(I Love It When You) Call Me Names

1983 single by Joan Armatrading (I Love It When You) Call Me Names Joan Armatrading (I Love It When You) Call Me Names 1983 single cover.jpg single Joan Armatrading The Key For the Best 6 May 1983 4:43 (album version) 3:24 (single version) A&M Joan Armatrading Steve Lillywhite Drop the Pilot 1983 What Do Boys Dream 1983 Audio JriKRzJjzGY "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" is a song by English singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released on 6 May 1983 by A&M Records as the second single from her eighth studio album, The Key (1983). The song was written by Armatrading and produced by Steve Lillywhite. Background Armatrading was inspired to write "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" by two of the musicians in her touring band who were always arguing with one another.Rachel Daniel Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great Songwriters Picador 2013 109 9781447226758Mayes Sean Sean Mayes Joan Armatrading – A Biography (unauthorised) Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1990 0-297-81058-8 119 Armatrading told Record magazine in 1983, "It's come out as a man and a woman, but I was really looking at two guys. Not two gay guys, just two guys who are friends who tend to treat each other like this, always calling each other names. There's sort of this love/hate relationship between them, but you get the feeling that they really enjoy this thing that they're going through."Considine J. D. Joan Armatrading Begins New Quest for Elusive U.S. Hit Record June 1983 2 8 14 Armatrading wrote the song in Santa Barbara, California while she was on tour.Zollo Paul AUDIO: Joan Armatrading (2000) March 2000 https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/joan-armatrading-2000/ Rock's Backpages subscription 29 November 2025 Release "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" was released as a single in the UK on 6 May 1983.News: Call me Joan Record Mirror 23 April 1983 6 0144-5804 Despite the top 20 success of Armatrading's preceding single, "Drop the Pilot", earlier in the year, "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" failed to reach the top 100 of the UK singles chart. It did, however, fare better in Australia and New Zealand, where it reached number 20 and number 43 respectively. Critical reception Upon its release as a single, Jim Whiteford of The Kilmarnock Standard wrote, "Hot driving bass-led rhythm and subtle synthesizers leave this gem uncluttered and capable of stopping a charging rhino at 50 yards. Top 30 chart stuff and a huge disco sound."Whiteford Jim 13 May 1983 Records https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kilmarnock-standard-records/184027756/ 30 October 2025 The Kilmarnock Standard 47 Newspapers.com Lenny Juviski of The Northern Echo called it a "fast, gutsy, rousing number" that "sees [the] gluey-voiced lady at her best".Juviski Lenny 19 May 1983 Soundings: Singles https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-northern-echo-yorkshire-ed/184027791/ subscription 30 October 2025 The Northern Echo 12 Newspapers.com Frank Edmonds of the Bury Free Press awarded the song an 8 and a half out of 10 rating and wrote, "The Joan Armatrading records I like are the ones which are never hits – and I think this one is fabulous! That probably means you'll never hear of it again."Edmonds Frank Sound Scene https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000762/19830506/120/0009 Bury Free Press 6 May 1983 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription 30 October 2025 Kirsty McNeill of the NME was negative in her review, stating that she thought "this overpowering masochistic rock, complete with farting bass and painful lead guitar breaks, was the new Saxon single". She added it was "hardly the most tactful way for a 'respected' singer-songwriter to break new ground".McNeill Kirsty Singles New Musical Express 21 May 1983 25 0028-6362 Track listings 7–inch single (UK, the Netherlands and Australasia)(I Love It When You) Call Me Names 1983 UK 7-inch single sleeve A&M Records AM116(I Love It When You) Call Me Names 1983 Netherlands 7-inch single sleeve A&M Records AMS 9292(I Love It When You) Call Me Names 1983 Australasian 7-inch single sleeve A&M Records K-9136 "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" (edited version) – 3:24 "For the Best" – 3:29 7–inch single (South Africa)(I Love It When You) Call Me Names 1983 South African 7-inch single sleeve A&M Records AMRS 1410 "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" – 4:23 "Everybody Gotta Know" – 3:48 Personnel "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names" Joan Armatrading – vocals, electric guitar Daryl Stuermer – electric guitar Adrian Belew – electric guitar solo Larry Fast – synthesiser Tony Levin – bass guitar Jerry Marotta – drums Production Steve Lillywhite – production Mark Dearnley – engineering Other Jamie Morgan – photography Charts Chart (1983)Peakposition Australia (Kent Music Report)Kent David Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 Australian Chart Book 1993 0-646-11917-6 Illustrated St. Ives, N.S.W. 19 David Kent (historian) 20New Zealand 43 Joan Armatrading (I Love It When You) Call Me Names true 30 October 2025 "New Zealand" References Category:1983 singles Category:1983 songs Category:A&M Records singles Category:Joan Armatrading songs Category:Songs written by Joan Armatrading Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite