I Don't Want a Lover

This article is about the Texas song. For the Texas compilation album, see I Don't Want a Lover (album).

"I Don't Want a Lover"
Single by Texas
from the album Southside
B-side	"Believe Me" "All in Vain"
Released	January 1989 (1989-01)
Length	5:00
Label	Mercury, Phonogram
Songwriter(s)	Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
Producer(s)	Tim Palmer
Texas singles chronology
"I Don't Want a Lover" (1989) "Thrill Has Gone" (1989)
"Inner Smile" (2001) "I Don't Want a Lover (2001 mix)" (2001) "Guitar Song" (2001)

"I Don't Want a Lover" is the debut single of Scottish band Texas, taken from their first album, Southside (1989). The music starts with blues slide guitar followed by a throbbing rhythm section before the vocals break in.^[1] It was released in January 1989 and peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 77 on the American Billboard Hot 100 in September 1989.

In 2001, Norwegian production team Stargate remixed and re-released the song to promote The Greatest Hits compilation album. Released on 9 July 2001, this version peaked at number 16 on the UK chart.

Critical reception

In an ironic review on 4 February 1989, Phil Cheeseman of British music newspaper Record Mirror chided the song for lack of individuality. He wrote: "It Begins brightly with some welcome slide guitar work but even before its slide towards American FM rock you're already scouring the sleeve in a vague attempt to find something, anything of interest".^[2]

Track listings

Original release

7-inch, mini-CD, and cassette single^[3][4][5]

A. "I Don't Want a Lover"

B. "Believe Me"

CD and 12-inch single^[6][7]

1. "I Don't Want a Lover" (full version)
2. "Believe Me"
3. "All in Vain"

2001 mix

UK CD1[8] "I Don't Want a Lover" – 4:15 "Superwrong" – 3:58 "I Don't Want a Lover" (Stonebridge club remix) – 7:37 "I Don't Want a Lover" (video) UK CD2[9] "I Don't Want a Lover" (live) "Summer Son" (live) "Suspicious Minds" (live) All songs were recorded live at the Greatest Hits tour 2001 UK cassette single[10] "I Don't Want a Lover" – 4:15 "Summer Son" (live) – 4:16 "I Don't Want a Lover" (Trailermen remix) – 4:43

European CD single[11] "I Don't Want a Lover" (2001 mix) – 4:15 "Superwrong" – 3:58 European maxi-CD single[12] "I Don't Want a Lover" (2001 mix) – 4:15 "Superwrong" – 3:58 "Suspicious Minds" (live in Paris, 2001) – 5:03 "I Don't Want a Lover" (Stonebridge bed mix) – 7:37

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from The Greatest Hits album booklet and the 2001 UK CD1 liner notes.^[13][8]

• Johnny McElhone – writing, bass
• Sharleen Spiteri – writing, backing vocals, guitars
• Stuart Kerr – backing vocals, drums
• Ally McErlaine – guitars
• Giuliano Gizzi – guitars
• Craig Armstrong – keyboards
• Wix – keyboards
• Mark Feltham – harmonica
• Tim Palmer – production
• Simon Vinestock – engineering
• Stargate – remix, additional production (2001 mix)

Charts

Weekly charts Original version Chart (1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[14] 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] 25 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] 33 France (SNEP)[18] 11 Ireland (IRMA)[19] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[20] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 50 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 11 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 3 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[25] 77 US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[26] 27 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[27] 11 West Germany (GfK)[28] 18 2001 mix Chart (2001) Peak position Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[29] 67 Ireland (IRMA)[19] 29 Scotland (OCC)[30] 8 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 16

Year-end charts Chart (1989) Position Australia (ARIA)[31] 34 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[32] 69 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 18 UK Singles (OCC)[34] 89 West Germany (Official German Charts)[35] 94

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[31]	Gold	35,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[36]	Silver	200,000^‡
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Version	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	Original	January 1989	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD	Mercury Phonogram	[37]
Japan		5 June 1989	Mini-CD	Mercury	[38]
United Kingdom	2001 mix	9 July 2001	CD cassette		[39]

Uses in popular culture

• The song was featured on an in-game radio station (Vice City FM) on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.

References

1. Denselow, Robin Glasgow, Texas: Rock/Pop The Guardian 17 March 1989
2. Cheeseman, Phil (4 February 1989). "Review: Texas – I Don't Want a Lover" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 29. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
3. I Don't Want a Lover (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Texas. Mercury Records, Phonogram Records. 1989. TEX 1, 872 350-7.
4. I Don't Want a Lover (US cassette single sleeve). Texas. Mercury Records, Phonogram Records. 1989. 872 350-4.
5. I Don't Want a Lover (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records, Phonogram Records. 1989. PPDS-6.
6. I Don't Want a Lover (UK CD single liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records, Phonogram Records. 1989. TEX CD 1, 872 351-2.
7. I Don't Want a Lover (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Texas. Mercury Records. 1989. TEX 112, 872 351-1.
8. I Don't Want a Lover (UK CD1 liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records. 2001. MERCD533, 588 652-2.
9. I Don't Want a Lover (UK CD2 liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records. 2001. MERDD533, 588 653-2.
10. I Don't Want a Lover (UK cassette single sleeve). Texas. Mercury Records. 2001. MERCS 533, 588 653-4.
11. I Don't Want a Lover (European CD single liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records. 2001. 588 651-2.
12. I Don't Want a Lover (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records. 2001. 588 650-2.
13. The Greatest Hits (UK CD album booklet). Texas. Mercury Records. 2000. 548 264-2.
14. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
15. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
16. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
17. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 10. 11 March 1989. p. 25. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
18. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Don't Want a Lover". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
20. "Tipparade-lijst van week 16, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
21. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
22. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
23. "Texas – I Don't Want a Lover". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
24. "Texas: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
25. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 30 September 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
26. "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. 26 August 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
27. "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. 26 August 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
28. "Offiziellecharts.de – Texas – I Don't Want a Lover" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
29. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 31. 28 July 2001. p. 7. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
30. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
31. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1989". ARIA. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
32. "Eurochart Hot 100 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
33. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1989" (in German). Retrieved 1 July 2021.
34. "Year End Singles". Record Mirror. 27 January 1990. p. 44.
35. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
36. "British single certifications – Texas – I Don't Want a Lover". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
37. Smith, Robin, ed. (28 January 1989). "News: Releases". Record Mirror. p. 6. Gutsy guitar band Texas release their debut single 'I Don't Want A Lover' this week.
38. "アイ・ドント・ウォント・ア・ラバー | Texas" [I Don't Want a Lover | Texas] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
39. "New Releases – For Week Starting July 9, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 7 July 2001. p. 25. Retrieved 14 August 2021.