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"Tell It to My Heart"
Single by Taylor Dayne
from the album Tell It to My Heart
Released	July 24, 1987 (1987-07-24)
Studio	Cove City Sound (Glen Cove, New York)
Genre	Dance-pop freestyle hi-NRG
Length	3:38
Label	Arista
Songwriter(s)	Seth Swirsky Ernie Gold
Producer(s)	Ric Wake
Taylor Dayne singles chronology
"Tell It to My Heart" (1987) "Prove Your Love" (1988)
Music video
"Tell It to My Heart" on YouTube

"Tell It to My Heart" is a song performed by American singer, songwriter and actress Taylor Dayne, released in July 24, 1987 by Arista Records as her first single from her debut album, Tell It to My Heart (1988). The single was Dayne's first major exposure, and she soon became known for her up-tempo, dance-oriented music. The song was written by Chappell Music staff songwriter Seth Swirsky and Ernie Gold, and produced by Ric Wake. Swirsky almost did not deliver the song to his publisher after he and his girlfriend decided it was not good enough. The song was originally recorded by Louisa Florio in 1987.

The song debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 during the week of October 10, 1987, at position number 92, and entered the top 40 of the chart the week of November 14, 1987, rising to number 39 from number 43. Ten weeks later, during the week of January 23, 1988, the single peaked in the number seven spot. The song was present on the Hot 100 for 25 weeks. In the UK, "Tell It To My Heart" reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. It was the 23rd best-selling single of 1988 in the UK. In 1995, "Tell It to My Heart'" was remixed and re-released to promote Dayne's Greatest Hits package. This version climbed to number 23 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

"Tell It To My Heart" reached Taylor Dayne when Dayne contacted Chappell Music and asked to be sent some demos which had been overlooked, although the song had been recorded in early 1987 by Louisa Florio for a self-titled Canadian album release. Dayne recalled feeling an immediate affinity with the song: "I thought there was something about the hook – it's a happy hook." The track was recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, Long Island. Dayne's father loaned her $6,000 to create the demo. The track took off so unexpectedly in the fall of 1987 that Taylor was forced to complete her debut album at Cove City Sound in eight weeks.

Swirsky also co-wrote Dayne's follow-up single "Prove Your Love". For almost two months, only the 12-inch record of "Tell It to My Heart" with four mixes was available for purchase, and ended up selling 900,000 copies alone.

Dayne was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal, Female for her performance on "Tell It to My Heart" in 1988. Producer Ric Wake said in a 1994 interview with Vibe magazine that "Tell It to My Heart" "really blew people away". Commenting on Taylor Dayne's voice he said "They thought she was, like, black or some kind of ethnic...".

Critical reception

Lysette Cohen from Record Mirror wrote, "The single is one of those unbelievably catchy ones, full of what Taylor calls, "happy hooks". Yet it is more imposing and robust then your average dancefloor ditty. There's real guts in there. A little like the lady herself perhaps?" Another Record Mirror editor, Matthew Collin, felt that the single showed that Dayne "makes a brilliant disco queen".

Impact and legacy

In 2023, Time Out ranked "Tell It to My Heart" number 80 in their "The 100 Best Party Songs Ever Made", writing, "The Long Island native born Leslie Wunderman sounds positively voracious on her 1987 signature hit. Few dance-pop classics feel more urgent or fierce than 'Tell It to My Heart'; you can see that Dayne's been waiting her whole life to belt out lines like 'Body to body / Soul to soul / Always feel you near.' The lyrics might read like bad student poetry, but blend them with unabashedly hammy '80s synths and a so-passionate-it's-a-little-scary delivery, and the result is a sonic Roman candle, blasting fireballs of fun onto the dance floor." Same year, Rolling Stone ranked it number 148 in their "The 200 Best '80s Songs", adding, "Miami freestyle hits the Long Island bar-mitzvah circuit to conquer Middle America. Result: a permanent disco floor-filler."

Track listings

Cover versions

A Spanish-language version titled "Díselo a mi corazón" was included on Spanish pop group Amistades Peligrosas's 1993 album, La última tentación. In 2002, English singer Kelly Llorenna released her version of the song as a single. It peaked at number nine in the United Kingdom and number 31 in Ireland. In 2011, American singer Raquela (Burt) released her version of the song as a single. It stayed on the DJ Times Top 40 dance charts for 28 weeks. In 2023, Cash Cash released a remix version of this song with newly re-recorded vocals from Dayne.

Charts

Certifications

References

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• 1987 songs
• 1987 debut singles
• 1988 singles
• 1995 singles
• 2002 singles
• Taylor Dayne songs
• Arista Records singles
• Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
• European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
• Number-one singles in Austria
• Number-one singles in Germany
• Number-one singles in Switzerland
• Song recordings produced by Ric Wake
• Songs written by Seth Swirsky