No More 'I Love You's

"No More 'I Love You's" had been the first song written by Freeman and Hughes as The Lover Speaks. It was demoed on a portastudio during a rehearsal studio session, featuring Robert Farrell (guitar), Barry Gilbert (keyboards) and Pete King (drums). It was then demoed again with the same line-up at Pathway Studios. Hughes' ex-girlfriend and singer June Miles-Kingston provided backing vocals. This demo was used as a guide when recording the studio version for their debut album. The recording of the song with Iovine used backing vocals from Freeman (sped-up to increase the pitch), Miles-Kingston and Alex Brown.[5]

As with each track on The Lover Speaks album, "No More 'I Love You's" is based on a concept in Roland Barthes' book A Lover's Discourse: Fragments (Fragments d'un discours amoureux). In the liner notes of the 2015 re-issue of the album, Freeman revealed of the track's lyrics: "Lyrically, when you say to someone "I love you", it could be to your kids, your lover, your parents, usually, you hear, 'I love you, too'. And then one day you say, 'I love you', and there's silence because that person has reached the 'no more "I love you's" stage'. They cannot say 'I love you, too'. It's as simple as that. All I did lyrically, I think, was put it in Gothic terms."[5]

A music video was filmed to promote the single. In America, it received active rotation on MTV.[6]

"No More 'I Love You's" was released on 7" and 12" vinyl by A&M in the UK, Germany, France, Australia, America and Canada.[7] The B-side, "This Can't Go On!", was taken from The Lover Speaks album. The 12" version of the single included the additional B-side, "Of Tears", also from the album.[8]

In 1988, A&M re-issued the single in the UK on 7", 12" and CD. On the 7" release, "Tremble Dancing" was the B-side. The 12" and CD formats included an extended version of "Tremble Dancing", along with "Every Lover's Sign" and "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten".[9][10]

Upon release, Billboard listed the song under "New and Noteworthy" in their "Singles" section. They said: "A dreamy, eerie, British beat ballad that carries rock overstatement to splendid heights and misses no Spectorian trick; towering walls of sound."[11] Cash Box listed the single as one of their "feature picks" during August 1986. They commented: "This captivating debut has a good shot at CHR with its hooky female refrain and powerful lead vocal."[12] In August 1986, the song was voted best new song of the week ("Screamers of the Week") by listeners of WLIR 92.7 FM.[13]

In a contemporary review of the album, Terry Atkinson of Los Angeles Times said: "Though its ultra-romantic, stylishly emotional approach sometimes leads to Tears for Fears/Wham! mush, this new English duo bows with a frequently intriguing album. Unusual arrangements interweave a male voice with Freeman's female-like background vocals, enhancing the best tracks here - big-boom ballads "No More 'I Love You's", "Still Faking This Art of Love", "Every Lover's Sign" and the impressionistic "Of Tears.""[14]

Upon the song's re-issue as a single in 1988, Smash Hits selected it as their "single of the fortnight" during April 1988. Reviewer Tom Doyle said: "This is a classic "waxing" and no mistake. It originally flopped without dignity, but at least the Lover Speaks have the rather good sense to realise this record deserves to be top five and that nothing less will do. You're sure to recognise it, and whimper and blub at the tale of lurve gone mouldy which unfolds."[15]

In a retrospective review of the album, Michael Sutton of AllMusic commented: "The soaring, heartbreaking chorus of "No More I Love You's" must've mesmerized Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics; she covered it in the early '90s. The original version by the Lover Speaks is a stunner – stylishly crafted, soulful pop elevated by Freeman's booming voice. Like "No More 'I Love You's", "Absent One", and "Love Is: 'I Gave You Everything'" surge with bruised emotions. But the pain in Freeman's voice is exhilarating, not depressing, to listen to; sad and bitter words pour beautifully from his mouth."[16] Imran Khan of PopMatters said: "The original version is worlds away from Lennox's cover, opting for a far more baroque and windswept drama of romance and pop—an apt description of exactly what the Lover Speaks was all about."[17]

7" single

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "This Can't Go On!" – 3:49

7" single (US promo)

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04

12" single

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "Of Tears" – 3:37
3. "This Can't Go On!" – 3:49

12" single (US promo)

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04

7" single

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "Tremble Dancing" – 4:16

12" single

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "Tremble Dancing (Extended)" – 5:17
3. "Every Lover's Sign" – 4:38
4. "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" – 4:50

CD single

1. "No More 'I Love You's" – 4:04
2. "Tremble Dancing (Extended)" – 5:17
3. "Every Lover's Sign" – 4:38
4. "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" – 4:50

In a 1995 article she wrote for The Independent, Lennox stated why she chose to record her own version of the song:

"The Lover Speaks was a group formed by a man called David Freeman. When the song was released it made a mild murmur in the charts, but I don't think it ever really became a hit. There are quite a few songs floating around which should have touched the consciousness of the nation – they should have made their mark, and this is one of them. I thought, well, I might be sticking my neck out to do this, but I really wanted to give it another chance because it's a magnificent song. The lyrics are extraordinary, poetic and abstract - the perfect sort of vehicle for me."[20]

David Freeman said in 2015: "When Annie Lennox covered 'No More "I Love You's"', she nailed it! She has the ability to be camp and soulful. We were very lucky that she recorded our song."[5]

The song received positive reviews from most music critics. AllMusic editor Rick Anderson wrote in his review of Medusa, that Lennox's rendition of "No More I Love You's" is "ravishingly, heartbreakingly lovely".[21] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "she picks up right where she left off floating fluttering phrases over a sea of atmospheric synths and strings that are propelled by a subtle, shuffling beat." He noted that the track "builds to a dramatic musical climax that perfectly suits the declarative tone of the lyrics."[22] Karen Leverich from The Heights described the song as "a serene blend of voices".[23] Evening Herald said it "successfully bridged the gap between Nineties pop sophistication and her ritzy hits with Dave Stewart".[24] Stephen Sears from Idolator wrote that the song "is a linguist’s delight — "changes are shifting outside the word" — with a lyric about the verbal clues of a fading love affair." He wrote, "Lennox’s theatrical vocal is on a high wire throughout the song, climbing up and down the scales. She made subtle tweaks to the original lyrics and added a bizarre, spoken middle eight in which she assumes a child’s voice, gushing, "There are monsters outside!” The lush moment at 3:08, when a multi-tracked Lennox cascades back in, is flat-out beautiful. "No More 'I Love You’s" lives as a testament to the power of the vocalist as an actor."[25] Irish Independent called it a "gem".[26] Music & Media commented that "it's that contrast between the superbly sophisticated cover of the Lover Speaks' 1986 soul hit and the weird intermezzo of talking and hysterical laughing that makes it so irresistible." Head of music Liz Elliott at Metro Radio Group/Newcastle said, "Because she mostly only cuts original material, at first nobody realised it was a cover. Then we all admitted how cleverly she has adjusted the song to her own style."[27] John Kilgo from The Network Forty said that "it shouldn't take more than one listen to know this mass-appeal song is a total smash." He added that Lennox' "displays incredibly polished vocals".[28] Pop Rescue noted in their review, that the song is "a fantastic showcase for her vocals".[29] Elizabeth Morse from The Stanford Daily called it "bittersweet" and "a cheerful melody intertwined with devastatingly disconsolate lyrics".[30]

The song became the highest-charting solo single for Lennox in the United Kingdom, entering and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. It spent a total of 12 weeks on the UK chart. The track also became a top 25 hit in the United States, peaking at number 23. With it, Lennox won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, beating Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Dionne Farris, and Bonnie Raitt. The song topped Canada's RPM Top Singles chart, Italy's Hit Parade chart, and Spain's AFYVE chart; on the Canadian chart, the song was Lennox's second number-one hit, following "Walking on Broken Glass" in 1992.

Lennox co-directed the music video with Joe Dyer. The vaudeville styled video featured Lennox dancing with travesty ballerinos in homage to Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The video also features actor Jake Canuso. It was nominated for a MTV award for Best Female Video.

Lennox's version of "No More 'I Love You's" has been sampled multiple times. It was first sampled for the Nicki Minaj song "Your Love" on her 2010 single. The song was originally recorded two years before but never intended to be put out for release until it was leaked in January 2010. After becoming a hit, it was slightly rewritten and re-recorded and this revised version was released in June 2010. Prior to the official release of Minaj's song, the cover was sampled in 2009 by Jason Derulo and Auburn in their song "How Did We". It was then sampled by J.R. Rotem for singer Razah's 2010 single called "I Remember", using the same instrumental beat used for "How Did We". Singer Hailee Steinfeld included the sample as well in her 2020 single "I Love You's".

7" single

CD 1

CD 2

Tracks 2, 3, 4 taken from a live acoustic session for MTV Unplugged in July 1992.

"Whiter Shade of Pale"/"No More 'I Love You's"

• Medley of "No More 'I Love You's", "Take Me to the River", and "Downtown Lights".