"Love on the Telephone" was the third single from the third album, Head Games by the band, Foreigner. The song was written by Lou Gramm & Mick Jones, and released as a single in Europe. It reached No. 34 in the Netherlands.[1] The song's b-side, "Women" was chosen as the next single for the American market.
Johnson City Press arts writer Elaine Cloud Goller described "Love on the Telephone" as a "road-weary rock and roller's lament."[2]
Pete Bishop of The Pittsburgh Press praised the song for its melody, full arrangement and muscle.[3]El Diario del Centro del País praised the song as a great example of classic rock.[4]Evening Post critic Dave Murray praised Gramm's lead vocal performance.[5]Daily Republican Register critic Mike Bishop said that "Love on the Telephone" is "a fairly good rocker" and said that lead singer Gramm sounds a lot like Bad Company lead singer Paul Rodgers, Al Greenwood's keyboards sound a lot like Styx and that the song's chord progression is very similar to that of Foreigner's earlier song "Cold as Ice."[6]Morning Call critic Alan Janesch felt that lyric saying that the "line's engaged" was lifted from the Beatles' "You Won't See Me."[7]
During Foreigner's 1981 tour supporting 4 "Love on the Telephone" generally served as the first song of the encore, followed by "Hot Blooded" and "Headknocker."[2]
