"Sign Your Name" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby (now known as Sananda Maitreya), released as the fourth single (third in the US) from his debut album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987). The song was an international success, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in early 1988 and number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was remixed by Lee "Scratch" Perry for some European releases. The music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and was premiered in January 1988.[3] The music video features model Kelly Brennan.[4]
| "Sign Your Name" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Terence Trent D'Arby | ||||
| from the album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby | ||||
| B-side | "Greasy Chicken" | |||
| Released | December 1987 (UK) May 1988 (US)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 4:37 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Terence Trent D'Arby | |||
| Producer(s) | Martyn Ware, Terence Trent D'Arby, Howard Gray | |||
| Terence Trent D'Arby singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sign Your Name" on YouTube | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Number One |   [2] |
Critical reception
Max Bell from Number One noted that the song finds D'Arby "in his quiet, sensitive, loving disguise, as opposed to his crafty, naughty, whoopsadaisy ma'am alter ego." He also felt that "Sign Your Name" "testifies at least to a knowledge of soul", and concluded, "From a Heaven 17 influenced beginning a fair single starts to brood but this could be a sucker punch rather than a knockout."[2] Roger Morton from Record Mirror commented, "'Bop shoo wop wop/Bop shoo wap wap'. Terence has joined Showaddywaddy? Sadly not. This is the fourth single from the Hardline album, a crooner not a rasper, with some fine quavering from Tel's tonsils and a rhythm closely related to that of Scritti Politti's 'The Sweetest Girl'."[5] Another editor, James Hamilton, wrote in his dance column, "Moodily shuffling sad 109/54+1⁄2-0bpm lament, not really for floors".[6]
Track listings
- 7" single
- "Sign Your Name" – 4:45
- "Greasy Chicken" – 4:40
Charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[28] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Sheryl Crow version
| "Sign Your Name" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sheryl Crow | ||||
| from the album 100 Miles from Memphis | ||||
| Released | September 15, 2010 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, soul | |||
| Length | 5:38 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Terence Trent D'Arby | |||
| Producer(s) | Sheryl Crow, Doyle Bramhall II, Justin Stanley | |||
| Sheryl Crow singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sheryl Crow - Sign Your Name (Official Music Video)" on YouTube | ||||
Sheryl Crow released her rendition of the song in 2010 as the second single from her eighth studio album, 100 Miles from Memphis. It features Justin Timberlake on background vocals.[29] The music video, directed by Wayne Isham, was released on September 16, 2010 through Crow's VEVO account.[30]
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Album Alternative (Billboard)[31] | 18 |