MD80 CREW REPLIED TO A WRONG CALL SIGN AND CHANGED FREQS ABOUT 2 MI EARLY.

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ATC COM. WE MISTAKENLY SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ ABOUT 2 OR 3 MI PRIOR TO RIDGE. ON CONTACTING TWR AT RIDGE; WERE TOLD TO RETURN TO APCH FREQ. APCH HAD INSISTED TWR SEND US BACK. TWR DIDN'T KNOW WHY APCH TOLD US TO KEEP OUR SPD UP AND NEVER SWITCH EARLY AGAIN. WE WERE DOING OUR BEST FORWARD SPD AND I FEEL STRONGLY THAT APCH HAD US SWITCH BACK JUST TO MAKE A POINT. THE RESULT WAS THAT AT 1000 FT WE WERE TALKING TO HIM; EXPECTING A GAR; INSTEAD OF COMPLETING OUR CHKLIST; TALKING TO TWR AND PREPARING TO LAND. NOW I ADMIT OUR ERROR READILY BUT OBJECT STRENUOUSLY TO THE WAY THIS WAS HANDLED. WOULD HAVE JUST LIKED TO HAVE MADE A PHONE CALL; BUT COULDN'T FIND THE NUMBER BEFORE WE LEFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 429717: ON RWY 22R ILS FINAL; ON APCH CTL; HEARD APCH SAY 'YOU HAVE 5 MI IN TRAIL; WE'LL SEE YOU LATER.' ASSUMED IT WAS US. CHKING IN WITH TWR AT 5.2 MI; TWR SAID TO CHANGE BACK TO APCH. WE DID; AND APCH SAID; 'NEVER SWITCH BEFORE THE MARKER; KEEP YOUR SPD UP; YOU HAVE SOMEONE ON YOUR BUTT.' WE HAD KEPT 210 KTS TILL WE COULDN'T ANY MORE. THOUGHT THE WHOLE THING WAS A LITTLE ABNORMAL. IF WE WERE MISTAKEN IN SWITCHING FREQ EARLY; SO BE IT -- WE MISUNDERSTOOD. THE RESULTING SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH BTWN TWR AND APCH AND BACK SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AT THAT LATE POINT IN THE APCH.