"Joke (I'm Laughing)" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter

Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the Folk music, folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo caree ...

, released on 1 August 1994 by

Blanco y Negro Records Blanco y Negro Records ( Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also invo ...

as the second single from her second studio album, ''

'' (1994). 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 ...

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. Career The son of pop singer Sue Thomp ...

. "Joke (I'm Laughing)" reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart 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. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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) *

– vocals, backing vocals *

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

– 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 la ...

– 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