Don't Answer Me

"Don't Answer Me" is a 1984 song by the Alan Parsons Project from the album Ammonia Avenue. It reached number 15 on the Billboard charts in the United States and was the final Billboard Top 20 hit for the group. It also reached number 58 in the United Kingdom, the group's highest chart placing in their native country.[1] The music video was rendered in comic book style, with art and animation by Michael Kaluta.

"Don't Answer Me"
Single by The Alan Parsons Project
from the album Ammonia Avenue
B-side"Don't Let It Show"
ReleasedMarch 1984
Recorded1983
GenreNew wave
Length4:09
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson
Producer(s)Alan Parsons
The Alan Parsons Project singles chronology
"You Don't Believe"
(1983)		 "Don't Answer Me"
(1984)		 "Prime Time"
(1984)

The song

Instead of the art rock and progressive rock sounds for which Alan Parsons was well-known, Parsons crafted "Don't Answer Me" in the style of Phil Spector and his Wall of Sound technique. Eric Woolfson, the co-writer, handled lead vocals on the single, with Mel Collins providing a saxophone solo with a "soothing yet destitute wail".[2]

Music video

The music video was filmed at the Broadcast Arts animation studio, with Kaluta acting as lead designer and animator from a script by D.J. Webster. The video took 23 days to film, using a 40-man animation team, and combined traditional cel animation (in the rendering of the figures), stop-motion animation (for the majority of the movements), and even claymation. The final cost topped $50,000.[3]

The video is presented as a story in the fictional comic book series, The Adventures of Nick and Sugar, set in 1930s Florida. The story starts at the Flamingo Bar, where Sugar is on a date with the thuggish "Muscles" Malone. Sugar was once Nick's girl, and Nick drinks heavily (emptying a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red) as he watches Malone manhandle Sugar. After finishing the bottle, Nick leaves the bar and drives to the Burgers'N'Shakes drive-in, passing a billboard with the Ammonia Avenue album cover displayed. While admitting his heartbreak to Leslie, the carhop, a black sedan carrying Malone and Sugar pulls up next to Nick's convertible. When Sugar resists Malone's demand for a kiss, Malone moves to slap Sugar. An enraged Nick pulls Malone from his car and starts brawling with the much-larger thug. Malone appears to have beaten Nick, but Nick summons one last powerful uppercut and knocks Malone clear off the planet, sending him into the left eye of the Man in the Moon. Nick and Sugar embrace, deeply in love; as they embrace, the view quickly cuts to a still picture drawing of the band featuring Woolfson and Parsons at keyboards, dressed in 1930s cocktail lounge outfits, performing the song. Nick and Sugar drive away together, with Nick pausing to wipe Malone out of the Man in the Moon's eye with his handkerchief.[4]

The video was nominated for Most Experimental Video at the first-ever 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit".

Live recordings

Parsons and his "Alan Parsons Live Project" band perform the song in concert, with live versions released on the albums Alan Parsons Live with Gary Howard and Chris Thompson on vocals, Eye 2 Eye: Live In Madrid, and Alan Parsons Symphonic Project, Live in Colombia, the latter two with Parsons on lead vocals.

Chart performance

Personnel

References
  1. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  2. http://www.allmusic.com/song/dont-answer-me-mt0034227485
  3. http://vimeo.com/38705620
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLvFbBR4XOg
  5. bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  6. "Ultratop.be – The Alan Parsons Project – Don't Answer Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  7. "Radio 2 Top 30" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  8. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6744." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6730." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  10. "CHART NUMBER 1429 – Saturday, May 19, 1984". Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). CHUM.
  11. "Tous les Titres de l'Artiste choisi". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Alan PARSONS Project" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  12. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Alan Parsons Project – Don't Answer Me". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Alan Parsons Project – Don't Answer Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  15. "Charts.nz – The Alan Parsons Project – Don't Answer Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  16. "Swisscharts.com – The Alan Parsons Project – Don't Answer Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  17. "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  18. "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  19. "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  20. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 12, 1984". Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine.
  21. "Ultratop Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop 50 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 July 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  22. "Single-Jahrescharts 1984". GfK Entertainment Charts (in German). Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  23. "Dutch Charts Jaaroverzichten Single 1984". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  24. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  25. "Top Adult Contemporary Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 96 no. 51. 22 December 1984. p. TA-25. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
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