When I Call Your Name (Vince Gill song)

Last updated
"When I Call Your Name"
Single by Vince Gill
from the album When I Call Your Name
B-side "Rita Ballou"
ReleasedMay 1990
Recorded1989
Genre Country
Label MCA
Songwriter(s) Vince Gill, Tim DuBois
Producer(s) Tony Brown
Vince Gill singles chronology
"Oklahoma Swing"
(1990)
"When I Call Your Name"
(1990)
"Never Knew Lonely"
(1990)

"When I Call Your Name" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Vince Gill. It was released in May 1990 as the third single and title track from the album When I Call Your Name . The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. [1] It was written by Gill and Tim DuBois. Patty Loveless performed backing vocals on the song. Session veteran Barry Beckett played piano on the track. The Common Linnets performed a cover of the song to celebrate 50 years of the CMA Awards. [2]

Contents

Cover versions

Country music singer Cody Johnson covered the song from the television special CMT Giants: Vince Gill.

Critical reception

In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #91 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking. [3]

Music video

The music video was directed by Bill Pope and premiered in mid-1990. Although Patty Loveless sang the song with Gill in live performances, she did not appear in the video. Instead, country singer Matraca Berg appeared, lip-syncing to Loveless's vocals. [4]

Chart performance

Chart (1990)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [5] 5
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [7] 82
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [8] 39

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [9] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 135.
  2. "The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . May 24, 2014.
  3. Hurst, Jack (November 21, 1991). "Sensitive Souls". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  4. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1316." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. August 25, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  5. "Vince Gill Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  6. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1990". RPM . December 22, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  7. "Best of 1990: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  8. "American single certifications – Vince Gill – When I Call Your Name". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 14, 2025.