# Don't Explain (Robert Palmer album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Billboard | favourable |
| New Musical Express | 6/10 |
| Record Mirror | |
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

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

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | Gold | 35,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||