Don't Know Much

The song first appeared on Barry Mann's self-titled 1980 album, released on Casablanca Records. Bill Medley scored a Billboard Hot 100 chart success with it rising to number 88 in April 1981. The next month, the song hit number 29 on the Adult Contemporary chart.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bill-medley/chart-history/asi/|title = Bill Medley|magazine = Billboard}} Bette Midler recorded a version with changed lyrics under the title "All I Need to Know", charting at number 77 in 1983.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bette-midler/chart-history/hsi/|title = Bette Midler|magazine = Billboard}}

In 2000, Barry Mann re-recorded the song with Brenda Russell on his album Soul and Inspiration, released on Atlantic Records.

{{Infobox song

| name = Don't Know Much

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Bill Medley

| album = Sweet Thunder

| B-side =

• "Woman"
• Same song (Promotional releases only)

| released = 1981

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 3:07

| label = Liberty

| writer = {{hlist|Barry Mann|Cynthia Weil|Tom Snow}}

| producer = Michael Lloyd

| prev_title = Statue of a Fool

| prev_year = 1979

| next_title = Right Here and Now

| next_year = 1982

}}

In 1981, American singer-songwriter Bill Medley covered the song for his eighth studio album, Sweet Thunder. Medley's version was a minor hit, reaching number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100{{Cite magazine|title=Bill Medley|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bill-medley/chart-history/hsi/|access-date=2021-10-12|magazine=Billboard}} and number 29 on the Adult Contemporary chart.{{Cite magazine|title=Bill Medley|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bill-medley/chart-history/asi/|access-date=2021-10-12|magazine=Billboard}}

{{Infobox song

| name = All I Need to Know

| cover = Allineedtoknowbettemidler.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Bette Midler

| album = No Frills

| B-side = My Eye on You

| released = 1983

| format =

| recorded = 1983

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 4:08

| label = Atlantic

| writer = {{hlist|Barry Mann|Cynthia Weil|Tom Snow}}

| producer = Chuck Plotkin

| prev_title = Chapel of Love (Live)

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = Favorite Waste of Time

| next_year = 1983

}}

In 1983, American actress and singer Bette Midler covered the song for her 1983 album No Frills under the title "All I Need to Know", with changed lyrics. Midler's version reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart, number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100,{{Cite magazine|title=Bette Midler|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bette-midler/chart-history/hsi/|access-date=2021-10-12|magazine=Billboard}} and number 5 on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart, having its highest peak there.{{Cite web|date=2014-12-29|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4331&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=0rtahbkkaef93u0obmeuhrvor6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229010749/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4331&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=0rtahbkkaef93u0obmeuhrvor6|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-12-29|access-date=2021-10-12}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Don't Know Much

| cover = Linda Ronstadt Don't Know Much.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville

| album = Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind

| B-side = Cry Like a Rainstorm

| released = September 12, 1989

| recorded =

| studio = Skywalker Ranch (Marin County, California)

| genre = Pop{{cite news |last=Chilton |first=Martin |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10757636/Linda-Ronstadt-deserves-Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-honour.html|title=Linda Ronstadt deserves Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honour|work=The Daily Telegraph |date=April 11, 2014 |access-date=February 22, 2017 }}

| length = 3:35

| label = Elektra

| writer =

• Barry Mann
• Cynthia Weil
• Tom Snow

| producer =

• Peter Asher
• Steve Tyrell

| chronology = Linda Ronstadt

| prev_title = Wildflowers

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = All My Life

| next_year = 1990

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Aaron Neville

| type = single

| prev_title = The Greatest Love

| prev_year = 1978

| title = Don't Know Much

| year = 1989

| next_title = All My Life

| next_year = 1990

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|MODa6wpbKok|"Don't Know Much"}}}}

}}

The song was covered on Linda Ronstadt's triple-platinum 1989 album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind in a duet with Aaron Neville. It was introduced to Ronstadt and Neville by Steve Tyrell. Co-produced by Tyrell and Peter Asher, it was released as a single in the United States in 1989, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The single was Ronstadt's 10th and last top-10 hit and was certified gold, eventually selling over 900,000 copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at number one in Ireland, number two in Australia, and reached the top five in Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

"Don't Know Much" won Ronstadt and Neville the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Song of the Year.

"Don't Know Much" received favorable reviews from music critics. American magazine Billboard deemed it "a strong send-off" from the album.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-10-14.pdf|title=Album Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=October 14, 1989|page=82|access-date=September 26, 2020}} Swedish Expressen called it "heavenly", adding, "What a lovesong."Expressen. November 6, 1989. Robin Katz from Music Week complimented it as a "brilliant insight into aging."{{cite magazine|first=Robin|last=Katz|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-11-11.pdf|title=LP Reviews Extra|magazine=Music Week|date=November 11, 1989|page=30|access-date=March 14, 2023}} Cary Darling from Orange County Register labeled it as a "soaring, wide-screen ballad."{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zQdPAAAAIBAJ|title=Ronstadt heads back to mainstream pop|magazine=Orange County Register|date=October 27, 1989|page=18|access-date=March 11, 2020}} Jan DeKnock of Orlando Sentinel described it as "a killer ballad."{{cite news |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1989-10-06-8910052242-story.html|title=Paula Abdul Finally Tops The Pops|work=Orlando Sentinel|publisher=DeKnock, Jan|date=October 6, 1989|access-date=March 4, 2020}} A reviewer from People Magazine felt "their voices fuse like sunlight beaming through a stained-glass window."{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-cry-like-a-rainstorm-howl-like-the-wind-vol-32-no-17/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Cry Like a Rainstorm—howl Like the Wind|magazine=People|date=October 23, 1989|access-date=March 9, 2020}} James Hunter of Rolling Stone praised it as "brilliant".{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hunter |title= Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind |magazine= Rolling Stone |date= January 11, 1990 |access-date= April 28, 2020 |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/cry-like-a-rainstorm-howl-like-the-wind-111464/}} Californian Santa Cruz Sentinel called it a "tender love ballad duet."{{cite magazine|title= Grammys/A big night for Bonnie |magazine= Santa Cruz Sentinel |date= February 22, 1990 |access-date= April 23, 2020 |url= https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SCS19900222.1.12}} Ken Tucker from Spin declared it as "a pretty Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil weeper."{{cite magazine|first=Ken|last=Tucker|title=Spins|magazine=Spin|date=January 1990|page=77|access-date=January 23, 2023|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Wf6jGc6xEcC}}

In the accompanying music video for "Don't Know Much", both Neville and Ronstadt portray a middle-aged couple that are remembering their past and all the difficulties that they seem to have faced together.

{{Track listing

| headline = 7-inch single, Europe (1989)

| title1 = Don't Know Much

| note1 =

| length1 = 3:33

| title2 = Hurt So Bad

| note2 =

| length2 = 3:17

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 12-inch single, UK (1989)

| title1 = Don't Know Much

| note1 =

| length1 = 3:33

| title2 = Hurt So Bad

| note2 =

| length2 = 3:17

| title3 = I Can't Let Go

| note3 =

| length3 = 2:44

}}

• Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville – vocals, vocal harmonies
• Don Grolnick – acoustic piano
• Michael Landau – electric guitar
• Leland Sklar – bass
• Carlos Vega – drums
• Michael Fisher – percussion
• The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra arranged by David Campbell; concertmaster – Pavel Farkas

{{col-begin|width=74%}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|title=Don't Know Much|artist=Arron Neville and Linda Ronstadt|award=Platinum|certyear=1990|relyear=1989|access-date=August 8, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|title=Don't Know Much|artist=Linda Ronstadt|award=Gold|certyear=1989|relyear=1989|access-date=December 10, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Linda Ronstadt}}

{{Aaron Neville}}

{{Bill Medley}}

{{Bette Midler singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1980 songs

Category:1981 singles

Category:1989 singles

Category:1980s ballads

Category:Linda Ronstadt songs

Category:Aaron Neville songs

Category:Bill Medley songs

Category:Bette Midler songs

Category:Male–female vocal duets

Category:Songs written by Tom Snow

Category:Songs written by Barry Mann

Category:Songs with lyrics by Cynthia Weil

Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Asher

Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Elektra Records singles

Category:Liberty Records singles

Category:Atlantic Records singles

Category:Pop ballads