You Don't Know My Name

"You Don't Know My Name"
Single by Alicia Keys
from the album The Diary of Alicia Keys
B-side	"Diary"
Released	November 18, 2003
Format	CD single, 12" single, digital download
Recorded	2003; Kampo Studios, Quad Recording Studios (New York City, New York)
Genre	Soul, R&B
Length	6:06 (album version) 4:28 (radio edit)
Label	J
Writer(s)	Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Harold Lilly, J. R. Bailey, Mel Kent, Ken Williams
Producer(s)	Kanye West, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys singles chronology
"Girlfriend" (2002) "You Don't Know My Name" (2003) "If I Ain't Got You" (2004)
Music video "You Don't Know My Name" on YouTube

"You Don't Know My Name" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys from her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Written by Keys, Kanye West and Harold Lilly, and produced by Keys and West, the track was released as the album's lead single in November 2003, and contains a sample from the 1975 song "Let Me Prove My Love to You", written by J. R. Bailey, Mel Kent, and Ken Williams and performed by The Main Ingredient.

The song became Keys' third top ten hit in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eight consecutive weeks, her first Top 10 single in both charts since 2002's "A Woman's Worth". Additionally, the song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2005 and a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female in 2004. "You Don't Know My Name" was sampled on Lil Wayne's 2008 song "Comfortable" featuring Babyface, also produced by West. Blender magazine placed the song at number thirty-seven on its list of "The 100 Best Songs of 2004".^[1]

Music video

Directed by Chris Robinson, the music video follows Keys working as a waitress at a café. One day, Keys meets a man (played by Mos Def) in the café, and she falls in love with him. Later on, Keys is at a house party where she runs into that same man (Mos Def) when a fight is about to break out, and the scene resembles the house party scene in the movie Cooley High. Later in the video, Keys imagines getting the courage to call him and to tell him about her feelings. However, at the end of the movie, she remembers his order but there is no other recognition and the scene ends with his card still being in the bowl and Keys staring out the window since she will never be able to reveal her true feelings for the man.

Track listings and formats

• European CD single^[2]

1. "You Don't Know My Name" — 5:28
2. "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) — 4:45

• European maxi single^[3]

1. "You Don't Know My Name" — 5:28
2. "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) — 4:45
3. "You Don't Know My Name" (Instrumental) — 4:28

• Enhanced CD single^[4]

1. "You Don't Know My Name" — 4:20
2. "Fallin'" (Ali soundtrack version) — 4:30
3. "Butterflyz" (Roger's Release Mix) — 3:54
4. "You Don't Know My Name" (video)

• U.S. 12" single^[5]

  • A1 "You Don't Know My Name" (radio mix) — 4:28
  • A2 "You Don't Know My Name" (instrumental) — 4:28
  • B1 "You Don't Know My Name" (album mix) — 6:08
  • B2 "You Don't Know My Name" (a cappella) — 4:26

  U.S. 12" single (Remixes)^[6]

  • A1 "You Don't Know My Name" (HeartBeat Remix featuring T-Rex) — 3:54
  • A2 "You Don't Know My Name" (G-Mix featuring Fabolous) — 3:42
  • B1 "You Don't Know My Name" (Roc-A-Fella Remix featuring Freeway) — 4:21
  • B2 "You Don't Know My Name" (Smooth) — 3:13
  • B3 "You Don't Know My Name" (Reggae Mix) — 3:00

  European 12" single^[7]

  • A1 "You Don't Know My Name" (radio edit) — 3:07
  • A2 "Fallin'" (Ali soundtrack version) — 6:08
  • B1 "You Don't Know My Name" (instrumental version) — 4:27

Personnel

Alicia Keys – lead vocals, backing vocals, producer Sanford Allen – concertmaster, violin Tony Black – engineer Richard Brice – viola Kurt Briggs – violin Avril Brown – violin Robert Chausow – viola Ray Chew – string conductor, string arrangements Barry Finclair – viola Eileen Folson – cello Sharief Hobley – guitar Stanley Hunte – violin John Legend – backing vocals

Harold Lilly – backing vocals Manny Marroquin – mixing Lori Miller – violin Ann Mincieli – engineer Caryl Paisner – cello Marion Pinheiro – violin Herb Powers Jr. – mastering Artie Reynolds – bass Maxine Roach – viola Al Schoonmaker – copyist Alexander Vselensky – violin Kanye West – producer Xin Zhao – violin

Charts

Chart positions Chart (2003/2004) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 48 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 2 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] 19 Europe (European Hot 100)[9] 62 France (SNEP)[8] 43 Germany (Media Control Charts)[10] 68 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 33 Italy (FIMI)[8] 17 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 9 Scottish Singles Chart[13] 35 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8] 54 Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[8] 26 U.K (UK Singles Chart)[14] 19 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 3 U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[15] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2004) Position U.S. Billboard Hot 100[16] 29 U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[17] 6 Decade-end charts Chart (2000–09) Position U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[18] 38

See also

• Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2004
• List of number-one R&B singles of 2004 (U.S.)

References

1. "The 100 Best Songs of 2004". Blender. Alpha Media Group Inc. November 23, 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
2. "Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
3. "Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
4. "Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
5. Alicia Keys- "You Don't Know My Name" single @Discogs.com Retrieved 2-19-2011.
6. "Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (Remixes) (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
7. "Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
8. "Alicia Keys – You Don't Know My Name". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
9. "Chart Data: Alicia Keys". mariah-charts.com. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
10. "Musicline.de – Chartverfolgung – Alicia Keys – You Don't Know My Name". Media Control (in German). PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
11. "Irish Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 1 January 2004". Irish Recorded Music Association. Chart-Track. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
12. "Top 40". Top40.nl. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
13. "Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100 : 14 December 2003 - 20 December 2003". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
14. "Chart Stats – Alicia Keys – You Don't Know My Name". The Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
15. "The Diary of Alicia Keys – Alicia Keys – Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
16. "2004 Year End Charts – The Billboard Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 25, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
17. "2004 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 25, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
18. "Decade End Charts – R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 8, 2010.

External links

• You Don't Know My Name at Discogs
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics