"Whispering Your Name" is vocalist Alison Moyet's first single of 1994 and second single from the album Essex

Essex (album)

Essex is the title of the fourth studio album of singer/songwriter Alison Moyet. The album is named after the artist's native Essex, England and includes the singles "Falling" , "Whispering Your Name", "Getting into Something" and "Ode to Boy II".Essex was again a source of controversy for the...

.

The single became Moyet's eighth single to enter the UK top 40 but also her last to date, peaking at #18 for a total of seven weeks. Moyet's previous single "Falling

Falling (Alison Moyet song)

"Falling" is vocalist Alison Moyet's only single of 1993 and first single from the album Essex.The single failed to enter the UK top 40, peaking at #42 for a total of three weeks...

" peaked at #42 in 1993.

A promotional video was created for the single which featured an appearance from Dawn French. Moyet also performed the song live on popular UK music show Top of the Pops.

The song was written by American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jules Shear

Jules Shear

Jules Mark Shear is a US singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Pittsburgh in 1952. Although he has had only one minor hit as a performer , he has recorded almost 20 albums to date...

.

As bonus tracks for certain CD editions of the single, live versions of "Wishing You Were Here

Wishing You Were Here (song)

"Wishing You Were Here" is vocalist Alison Moyet's second single of 1991. The song was the lead single from the album Hoodoo.Like the previous single "It Won't Be Long", this single failed to enter the UK top 40, peaking at #72 for only one week...

" and "Rise" were added. Both of these tracks were originally from the "Hoodoo" album with "Wishing You Were Here" being released as a single.

Another CD edition featured three bonus tracks "Another Living Day" which was included on the "Essex" album, "F.O.S." which was exclusive to the single and a live cover of Led Zeppelin's

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

 "Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)

"Rock and Roll" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which was first released as the second track from the band's fourth album in 1971, with a guest appearance by The Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart.-Overview:...

". All three live song were recorded live at Mead Fiddler on April 3, 1992.

Background

In order for the "Essex" album to be released at all, CBS/Columbia insisted that certain "Essex" tracks were to be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. "Whispering Your Name" was originally an acoustic ballad before being turned into an upbeat dance single. This was due to the lead single "Falling" failing to live up to the label's expectations. The original version of "Whispering Your Name" was placed on the "Essex" album.

A remix of Whispering Your Name was created by Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....

 who was part of the duo Yazoo

Yazoo (band)

Yazoo are a British synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex. They had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK charts in the early 1980s...

with Moyet. This was the closest thing to a Yazoo reunion until the Reconnected tour in 2008.

The lyrics refer to the split of a couple, resulting in the female finding another man. This new man is who the lyrics are from. He questions the relationship and believes the relationship is either a fling or to make his partner's ex-boyfriend jealous. Despite the male point of view, Moyet sings the lyrics from the same perspective.

Formats

12" Single

1. "Whispering Your Name (Extended Mix)" - 4:57
2. "Whispering Your Name (Vince Clarke Remix)" - 3:42
3. "Hoodoo (Remix)" - 7:41
4. "Back Where I Belong (Soft Mix)" -

12" Single (UK promo)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Extended Mix)" - 4:57
2. "Whispering Your Name (Dub)" -

CD Single (Europe)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)" - 3:49
2. "F.O.S." - 4:16

CD Single (Europe)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)" - 3:49
2. "Whispering Your Name (Album Version)" - 3:28
3. "Whispering Your Name (Vince Clarke Remix)" - 3:42
4. "Hoodoo (Remix)" - 7:41
5. "Wishing You Were Here (Live)" - 3:49
6. "Rise (Live)" - 3:06

CD Single (CD #2)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Extended Mix)" - 4:57
2. "Whispering Your Name (Vince Clarke Remix)" - 3:42
3. "Hoodoo (Remix)" - 7:41
4. "Back Where I Belong (Soft Mix)" -

CD Single (UK)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)" - 3:51
2. "Rise (Live)" - 3:08
3. "Wishing You Were Here (Live)" - 3:50
4. "Rock And Roll (Live)" - 2:14

CD Single (America)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)" - 3:47
2. "Whispering Your Name (Extended Mix)" - 4:57
3. "Another Living Day" - 3:44
4. "Rock And Roll (Live)" - 2:12
5. "F.O.S." - 4:16

CD Single (American promo)

1. "Whispering Your Name (Original Version)" - 3:26
2. "Whispering Your Name (Single Version)" - 3:47
3. "Whispering Your Name (Extended Single Mix)" - 4:57
4. "Whispering Your Name (Vince Clarke Remix)" - 3:41

Chart performance

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Belgian Singles Chart	26
French Singles Chart	8
German Singles Chart	75
Japanese Singles Chart	43
UK Singles Chart	42

Personnel

• Producer on "Whispering Your Name" – Ian Broudie
• Additional Producer, Remixer on "Whispering Your Name (Extended Remix) – Johnny Nitrate, Steve Rocket
• Mixer on "Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)" - Graham Dickson
• Writer of "Whispering Your Name" - Jules Shear
• Remixer of "Whispering Your Name (Remix)" - Vince Clarke
• Remixer of "Hoodoo (Remix)" - François Kevorkian
• Producer of "Hoodoo (Remix)" - Pete Glenister
• Remixer of "Back Where I Belong (Soft Mix)" - Ben Chapman
• Producer of "Back Where I Belong (Soft Mix)" - Andy Cox, David Steele
• Writers of "Rise" - Alison Moyet, Irving, Mike Pinder
• Writers of "Wishing You Were Here" - Alison Moyet, Pete Glenister
• Writers of "Rock and Roll" - John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
• Writers of "Another Living Day" - Alison Moyet, Pete Glenister
• Producer of "Another Living Day" - Pete Glenister
• Producers of "F.O.S." - Adrian Bushby, Pete Davis
• Artwork Designer – Alison Moyet, Martin Jenkins
• Photography – The Douglas Brothers