I Don't Know Why

1969 single by Stevie Wonder

"I Don't Know Why"
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album For Once in My Life
A-side"My Cherie Amour"
ReleasedJanuary 28, 1969
Recorded1968
GenreSoul, pop
Length
  • 3:02 (single version)
  • 2:48 (album version)
LabelTamla
Songwriter(s)
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Paul Riser
  • Don Hunter
  • Lula Hardaway
Producer(s)
  • Don Hunter
  • Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day"
(1968) 		"I Don't Know Why"
(1969) 		"My Cherie Amour"
(1969)

"I Don't Know Why" (sometimes listed as "Don't Know Why I Love You") is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, from the 1968 album For Once in My Life. It was released as a single on January 28, 1969, with "My Cherie Amour" on the B-side. A few months later, the single was re-issued with sides reversed because of the growing popularity of "My Cherie Amour", which became a Top Ten hit.[1]

Cash Box stated that "Wonder is softened just a trifle on this slower and more dramatically developing ballad."[2]

Personnel

  • Stevie Wonder – vocals, clavinet
  • The Funk Brothers – all other instruments

Charts

The single peaked at No. 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was recorded when Wonder was 18 years old, and became a moderate hit single, together with "You Met Your Match", another song from the album. It also showcases Wonder's talents on the clavinet.

Chart (1969) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[3] 48
Canadian Singles Chart][4] 41
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[5] 22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] 20
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 39
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] 16

Rolling Stones version

"I Don't Know Why"
Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album Metamorphosis
A-side"Try a Little Harder"
ReleasedMay 1975 (1975-05)
RecordedJune 1969
StudioOlympic, London
GenreRock
Length3:01
LabelABKCO
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jimmy Miller
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
(1975) 		"I Don't Know Why"
(1975) 		"Out of Time"
(1975)

A rendition of "I Don't Know Why" by the Rolling Stones is included on their 1975 rarities compilation Metamorphosis. It was recorded on July 3, 1969, during the sessions for Let It Bleed. It was also the night that news broke of former guitarist Brian Jones' death, less than a month after he had been fired from the band.

The song was also used as the B-side for their 1975 single "Try A Little Harder", and peaked at No. 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[10]

References

  1. ^ Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. pp. 414–415. ISBN 9781311441546.
  2. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 15, 1969. p. 20. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  3. ^ "Stevie Wonder – I Don't Know Why" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  4. ^ "The RPM 100". RPM. Vol. 11, no. 3. March 17, 1969. p. 5.
  5. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Stevie Wonder" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Stevie Wonder – I Don't Know Why" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Stevie Wonder: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  8. ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. March 22, 1969. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 720.
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