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Sign Your Name

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"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 one on the Irish Singles Chart, number two on the UK Singles Chart, 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"
ReleasedDecember 28, 1987 (1987-12-28)[1]
GenreSoul
Length4:37
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Terence Trent D'Arby
Producer(s)Martyn Ware, Terence Trent D'Arby, Howard Gray
Terence Trent D'Arby singles chronology
"Dance Little Sister"
(1987) 		"Sign Your Name"
(1987) 		"Rain"
(1988)
Music video
"Sign Your Name" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Number One[2]

Critical reception

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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

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  • 7-inch single
  1. "Sign Your Name" – 4:45
  2. "Greasy Chicken" – 4:40

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sheryl Crow version

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"Sign Your Name"
 
Single by Sheryl Crow
from the album 100 Miles from Memphis
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2010
Length5:38
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Terence Trent D'Arby
Producer(s)Sheryl Crow, Doyle Bramhall II, Justin Stanley
Sheryl Crow singles chronology
"Summer Day"
(2010) 		"Sign Your Name"
(2010) 		"Coal Miner's Daughter"
(2010)
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.[39] The music video, directed by Wayne Isham, was released on September 16, 2010, through Crow's VEVO account.[40]

Charts

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Chart (2010) Peak
position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[41] 18

References

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  1. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 10.
  2. ^ a b Bell, Max (January 9, 1988). "Singles". Number One. p. 42. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  3. ^ "Terence Trent d'Arby – "Sign your name"". www.mvdbase.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  4. ^ "Sign your name - Terence Trent D'Arby - 80sneverend". www.80sneverend.com. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  5. ^ Morton, Roger (January 16, 1988). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 13.
  6. ^ Hamilton, James (January 16, 1988). "BPM". Record Mirror. p. 19.
  7. ^ "Australian Top 50 Singles Chart — Week Ending 8th May, 1988". ARIA. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  8. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  9. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  10. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8588." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 7. February 13, 1988. p. 16.
  12. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  13. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sign Your Name". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 7, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  15. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  16. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  17. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  18. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name". Singles Top 100. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  19. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  20. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  21. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  22. ^ "Terence Trent D'Arby Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  23. ^ "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. August 20, 1988. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  24. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. July 30, 1988. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  25. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 13, 1988
  26. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  27. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1988". ARIA. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  28. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1988" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  29. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  30. ^ "1988 Year End Eurocharts: Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 52/1. January 1, 1989. p. 30. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  32. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  33. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1991). "Top 100 Singles: 1988". BPI YearBook 1989/90. London, England: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-9061-5410-6.
  34. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  35. ^ "No. 1 Awards: Top Black Singles". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-23.
  36. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 31, 1988". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1988" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Terence Trent D'arby – Sign Your Name". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  39. ^ Sign Your Name Single and Video[usurped]
  40. ^ Sign Your Name Music Video Interscope Retrieved October 14, 2010
  41. ^ "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
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