''Tell Me Why'' is the second studio album by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Wynonna Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

, released on

Curb A curb (North American English), or kerb (Commonwealth English except Canada; see spelling differences), is the edge where a raised sidewalk or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway. History Although curbs have ...

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

in 1993. It produced the hit singles "Only Love", "Is It Over Yet", "Rock Bottom", "Girls with Guitars", and the title track, all top ten hits on the '' Billboard'' country music charts. "Let's Make a Baby King" also charted at #61 based on unsolicited airplay. The title song also charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

charts.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic. *

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

– lead vocals, backing vocals (3) *

Steve Nathan Steven Jay Nathan is an American keyboardist. He is known for his session work in Muscle Shoals and Nashville studios. Biography Nathan was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. In 1977, Nathan moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After touring w ...

– acoustic piano (1),

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...

(4, 7–10), Hammond B3 organ (6) *

Matt Rollings Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, Rollings has worked with many artists, not all country. Matt won the 'Best Traditional Pop Voc ...

– Hammond B3 organ (1, 4, 8), Wurlitzer electric piano (2, 10), acoustic piano (6) *

Barry Beckett Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in ...

– Hammond B3 organ (2) * Billy Kirsch – acoustic piano (5) *

Karla Bonoff Karla may refer to: People * Karla (name), a feminine given name * Petras Karla (1937–1969), Soviet Olympic rower Places * Karla, Kose Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia * Karla, Rae Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia * K ...

– acoustic guitar (1), backing vocals (1) *

Don Potter Donald Steele Potter (21 April 1902 – 7 June 2004) was an English sculptor, wood carver, potter and teacher. Don Potter was born in Newington, near Sittingbourne, Kent, the son of a school teacher, and attended a private school. He joined ...

– acoustic guitar (1, 3, 6, 7, 9), electric guitar (4, 8, 10), rhythm guitar (4, 8) *

Steuart Smith Steuart Smith (born 24 June 1952) is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer and producer from Arlington, Virginia, United States. He is a touring member of the American rock band Eagles, where he has performed as one of ...

– lead guitar (1, 4, 8, 10), rhythm guitar (1), electric guitar (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10), acoustic guitar (7, 9) * Steve Cropper – electric guitar (2) *

Marcus Hummon Marcus Spencer Hummon (born December 28, 1960) is an American country music artist. He is the father of country singer Levi Hummon. Early life Hummon was born in Washington, D.C.. He graduated from Williams College. Career After several years o ...

– acoustic guitar (3) * Paul Franklin – steel guitar (9) *

Willie Weeks Willie Weeks (born August 5, 1947) is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also ...

– bass (1–4, 6–10) *

Eddie Bayers Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music ...

– drums (1–4, 6–10) percussion (6) *

Terry McMillan Terry McMillan (born October 18, 1951) is an American novelist. Her work centers around the experiences of Black women in the United States. Early life McMillan was born in Port Huron, Michigan. She received a B.A. in journalism in 1977 from ...

–

cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...

(1), tambourine (1), harmonica (9) *

Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for f ...

– saxophones (4) * Harvey Thompson – saxophones (4) * George Tidwell – trumpets (4) * Steve Dorff – string arrangements and conductor (3, 5) *

Kenny Edwards Kenneth Michael Edwards (February 10, 1946 – August 18, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, bassist, guitarist, mandolinist, and session musician. He was a founding member of the Stone Poneys and Bryndle and a long-time collaborator wi ...

– backing vocals (1) *

Wendy Waldman Wendy Waldman (born November 29, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Biography Early life Waldman (born Wendy Steiner) grew up in the Los Angeles area. She was raised in a musical environment: her father Fred Steiner ...

– backing vocals (1) * Bob Bailey – backing vocals (2, 4, 6) * Kim Fleming – backing vocals (2, 4, 6) * Suzy Willis – backing vocals (2, 4, 6) * Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals (3, 6) *

Naomi Judd Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd; January 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022) was an American singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna (born Christina Claire) formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a very successful country ...

– backing vocals (7, 8) * Lyle Lovett – backing vocals (7) *

Jesse Winchester James Ridout "Jesse" Winchester Jr. (May 17, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American-Canadian musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in the southern United States. Opposed to the Vietnam War, he moved to Canada in 1967 to avoid b ...

– backing vocals (8)

Production

* Tony Brown – producer * Don Potter – associate producer *

Chuck Ainlay Chuck Ainlay is an American record producer and audio engineer. He has worked with Mark Knopfler on much of Knopfler's solo work, in addition to some Dire Straits material. He has 4 Grammy Awards and 5 nominations. Along with Knopfler and Bob ...

– recording, overdub recording (2-10), mixing, mastering * Clark Germain – overdub recording (1) * Jim Champange – overdub recording assistant (1) * Russ Martin – overdub recording (2-10) * Warren Peterson – overdub recording (2-10) * Robert Fernandez – string recording (3, 5) * Graham Lewis – second engineer * Nick Sparks – second engineer * Robert Charles – second engineer (7) * Larry Jefferies – second engineer (7) * Craig White – second engineer (7) * Denny Purcell – mastering * Jessie Noble – project coordinator * Virginia Team – art direction * Jerry Joyner – design * Randee St. Nicholas – photography * Earl Cox/Trumps – hair * Mary Beth Felts – make-up * Vanessa Ware – stylist * Ken Stilts Company, Inc. – management Studios * Recorded at Emerald Sound Studio (Nashville, TN). * Overdubbed at Emerald Sound Studio, Backstage Studio, Javelina Recording Studio and

Ocean Way Nashville Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates record ...

(Nashville, TN). * Strings recorded at Warner Bros. Scoring Stage 1 (Los Angeles, CA). * Mixed at Masterfonics (Nashville, TN). * Mastered at Georgetown Masters (Nashville, TN).

Charts and certifications

References

1993 albums Curb Records albums Wynonna Judd albums MCA Records albums Albums produced by Tony Brown (record producer) {{1990s-country-album-stub