"Joke (I'm Laughing)" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader, which was released in 1994 as the second single from her second studio album '' Eddi Reader''. It was written by

Boo Hewerdine Mark "Boo" Hewerdine (born 14 February 1961) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind The Bible, formed in the 1980s, and reformed in 1994, as well as solo recordings and work f ...

and produced by

Greg Penny Greg Penny (born October 12, 1955) is an American record producer, recording engineer, mixing engineer, musician, songwriter and artist best known for his work as a producer for Elton John and k.d. lang. He is currently the president of Flower ...

. "Joke (I'm Laughing)" reached No. 42 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and remained in the Top 100 for three weeks. In 1996, Hewerdine released his own version of the song as a single from his album ''Baptist Hospital''. Speaking to Folk Radio in 2014, Hewerdine said of the song: ""Joke" was the first song I made up that I thought was good. I wrote it for my post-school band Placebo Thing."

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Andrew Mueller of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' remarked, "There is something intangible about Ms Reader's new single that makes me think that I will hear it in a dark, dusty, deserted wine bar somewhere in the former Soviet Union in about three years time and get annoyed because I can't remember who sang it." In a review of ''Eddi Reader'', Ira Robbins of ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' described the song as "sardonic" which "seethes with quiet disdain". Jon Pareles of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' observed that "love doesn't go smoothly in Ms. Reader's songs" and noted "Joke (I'm Laughing)" for its narrative of a "spurned woman".

Track listing

;7" and cassette single #"Joke (I'm Laughing)" - 3:52 #"Saturday Night" - 4:58 ;CD single #"Joke (I'm Laughing)" - 3:52 #"Saturday Night" - 4:58 #" Wonderboy" - 2:39 ;CD single (UK limited edition) #"Joke (I'm Laughing)" - 3:52 #"Three Crosses" - 4:16 #"Go and Sit Upon the Grass" - 1:27

Personnel

Joke (I'm Laughing) * Eddi Reader – vocals, backing vocals *

Dean Parks Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Albums Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Ch ...

– guitar * Teddy Borowecki – piano, keyboards *

David Piltch David Piltch (born January 29, 1960) is a Canadian bassist and session musician. Biography Piltch grew up in an artistic family. His father Bernie Piltch was a noted studio and stage saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist in Toronto from the l ...

– bass *

– drums Production * Greg Penny – producer of "Joke (I'm Laughing)" and "Wonderboy" * Jon Ingoldsby – mixing and recording on "Joke (I'm Laughing)" * Andy Strange, Steve Holroyd – assistant engineers on "Joke (I'm Laughing)" * Ron Johnson – technical assistance on "Joke (I'm Laughing)" * Chris Bellman – mastering on "Joke (I'm Laughing)" * Eddi Reader, Teddy Borowiecki – producers of "Saturday Night", "Three Crosses" and "Go and Sit Upon the Grass" Other * Kevin Westenberg – photography * M at Maitland – sleeve design

Charts

References

{{authority control 1994 songs 1994 singles Blanco y Negro Records singles