View source for Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking

{{short description|2012 song by the cast of the American TV show, Cast}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking
| cover      =
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Smash (U.S. TV series)|Smash cast]] feat. [[Christian Borle]]
| album      = [[Bombshell (Smash album)|Bombshell]]
| released   = April 9, 2012
| recorded   = 2012
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = Pop
| length     = 2:42 <small>(Album Version)</small>
| label      = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer     = [[Marc Shaiman]], [[Scott Wittman]]
| producer   = [[Marc Shaiman]]
| chronology = Smash cast
| prev_title = "[[Touch Me (Smash song)|Touch Me]]"
| prev_year  =
| next_title = "[[Dig Deep (song)|Dig Deep]]"
| next_year  = 
}}

"'''Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking'''" is an original song introduced in the tenth episode of the musical TV series ''[[Smash (U.S. TV series)|Smash]]'', entitled "[[Understudy (Smash)|Understudy]]". The song is written by [[Marc Shaiman]] and [[Scott Wittman]],<ref>[https://www.ascap.com/Home/ace-title-search/index.aspx ASCAP Database Music Search - Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman songs] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306032310/https://www.ascap.com/Home/ace-title-search/index.aspx |date=March 6, 2013 }}</ref> but in the show's universe, it is written by the songwriting team of Tom Levitt ([[Christian Borle]]) and Julia Houston ([[Debra Messing]]) for their Marilyn Monroe musical ''Bombshell''.

In "Understudy", the song is performed by Tom Levitt and the male members of the ensemble of ''Bombshell''. Tom subs in for the actor playing [[Darryl Zanuck]] in the number.<ref name="TV Is My Pacifier">{{cite web | url=http://www.tvismypacifier.com/?p=22878 | title=Recap/Review – Smash – "Understudy" | publisher=TV Is My Pacifier | date=April 12, 2012 | accessdate=April 29, 2012}}</ref>

The song is performed again in the fourteenth episode of the first season, "[[Previews (Smash)|Previews]]", with an unnamed actor (Marc Kudisch) playing Darryl Zanuck performing the song with the male members of the ensemble during one of the Boston previews.

The song was initially released as a single from iTunes and Amazon.com's MP3 store and is currently available as a track on the cast album ''[[Bombshell (Smash album)|Bombshell]]''.

==Production==
The title of the song is the same as the title of a 1971 biography of the director and producer Darryl F. Zanuck.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/21/archives/dont-say-yes-until-i-finish-talking-a-biography-of-darryl-f-zanuck.html | title=Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking | work=The New York Times | date=March 21, 1971 | accessdate=October 29, 2018 | last=Sarris|first=Andrew}}</ref>

Katty At Law describes the piece as an "all-male number, taking place in a locker room with all the dancer boys wearing towels and yapping about how Marilyn is a pain-in-the-ass tomato." Playbill.com comments that the chorus "play cronies and yes men."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.playbill.com/features/article/164767-THE-SMASH-REPORT-Episode-10-Or-The-People-in-Peoria/pg2 | title=THE "SMASH" REPORT: Episode 10, Or, The People in Peoria | publisher=Playbill.com | date=10 Apr 2012 | accessdate=April 29, 2012 | last=Jones | first=Kenneth | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415003214/http://playbill.com/features/article/164767-THE-SMASH-REPORT-Episode-10-Or-The-People-in-Peoria/pg2 | archivedate=April 15, 2012 }}</ref>

==Critical reception==
TV Is My Pacifier described the number as "great" and "fun, and commented that they were "glad to get a full song by Borle."<ref name="TV Is My Pacifier"/> Katty At Law commented that the piece was "sassy and adorable."<ref name="Katty">{{cite web | url=http://kattyatlaw.com/index.php/2012/04/10/smash-recap-understudy/ | title=Smash Recap – Understudy | publisher=Katty At Law | date=April 10, 2012 | accessdate=April 29, 2012}}</ref>

Bitch Stole My Remote was relieved that they "finally g[o]t a beautifully sung, staged and choreographed number in the rehearsal hall that is completely uninterrupted," and was pleased with the result. While they acknowledged that it is "likely [to be] pretty expensive to do one of these," they felt that the song was a highlight of the show thus far, and was adamant that by getting "rid of the extraneous crap," the show would be able to produce more numbers like that one.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bitchstolemyremote.com/2012/04/10/smash-recap-1x10-understudy/ | title=Smash recap – 1×10: 'Understudy' | date=April 10, 2012 | accessdate=April 29, 2012}}</ref>

===Release History===
{|class=wikitable
|-
!Region
!Date
!Format
!Label
|-
|rowspan="1"|United States
|April 9, 2012<ref>{{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dont-say-yes-until-i-finish/id517026572 |title=ITunes - Music - Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking (SMASH Cast Version) &#91;feat. Christian Borle&#93; - Single by SMASH Cast |website=[[iTunes]] |accessdate=2015-03-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416055029/http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dont-say-yes-until-i-finish/id517026572 |archivedate=2012-04-16 }}</ref>
|Digital download - Digital Single
|rowspan="1"|Columbia Records
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Smash}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Songs from Smash (TV series)]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Scott Wittman]]
[[Category:Songs written by Marc Shaiman]]
[[Category:2012 songs]]