SO TELL ME WHY - POISON

PhrozenInferno · Post by **PhrozenInferno** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:21 am

What a tune. Pity it got buried.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJuwqHeL9LQ

DonJuanDeMarco · Post by **DonJuanDeMarco** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:40 am

I remember seeing the video on MTV the one time it aired!

1.I don't think the Swallow This Live concert video ever came out officially, did it?

2.Bret is the only person in the video! A sign that things were not well in the Poison camp!

3.The song always reminded me a little of Belinda Carlisle Heaven is a Place on Earth! And a little bit of Hit Me With Your Best Shot too. Very pop sounding song. I think the band produced it themselves. Not bad but if it had Open Up and Say Ahh production, it probably would've been better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1NkhR5hFZE

Nate S Axel · Post by **Nate S Axel** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:54 am

Always been my favorite Poison song from the first time I heard it. It would have been a great live song to add to the set.

BDG135 · Post by **BDG135** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:56 am

Rock radio was also changing in late '91...so they probably weren't able to get the single pushed.

PhrozenInferno · Post by **PhrozenInferno** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:57 am

DonJuanDeMarco wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:40 am I remember seeing the video on MTV the one time it aired!

1.I don't think the Swallow This Live concert video ever came out officially, did it?

2.Bret is the only person in the video! A sign that things were not well in the Poison camp!

3.The song always reminded me a little of Belinda Carlisle Heaven is a Place on Earth! And a little bit of Hit Me With Your Best Shot too. Very pop sounding song. I think the band produced it themselves. Not bad but if it had Open Up and Say Ahh production, it probably would've been better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1NkhR5hFZE

Wasn't aware they produced it themselves. Honestly, kudos.

Bob Sacamano · Post by **Bob Sacamano** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 12:10 pm

DonJuanDeMarco wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:40 am I remember seeing the video on MTV the one time it aired!

1.I don't think the Swallow This Live concert video ever came out officially, did it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1NkhR5hFZE

It was aired as a PPV event. It was supposed to be released as a h me video but that release was canceled. I am pretty sure CC was already out of the band by the time So Tell Me Why was released.

Mister Freeze · Post by **Mister Freeze** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 12:42 pm

There may be a Mandela Effect thing going on here. "So Tell Me Why" definitely got regular MTV play. They didn't bury or ignore it. (MTV even gave "Stand" a chance a few years later.)

I recall being on some trip with a friend and watching a lot of MTV during this period. In addition to "So Tell Me Why," the videos we kept seeing were "Don't Cry," "Speak" (from the Queensryche live album, which was actually a big deal at the time) and some new song called "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Metal wasn't dead yet.

PhrozenInferno · Post by **PhrozenInferno** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 1:01 pm

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 12:42 pm There may be a Mandela Effect thing going on here. "So Tell Me Why" definitely got regular MTV play. They didn't bury or ignore it. (MTV even gave "Stand" a chance a few years later.)

I recall being on some trip with a friend and watching a lot of MTV during this period. In addition to "So Tell Me Why," the videos we kept seeing were "Don't Cry," "Speak" (from the Queensryche live album, which was actually a big deal at the time) and some new song called "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Metal wasn't dead yet.

This makes sense. It wasn't like one day it was GRUNGE. Look at Def Leppard's early 1990s success too. Bon Jovi?

BDG135 · Post by **BDG135** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 1:03 pm

I remember the premiere of Tell Me Why and Bret on Rockline promoting Swallow This Live. I don't remember it being in heavy rotation at all on MTV or hearing it on Rock radio.

LSD69 · Post by **LSD69** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 1:22 pm

Nate S Axel wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:54 am Always been my favorite Poison song from the first time I heard it. It would have been a great live song to add to the set.

gtrjay · Post by **gtrjay** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:01 pm

I remember in Metal Edge they answered fan mail about video. Bert said Rikki was on bike trip. Bobby hurt his leg and CC was on vacation or some shit like that. But label had to have video shot that day only.

MTV for sure played this a bit. Maybe medium rotation.

Mister Freeze · Post by **Mister Freeze** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:05 pm

For added perspective... "Ride the Wind" and "Life Goes On" were both in the Top-40 the same year "So Tell Me Why" was released.

MattleyCrue · Post by **MattleyCrue** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:13 pm

Awesome song!

gtrjay · Post by **gtrjay** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:19 pm

Did they even bother playing it live ? Ever?

rockker · Post by **rockker** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:54 pm

gtrjay wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:19 pm Did they even bother playing it live ? Ever?

Never

Wild Obsession · Post by **Wild Obsession** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:26 pm

gtrjay wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:19 pm Did they even bother playing it live ? Ever?

Aside from Bert singing over a guide track, the song is probably 99.9% written, recorded and produced by someone other than "Poison"..........

dmbrocker · Post by **dmbrocker** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:47 pm

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:05 pm For added perspective... "Ride the Wind" and "Life Goes On" were both in the Top-40 the same year "So Tell Me Why" was released.

Yeah, you'd think Poison would've had just enough goodwill left at that point to send "So Tell Me Why" at least some sort of chart position on the Hot 100, but for some reason it never happened. Must have been because of Nirvana...or maybe not?

BDG135 · Post by **BDG135** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 4:00 pm

Tuff had a video in heavy rotation in '91. Their album came out in May. Nevermind came out in September. Where was the 2nd Tuff video later in the year? hmmm....

VinnieStJohn · Post by **VinnieStJohn** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:54 pm

While watching the video (good song BTW) I found this video for What I Like About You I didn't even know existed...

https://youtu.be/Igj4GnkXjiA

Mister Freeze · Post by **Mister Freeze** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:22 pm

rockker wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:54 pm
gtrjay wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:19 pm Did they even bother playing it live ? Ever?
Never

I think they actually pulled it out one year during that summer amphitheater series in the late '90s/early 2000s.

Love_Industry · Post by **Love_Industry** » Fri Oct 27, 2023 6:05 am

PhrozenInferno wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 1:01 pm
This makes sense. It wasn't like one day it was GRUNGE. Look at Def Leppard's early 1990s success too. Bon Jovi?

Also, Aerosmith - GAG from 1993 was their 2nd biggest studio album and Van Halen had two multiplatinum albums in the first half of the 90s - without the mandatory power ballad hit. And definitely without moving (too far) away from their classic sound - that's what killed bands like Mötley, Kiss and Warrant. Eventually Leppard too with Slang.

Anthrax442 · Post by **Anthrax442** » Fri Oct 27, 2023 6:45 am

Always thought it was a decent track, but the killer song on Swallow This Live is No More Looking Back. THAT is one of the best things they've ever done, regardless of who actually wrote/recorded it.

There is a DVD bootleg out there of the video, not sure if it's the original master or just a recording of the VH1 broadcast.

endstand · Post by **endstand** » Fri Oct 27, 2023 9:18 am

Never been a fan of Poison, but this is a good, catchy song.

dweezil · Post by **dweezil** » Fri Oct 27, 2023 10:14 am

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:05 pm For added perspective... "Ride the Wind" and "Life Goes On" were both in the Top-40 the same year "So Tell Me Why" was released.

Both of those tunes BARELY cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100.
"So Tell Me Why" probably flopped more because of fatigue. It's a decent song.
The video looks like it was shot in all of maybe 2 hours. 3 max.

So THIS is how Frontiers Records got their music video ideas!

Anthrax442 · Post by **Anthrax442** » Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:28 pm

dweezil wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2023 10:14 am
Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:05 pm For added perspective... "Ride the Wind" and "Life Goes On" were both in the Top-40 the same year "So Tell Me Why" was released.

Both of those tunes BARELY cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100.
"So Tell Me Why" probably flopped more because of fatigue. It's a decent song.
The video looks like it was shot in all of maybe 2 hours. 3 max.

So THIS is how Frontiers Records got their music video ideas!

A better analogy might be "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice". The song didn't even chart, and the video barely got any airplay, which is probably a good thing since it was just B roll of Unskinny Bop footage anyway.

Sacrifice came out in July, So Tell Me Why was November.

Darrien · Post by **Darrien** » Sat Oct 28, 2023 5:40 am

Always loved this song. I always felt the video was kind of just thrown together and I don't recall seeing it more than a few times on MTV.

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Sat Oct 28, 2023 5:59 am

gtrjay wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:19 pm Did they even bother playing it live ? Ever?

No, they knew that their fans wouldn't swallow it.

Love_Industry · Post by **Love_Industry** » Sat Oct 28, 2023 6:44 am

Anthrax442 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:28 pm
dweezil wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2023 10:14 am
Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:05 pm For added perspective... "Ride the Wind" and "Life Goes On" were both in the Top-40 the same year "So Tell Me Why" was released.

Both of those tunes BARELY cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100.
"So Tell Me Why" probably flopped more because of fatigue. It's a decent song.
The video looks like it was shot in all of maybe 2 hours. 3 max.

So THIS is how Frontiers Records got their music video ideas!
A better analogy might be "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice". The song didn't even chart, and the video barely got any airplay, .

Always thought that was odd as it's one of the best songs on that album but it wasn't played live a lot either. Neither were Valley of Lost Souls and Life Loves a Tragedy.

On the other hand Life Goes On and Ride the Wind were bland, average songs and You're Mama Don't Dance was a crappy cover of a song that sucked in the first place and they all became hits. Wtf, Poison?

whiteowl yesterday · Post by **whiteowl yesterday** » Sun Oct 29, 2023 3:09 am

love the song.

kc primo · Post by **kc primo** » Sun Oct 29, 2023 11:38 am

CC should’ve released a full solo record with Spike on vocals after his split from Poison.
Kelly Hanson (Foreigner) was his original lead singer for his post Poison project Needle Park. The record company didn’t think Kelly had the chops and made CC drop him.
30 years later and Hanson is holding it down.
CC has one solo record with him on vocals lol. Horrible

SO TELL ME WHY - POISON

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