Nobody Knows (Tony Rich song) explained

Nobody Knows
Cover:Nobody Knows Tony Rich.jpg
Type:single
Artist:the Tony Rich Project
Album:Words
Studio:LaCoCo (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre:Soul[1]
Length:5:06
Label:
Producer:Tony Rich
Next Title:Like a Woman
Next Year:1996

"Nobody Knows" is a song by R&B singer Tony Rich (then known as the Tony Rich Project) from his 1996 debut album, Words. Released as his debut single on November 7, 1995, the song peaked at number two on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.[2] It also became a hit in several other countries, topping the Irish Singles Chart and reaching number two in Australia and Canada, number four in the United Kingdom, and the top 20 in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. Rich received a nomination for the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.[3] [4]

Critical reception

James Hamilton from Music Weeks RM Dance Update described the song as a "mushily harmonised US smash crossover smoocher melodically reminiscent of Chairmen Of The Board's 'Patches'."[5]

Track listings

US CD single[6]

  1. "Nobody Knows" (album version) – 5:06
  2. "Nobody Knows" (Eddie F.'s Untouchable remix) – 6:17
  3. "Nobody Knows" (Rich remix) – 5:32
  4. "Nobody Knows" (album instrumental) – 5:06

US cassette single[7]

  1. "Nobody Knows" (radio edit)
  2. "Nobody Knows" (album instrumental)

European CD single[8]

  1. "Nobody Knows" (album version) – 5:20
  2. "Nobody Knows" (album instrumental) – 5:20

UK and Australian CD single[9]

  1. "Nobody Knows" (radio edit) – 4:22
  2. "Nobody Knows" (Rich single edit) – 4:22
  3. "Nobody Knows" (Untouchable Flava edit) – 4:21
  4. "Nobody Knows" (album version) – 5:06

UK cassette single[10]

  1. "Nobody Knows" (radio edit)
  2. "Nobody Knows" (Rich single edit)

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the US CD single liner notes.[6]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 15
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[12] 35

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
Australia (ARIA)[13] 33
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 22
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[15] 15
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 50
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 80
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 85
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 29
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[21] 6
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[22] 12
US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)[23] 30
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[24] 8
US Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover (Billboard)[25] 7

All-time charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United StatesNovember 7, 1995[28]
December 5, 1995[29]
United KingdomApril 22, 1996[30]

Kevin Sharp version

Nobody Knows
Type:single
Artist:Kevin Sharp
Album:Measure of a Man
Released:September 23, 1996
Genre:Country
Length:3:26
Label:Asylum
Producer:Chris Farren
Next Title:She's Sure Taking It Well
Next Year:1997

American country music artist Kevin Sharp recorded a cover version of the song on his 1996 debut album, Measure of a Man. It was released in September 1996 as his debut single. It became his only number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, spending four weeks on the chart.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that his "smooth, melodic voice and sensitive interpretation of the lyric signal show promise for this talented new artist."[31]

Music video

The music video was directed by Jeffrey Phillips and premiered in late 1996.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[32] 22
US Country Songs (Billboard)[33] 51

Other versions

In 1997, saxophonist Richard Elliot covered the song from his album Jumpin' Off.[34] [35] Eli Mattson delivered a piano/vocal cover on the third season of America's Got Talent in 2008. British boyband JLS also recorded a cover of the song; it was leaked onto the internet in June 2010 and has now appeared as the B-Side to their single She Makes Me Wanna. British pop singer Shayne Ward included a cover on his third album, Obsession.The song is featured on the Boyzone album, BZ20, released in November 2013.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tom. Eames. The 100 greatest songs of the 1990s, ranked. Smooth Radio. July 31, 2024. August 15, 2024.
  2. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Joel Whitburn. 2002. Record Research. 203.
  3. Web site: The Complete List of Nominees. Los Angeles Times. January 8, 1997. January 25, 2021.
  4. Web site: 1996 Grammy Winners. Grammy Awards. January 25, 2021.
  5. DJ Directory. James. Hamilton. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 27, 1996. 11. August 16, 2021.
  6. Nobody Knows. The Tony Rich Project. 1995. US CD single liner notes. LaFace Records. 73008-24116-2.
  7. Nobody Knows. The Tony Rich Project. 1995. US cassette single sleeve. LaFace Records. 73008-24115-4.
  8. Nobody Knows. The Tony Rich Project. 1996. European CD single liner notes. LaFace Records, Arista Records. 74321 31477 2.
  9. Nobody Knows. The Tony Rich Project. 1996. UK & Australian CD single liner notes. LaFace Records, Arista Records. 74321 35642 2.
  10. Nobody Knows. The Tony Rich Project. 1995. UK cassette single sleeve. LaFace Records. 74321 35642 4.
  11. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 23. 20. June 8, 1996. September 12, 2020.
  12. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.6. – 7.6. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 26. June 1, 1996. October 2, 2019.
  13. Web site: 1996 ARIA Singles Chart. ARIA. July 10, 2019.
  14. RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 10, 2019.
  15. RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 10, 2019.
  16. Web site: Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1996. Dutch Top 40. February 28, 2020.
  17. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996. MegaCharts. nl. July 10, 2019.
  18. Web site: Årslista Singlar, 1996. Sverigetopplistan. sv. January 25, 2021.
  19. Top 100 Singles 1996. Music Week. 25. January 18, 1997.
  20. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 1996. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090301121523/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1996. March 1, 2009. August 27, 2010.
  21. The Year in Music: Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks. Billboard. 108. 52. YE-84. December 28, 1996. November 15, 2023.
  22. The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks. Billboard. 108. 52. YE-86. December 28, 1996. November 15, 2023.
  23. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1996. Billboard. June 29, 2021.
  24. Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles. Airplay Monitor. 4. 53. 30. December 27, 1996.
  25. Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover Titles. Airplay Monitor. 4. 53. 32. December 27, 1996.
  26. Book: Geoff Mayfield. 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. December 25, 1999. October 15, 2010.
  27. Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart. Billboard. January 14, 2019.
  28. Web site: Nobody Knows. Amazon. August 12, 2021.
  29. Selected New Releases. Radio & Records. 1123. 33, 39. December 1, 1995. August 12, 2021.
  30. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 27. April 20, 1996. August 12, 2021.
  31. Billboard, October 12, 1996.
  32. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Country Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 15, 1997. January 25, 2021.
  33. Best of 1997: Country Songs. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1997. July 17, 2013.
  34. Web site: [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r318059|pure_url=yes}} Jumpin' Off overview]. Allmusic.com.
  35. Web site: Jumpin' Off - Richard Elliot. JazzTimes.com.