and this song backed with "Ain't That Loving You, Baby" would have made a great single to fill that gap.

Not a big '50s Elvis fan, but really loved this song when I first heard it in the mid '60s. Still love it today.

A great 1950s recording issued as a single in 1964. Are there anymore songs such as this and Aint That Loving You Baby lying around undiscovered?

Great overlooked song, that should have been released as a single in the 50s, more so than the 60s.

One of those early recording that shows the versatile Elvis, even in the fifties. He had so many hits in the fifties, possibly being the reason for not releasing it in those days. Maybe it was not 'in vogue' when it was released, but now it is a almost hidden gem in the vast musical legacy of the King. Luckily it did not get lost in the chaotic ways of RCA archives.

Vintage Elvis and a true classic.

I like the song, nice to sing along too. But if my mind serves me right it wasn't overlooked in the 50's; they (I believe it was Steve Sholes) thought it sounded too much like "Just a closer walk with Thee", they were afraid of any legal action so they decided not to use it.

One of the best performances of his career ! "Tell Me Why" and, "Is it so Strange" and "Anyway you want me" are a few of the great ones, that are over looked, by the general public.

A great song for 1957 but not as an A side single in 1965. Should have been released in 1964 as the 'B' side to Ain't That Loving You Baby, where the 2 sides would have complemented each other. A good song in its own right and one I never skip - 4 stars.

Strange ballad with loads off echo on Elvis' voice. Hauntingly beautiful though.

The third line of the song is actually... "Then you sometimes pass me by"

This is such a stellar, overlooked and underrated song and Elvis' rendition of it is a masterpiece. I've never skipped it. I rate this song and Elvis' rendition of it 5 Stars.

A haunting, blues ballad. Overlooked and under appreciated, RCA released it for the first time a decade after Elvis recorded it. Could have been a big hit instead of the small one that it was. More proof that RCA had no idea what it was doing.

When I first heard this song it had the 1950's sound for sure, but if memory serves me correct it was in the 1960's that remember this song being released and it didn't fit for the time of release. Something good, something bad as to actual sound.