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My Name Is Not Susan

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"My Name Is Not Susan"
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album I'm Your Baby Tonight
ReleasedJune 24, 1991 (1991-06-24)[1]
Genre
Length4:39
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Eric Foster White
Producer(s)
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"Miracle"
(1991) 		"My Name Is Not Susan"
(1991) 		"I Belong to You"
(1991)
Music video
"My Name Is Not Susan" on YouTube
Music video
"My Name Is Not Susan (w/out Rap)" on YouTube

"My Name Is Not Susan" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released as the fourth single from her third album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990). The song was released on June 24, 1991, by Arista Records. It was produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, and written by Eric Foster White. The song is an uptempo new jack swing number in which Houston harshly tells off a lover who has mistakenly called her by his ex-girlfriend's name "Susan". She lets him know that if he cannot get over Susan, then their relationship is over. The music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin and inspired by the 1958 film Vertigo. A remix featuring British rapper Monie Love was also released, becoming one of the first times a pop/R&B artist had included a rapper in a remix, following Janet Jackson's "Alright", which remix featured Heavy D the year previous.

Critical reception

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"My Name Is Not Susan"
Audio sample of "My Name Is Not Susan", in which Houston reprimands her lover for calling her by his ex-girlfriend's name
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In a retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism noted the "fresh vibe", describing the song as "thumping".[4] Upon the release, J.D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun felt it was "emotionless", adding, "(Whitney) has no trouble navigating a state-of-the-art funk groove (as with the new jack "My Name Is Not Susan"), she's mainly going through the motions; there's absolutely nothing in her performance to suggest that she was even the slightest bit moved by these songs."[5] Larry Flick from Billboard commented, "After several ballads, Houston jacks it up on a percolating jam that features one of her more assertive vocals."[6] Henderson and DeVaney from Cashbox stated, "This high-tech, funky, L.A. & Babyface-produced cut isn't nearly as pop as some of Houston's material."[7]

Entertainment Weekly editor David Browne panned it, writing that "in what could be seen as an audition for her pending movie career, Houston gets to act angry on My Name Is Not Susan, in which she scolds a bedmate for calling out the name of an ex-flame in his sleep."[8] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as a "pacey pop/dance track boasting a snappy chorus."[9] Rolling Stone's James Hunter noted that Houston "stipulates in no uncertain terms" in this song vocally.[10] Caroline Sullivan from Smash Hits commented, "And not only are her lyrics more adult, the music is the toughest she's come up with yet. Of course, being Whitney, that means it's still fairly sugar-sweet, but this is a most enjoyable record."[11]

Chart performance

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"My Name Is Not Susan" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 67, peaking at number 20. It remained in the Top 40 for six weeks, Houston's shortest showing at the time. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. "My Name Is Not Susan" was modestly received internationally, where it peaked at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart and a modest number 57 in Germany. In 1998, a remixed version of the song (remixed by Snap! in 1991 as the Logic remix) charted in Germany and reached number 52, five places higher than the original did in 1991.

Live performances

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Houston performed the song on her 1991 I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour. Three different performances of the song were taped; in Yokohama, Japan on March 15, 1991; Oakland, California on May 11, 1991; and A Coruña, Spain on September 29, 1991. The Yokohama concert was broadcast on a Japanese TV channel and the show in Oakland was aired during The Simple Truth: A Concert for Kurdish Refugees, a telethon held to aid the Kurds on May 12, 1991.[12] She also performed the song on Welcome Home Heroes, broadcast live on HBO, March 31, 1991. This performance can be found on the video: Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston ― Live in Concert. (check the performance on YouTube) At the 19th American Music Awards of 1992, Houston performed the remixed version of the song as a part of "I'm Your Baby Tonight Medley," along with "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "Who Do You Love." In addition, she performed the song on The Concert for a New South Africa, the first of three concerts was aired live on HBO in November 1994, and on a private gig to celebrate for the wedding of Princess Rashidah, the eldest daughter of the Sultan of Brunei on August 24, 1996.

Music video

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In the song's accompanying music video directed by American music video director, film director and VJ Lionel C. Martin, Houston is featured playing both herself and a character named "Susan". The video is inspired by several elements in the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, both containing a man involved with an obsessive love for both a glamorous blonde and down-to-earth brunette played by the same actress. Several specific scenes that are parallel include a visit to a park, dining in a restaurant, and the photographer's buying clothes for the girl, having her hair also dyed blonde, and the way she emerges from the bathroom. The boyfriend, who is a photographer may have been suggested by another Hitchcock film, Rear Window. There is also a version of the video with a remix with British rapper Monie Love. Outtakes from the video and alternate footage were reused for the video to the follow-up single "I Belong to You".

Track listings and formats

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Notes

"Logic Remix" is named the "Bellydance Mix" on some vinyl releases.
"Waddell Straight Mix", "Extended U.K. Mix" and "The Upbeat Cut Mix" are the same mix with alternate names.
"Waddell Alternate Mix" , "Breakthrough Mix" and "Alternate U.K. Mix" are the same mix.

Credits and personnel

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  • Vocal Arrangement: L.A. Reid, Babyface and Whitney Houston
  • Background Vocals: Whitney Houston
  • Donald Parks: Keyboard Programming
  • Kayo: Bass
  • Rhythm Arrangement: L.A. Reid and Babyface
  • Additional Production and Remix: John Waddell
  • Babyface: Keyboards
  • L.A. Reid: Drums and Percussion
Recording and mixing
  • Recorded at Elumba Recording, Los Angeles, CA
  • Mixed at Studio LaCoCo, Atlanta, GA

Charts

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See also

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  • "Whatta Man", a song that includes the lyric "he knows that my name is not Susan"

References

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  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 22, 1991. p. 19.
  2. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (November 11, 1990). "Whitney Houston's 'I'm Your Baby' Strong Voice, Weak Material". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  3. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 8, 2021). "The Number Ones: Whitney Houston's "All The Man That I Need"". Stereogum. Retrieved December 20, 2023. ...a stodgy and old-fashioned ballad that shows up after the two dancey R&B tracks that open [I'm Your Baby Tonight].
  4. ^ Hocter, Matthew (November 2, 2020). "Whitney Houston's 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' Turns 30: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  5. ^ Considine, J.D. "Whitney Houston's latest release never quite ignites". The Baltimore Sun.
  6. ^ Flick, Larry (July 20, 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 72. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Henderson, Alex; DeVaney, Bryan (August 3, 1991). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  8. ^ Browne, David. "I'm Your Baby Tonight - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  9. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. June 22, 1991. p. 16. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  10. ^ Hunter, James. "I'm Your Baby Tonight". Rolling Stone.
  11. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (May 1, 1991). "My Name Is Not Susan". Smash Hits (Review). p. 43. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020.
  12. ^ Neil McCartney. "Plot Summary for The Simple Truth: A Concert for Kurdish Refugees (1991)". imdb.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  13. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan".
  14. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan (The Remixes)".
  15. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan".
  16. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan".
  17. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan (Remixes)".
  18. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan".
  19. ^ "Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan".
  20. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received September 12, 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  21. ^ "Whitney Houston – My Name Is Not Susan" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1636." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  23. ^ Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 135. ISBN 1-896863-13-1.
  24. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Finland: Otava. p. 161. ISBN 951-1-21053-X.
  25. ^ "Whitney Houston – My Name Is Not Susan" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  26. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Whitney Houston". Irish Singles Chart.
  27. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Whitney Houston" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  28. ^ "Whitney Houston – My Name Is Not Susan" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  29. ^ "Whitney Houston – dorobek wykonawcy na LP3" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "Whitney Houston – My Name Is Not Susan". Singles Top 100.
  31. ^ "Whitney Houston: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  32. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. July 13, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  33. ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  34. ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1706." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  36. ^ "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
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