Much to my surprise (admittedly, I know very little about her--I actually thought she was from New York, not the U.K.), Joan Armatrading has put together a hell of a career. She started in the mid 60's in London doing impromptu shows and musical theater before getting her first contract and releasing her first album in 1972. Since that time she's released 19 studio albums, 17 of which charted in her native U.K. (four of them hit the top ten, with a compilation album also topping out at #9), three live albums, and five compilations. She hasn't had as much success here in America, but ten of her albums have charted with the best peaking at #28. Armatrading has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards. She released her latest album in 2018, and completed her latest tour in 2016. She is also known for supporting new and local talent--during her 2012 tour she had a local artist from each of the fifty-six cities she played open her shows.
Fun Fact: Armatrading left school at sixteen to help support her family, but was fired from her first job as a typist for bringing her guitar to work and playing it on her tea breaks. Man, what a shitty boss that must have been--I'd be thrilled to have one of my employees play a guitar at break time....
"I Love It When You Call Me Names" was released on Armatrading's album The Key in 1983. The song was never released as a single, but has become a staple of her concerts. The album was not named for the key to life or the key to happiness, but rather for the house key Armatrading wore on a string around her neck so she wouldn't lose it. Oh, the things you'll learn here on FNJ!
Though Armatrading wrote "I Love It When You Call Me Names" about a man who enjoyed being physically and verbally abused by his wife, the song's inspiration actually came from two male members of her band who she noticed seemed to enjoy being insulted as much as insulting each other and Armatrading's finding this to be somewhat odd. The song's stanzas featuring nothing more than Armatrading's vocals over a literally pulsating bass and a driving drum beat, followed by the simple (just Armatrading repeating the title words) but catchy as all hell chorus replete with rumbling electric guitars. The song was somewhat of a departure for Armatrading, whose previous work was was mostly of a jazzy folk variety, but her venture into the world of power pop had one hell of an arrival. It was a different sort of song for a different sort of artist, with the lasting effect of being a hell of a fun tune...even thirty-six years down the road.
Lyric Sheet: "Big woman/And a short short man/And he loves it/When she beats his brains out..."
Enjoy:
Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee
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