The Call (band)

Last updated

The Call
The Call.jpg
The Call in 1990, from left to right: Tom Ferrier, Scott Musick, Michael Been, and Jim Goodwin
Background information
Origin Santa Cruz, California
Genres Rock, new wave
Years active1980–2000, 2013, 2017, 2023-present
Labels
Past members Michael Been
Tom Ferrier
Greg Freeman
Scott Musick
Jim Goodwin
Joe Read
Steve Huddleston
Website the-call-band.com

The Call is an American rock band formed in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980. The main lineup consisted of members Michael Been, Scott Musick, Tom Ferrier, and Jim Goodwin. The band released nine studio albums over the next two decades before disbanding in 2000. Their 1986 song, "I Still Believe (Great Design)", was covered by Tim Cappello and included in the 1987 film The Lost Boys . The band also achieved significant success in 1989 with "Let the Day Begin", which reached No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and was later used as a campaign theme song for Al Gore's 2000 Presidential Campaign.

Contents

Formation and early career

The Call's original lineup was Been (lead vocals, guitar), Musick (drums, percussion), Ferrier (guitar), and Greg Freeman (bass). This lineup grew to include Steve Huddleston on keyboards from 1981 through 1983. Goodwin joined the band as keyboardist in 1983, replacing Huddleston. Freeman departed in 1984, and Joe Read (of Strapps, The Textones, and Code Blue) took over bass duties on Scene Beyond Dreams. Both originally from Oklahoma, Been and Musick didn't meet until moving independently to California. [1] The Call were earlier known as Airtight and then Motion Pictures, serving as Phil Seymour's band at that time. A version of the John Prine/Phil Spector song "If You Don't Want My Love" with Phil backed by The Call was released on the 2020 album If You Don't Want My Love as part of the Phil Seymour archive series.

Beginning with their 1982 self-titled debut, they went on to produce and release nine studio albums by 2000. The Call recorded its eponymous premiere album in England and Been recalled in a 1987 interview that the band was in an exploratory phase at this point. He further noted, "The Call was a compassionate album, but it probably came out as anger." [2] Peter Gabriel liked the band so much that he called them the "future of American music" [3] and asked them to open for him during his 1982–1983 "Plays Live" tour. [4]

The Call's next album, Modern Romans, was notable for its political content. Been later stated, "There was a great deal happening politically — Grenada, Lebanon, or the government saying the Russians are evil and the Russian government probably saying the same about us. That kind of thinking inspired me to write the last lines of '[The] Walls Came Down'." [5] Garth Hudson of the Band played keyboards on these first two records. [6] [7]

This was followed by Scene Beyond Dreams, which Been referred to as The Call's "metaphysical" album. [2] With a strong poetic sense to the lyrics and a change in musical style, the change in sound is notable.

Commercial hits and extended break

The Call recorded their next album, Reconciled, in mid-1985. By this point, Been had begun performing the bass guitar parts himself. Before this, the band had not been under a recording contract for two years due to what Been described as "legal bickering" between The Call's former record label, Mercury, and their management company." [8] However, when the band signed a new deal with Elektra Records, The Call produced their most commercially successful album to date. Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds' Jim Kerr, Hudson, and Hudson's Band bandmate Robbie Robertson all performed as guests on the album, which Elektra released in 1986. Several tracks from the album became hits on the Mainstream Rock Chart, with one of these tracks, "I Still Believe (Great Design)" (also known simply as "I Still Believe"), appearing on the soundtrack of the 1986 film The Whoopee Boys . [9]

The following year, Tim Cappello covered "I Still Believe" for the film The Lost Boys . [10] In the film, Cappello memorably stole the scene as a muscular bare-chested, oiled-up saxophonist belting out the tune on the beach. [11] Contemporary Christian musician Russ Taff also covered the song on his 1987 self-titled album. [12] More recently the Protomen covered the song on their 2015 cover album The Cover Up. [13] In 2017, Klayton from Celldweller covered "Too Many Tears" on Offworld. In 2018, a cover version of "I Still Believe" appeared in the Paramount Pictures television series Waco about the Branch Davidian tragedy. In 2022, "I Still Believe" also featured prominently in the last episode of the second season of the TV show Reservation Dogs , which included a cameo by Cappello playing the saxophone. [14]

The band released Into the Woods in 1987, which Been referred to as his favorite album. [2] In 1989, they released Let the Day Begin , whose title track reached No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. [15] Their label under-ordered physical copies of the album and the resultant decline in sales limited their chart position. [16]

The Call released Red Moon , their final studio album for a major label, in 1990. The album included background vocals by U2's Bono on the track "What's Happened to You". [17] The album took a turn into the then-rising genre of Americana and was out of step with the shock of grunge music taking over the airwaves. Following the Red Moon tour, the band took an "extended break". [4]

Reunion and legacy

Been's solo releases in the early 1990s, including the song "To Feel This Way" for the 1992 film Light Sleeper [18] and the 1994 solo album On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough fueled rumors about the band's dissolution. However, in 1996, Warner Bros. Records. released The Best of The Call , which featured a selection of old favorites and a few new songs, including full-band re-recordings of Been's solo songs "Us" and "To Feel This Way". [4]

In 1997, they released a new studio album, To Heaven and Back, on Fingerprint Records. A few years later, a music fan tracked Been down and helped him master a recording from their 1990 tour, leading to the release of their first live album, Live Under the Red Moon, in 2000 on the indie label Conspiracy Music. The band disbanded that same year.

Al Gore used "Let the Day Begin" as his campaign song in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election [19] and Tom Vilsack used it as his song during his brief 2008 U.S. Presidential Election campaign.

In 2009, the Oklahoma History Center held a temporary exhibition titled "Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit", which presented the state's contribution to the history of rock music. The exhibition derived its name from a line in The Call's song "Oklahoma", which was also one of the ten finalists in a 2009 vote for Oklahoma's official state rock song. [20] [21] A book of the same name was published that featured The Call and other Oklahoma musicians.

Michael Been died on August 19, 2010, after suffering a heart attack backstage at the Pukkelpop music festival in Hasselt, Belgium, where he was working as the sound engineer for his son's, Robert Levon Been, band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, also known as BRMC. [22]

On April 18 and 19, 2013, band members Scott Musick, Tom Ferrier and Jim Goodwin reunited for a series of shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles with BRMC's Robert Levon Been taking over bass and lead vocal duties. [23] A Tribute to Michael Been featuring Robert Levon Been (of BRMC) was released on September 2, 2014, and featured songs recorded during those two 2013 shows. The CD version included 14 songs, while the special CD/DVD combo pack and a digital deluxe version featured 19 songs. The band also released the set on limited-edition vinyl. In 2015, an hour-long TV special using footage from the DVD was shown on VH1 Classic and Palladia.[ citation needed ]

On April 22, 2017, The Call reunited and played a show in New Orleans, Louisiana, at Siberia, with special guest vocalists Ray Ganucheau, Michael Divita, and J.D. Buhl.[ citation needed ]

On August 28, 2021, The Call was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Scott Musick and Steve Huddleston were present to accept their awards, and Michael Been's sister accepted his posthumous award on his behalf.

In 2023, the remaining band members (Tom Ferrier, Jim Goodwin, and Scott Musick, along with Ralph Patlan) went back to the archives and discovered some live recordings and nearly complete studio tracks featuring Michael Been's voice. They resolved to go back into the studio to finish off these recordings and issue them on a brand new studio album, The Lost Tapes, set to be released in 2024. The Lost Tapes is a new studio album of tracks from prior sessions which were never released. All of these newly finished recordings feature Michael Been, Jim Goodwin, Tom Ferrier and Scott Musick. The album will also include several rarities from 1978–1981 when the band was known as Airtight and Motion Pictures. The remastered versions of Reconciled and Into The Woods are also set for release.

On January 26, 2024, the band released the first new single "Welcome To My World" from The Lost Tapes on Spotify and all other digital services worldwide.

Members

Discography

Albums

Studio

Live

Compilation

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
US Hot 100 US Mod US Main AUS [24] UK
1983"The Walls Came Down"74—1721—Modern Romans
1986"Everywhere I Go"——38——Reconciled
"I Still Believe (Great Design)"——17——
1987"I Don't Wanna"——38——Into the Woods
1989"Let the Day Begin"51517442Let the Day Begin
"You Run"——29—78
1990"What's Happened to You"—2539——Red Moon
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Band</span> Canadian-American rock band

The Band was a Canadian-American rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1967. It consisted of Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson, and American Levon Helm. The Band's music combined elements of Americana, folk, rock, jazz and country, which influenced artists such as George Harrison, Elton John, the Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton and Wilco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cracker (band)</span> American rock band

Cracker is an American rock band formed in 1990 by lead singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. The band's first album Cracker was released in 1992 on Virgin Records; it included the single "Teen Angst ", which went to #1 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. The band's follow-up, the 1993 album Kerosene Hat included the hit songs "Low", "Get Off This", and "Euro-Trash Girl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackmore's Night</span> British-American band

Blackmore's Night is a British-American neo-medieval folk rock band formed in 1997, consisting mainly of Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night. Their lineup has seen many changes over the years; Blackmore and Night have been the only two constant members. They have released eleven studio albums. Their early releases were mostly acoustic and imitated early music, but eventually Blackmore's Night started using more electric guitars and other modern instruments, as well as performing folk-rearranged cover versions of pop and rock songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flaming Lips</span> American rock band

The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Derek Brown, Matt Duckworth Kirksey and Tommy McKenzie (bass). Coyne and Drozd have remained the band's only consistent members since 1991, with Coyne being the only remaining founding member following the departure of bassist and keyboardist Michael Ivins in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Rebel Motorcycle Club</span> American rock band

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. The group originally consisted of Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been, and Nick Jago (drums). Jago departed the band in 2008 and was replaced by Leah Shapiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Face to Face (punk band)</span> American punk rock band formed in 1991

Face to Face is a punk rock band from Victorville, California, formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith, bassist Matt Riddle and drummer Rob Kurth. The band rose to fame with their 1995 album Big Choice, featuring the radio hit "Disconnected" which received heavy rotation on KROQ radio in Los Angeles and appeared in the movies Tank Girl and National Lampoon's Senior Trip.

<i>Master of the Moon</i> 2004 studio album by Dio

Master of the Moon is the tenth and final studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It was released on August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV/Steamhammer and on September 7, 2004 in the US through Sanctuary Records. It was produced by Ronnie James Dio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bravery</span> American rock band

The Bravery is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2003. The band consists of lead vocalist Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, keyboardist John Conway, bassist Mike Hindert and drummer Anthony Burulcich. They are best known for their 2005 top 10 UK single "An Honest Mistake" and their certified gold 2008 single "Believe". Before their initial split, they released three studio albums: The Bravery (2005), The Sun and the Moon (2007) and Stir the Blood (2009). They also released a remixed edition of their second album, called The Sun and the Moon Complete, in 2008, as well as an Internet live album called Live at the Wiltern Theater in 2010. The group's music is mostly post-punk, dance-influenced rock.

<i>For Your Pleasure</i> 1973 studio album by Roxy Music

For Your Pleasure is the second studio album by the English rock band Roxy Music, released on 23 March 1973 by Island Records. It was their last to feature synthesiser and sound specialist Brian Eno.

Amen is an American band formed in Los Angeles in 1994. It was founded by frontman and singer Casey Chaos and combines elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, and heavy metal. Although the band experienced little success in the United States, Amen attracted a significant following in the United Kingdom. The band saw continuous changes in membership, with Casey Chaos remaining the sole original member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Levon Been</span> Musical artist

Robert Levon Been, previously known by the stage name Robert Turner, is an American musician and singer. He is currently a member of the rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and was, for a time, a bass player in a band known as The Beggars, going under the name "Robert Locke". He is the son of Michael Been of The Call, and appeared as bassist on his father's 1994 solo album On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.

"This Wheel's on Fire" is a song written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko. It was originally recorded by Dylan and the Band during their 1967 sessions, portions of which comprised the 1975 album, The Basement Tapes. The Band's own version appeared on their 1968 album, Music from Big Pink. Live versions by the Band appear on their 1972 live double album Rock of Ages, as well as the more complete four-CD-DVD version of that concert, Live at the Academy of Music 1971, and the 2002 Box Set of The Last Waltz.

"Take Me to the River" is a 1974 song written by singer Al Green and guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges. Hit versions were recorded by Syl Johnson, Talking Heads and Delbert McClinton. In 2004, Green's original version was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Green's 1974 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Plankeye (also spelled PlankEye and Plank Eye)1 was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1991 in Orange County, California. The band's name is derived from Matthew 7:3 in the New Testament:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

<i>The Best of The Call</i> 1997 compilation album by The Call

The Best of The Call is a compilation album released by American rock band The Call. The album was released in the United States on July 8, 1997, by WEA, the music arm of Warner Bros. The album includes songs spanning the group's career, as well as two new tracks and solo tracks from Been.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Been</span> Musical artist

Michael Kenneth Been was an American rock musician who achieved critical attention and rotation play on MTV in the 1980s with his band The Call. He later released an album of his solo work and toured with his son's band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. His song "Let the Day Begin" was the official campaign song of Al Gore's 2000 U.S. presidential campaign. His song "Oklahoma" was one of the top ten choices for Oklahoma's official state rock song and a line from the song provided the name for Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center.

<i>Red Moon</i> (The Call album) 1990 studio album by The Call

Red Moon is the seventh studio album by the American rock band The Call. It was released in 1990. According to Michael Been in a 1992 interview, their label MCA reached out to radio asking them not to play the album or promote after dropping the band from the label during the middle of their European tour.

<i>Specter at the Feast</i> 2013 studio album by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Specter at the Feast is the seventh studio album by American rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, released on March 18, 2013 in Europe and March 19, 2013 in the US. It was released under the band's own record label, Abstract Dragon, through Vagrant Records. Unlike Beat The Devil's Tattoo, the album wasn't produced by Michael Been, who died after he suffered a heart attack mid-tour in 2010 while the band was playing at Pukkelpop. As a result, Specter at the Feast was a way for the band to mourn their loss and rid the pain, as he was the father of bassist Robert Levon Been, but also their live sound technician and a mentor to all the members.

<i>Let the Day Begin</i> Studio album by American band, the Call

Let the Day Begin is an album by the American band the Call, released in 1989. The band's former label, Elektra Records, declined to release the album.

The Weight Band is an American rock band formed in 2013. It consists of Jim Weider (guitar), Michael Bram, Brian Mitchell, Matt Zeiner and Albert Rogers. The Weight Band was created by Jim Weider to continue the musical legacy of The Band.

References

  1. ↑ "The Call - An Interview/Profile with Scott Musick". The Call (official website). 1987.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Call - An Interview with Michael Been". The Call (official website). 1987.
  3. ↑ Noland, Claire (August 22, 2010). "Michael Been dies at 60; singer was a founding member of rock band the Call". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Cummings, Tony (September 12, 2010). "Michael Been & The Call: The pioneers of stadium rock bow out". CrossRhythms. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  5. ↑ "The Call – Michael Been" . Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Call - The Call". discogs. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Call - Modern Romans". discogs. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  8. ↑ Perrone, Pierre (August 25, 2010). "Michael Been: Frontman of the acclaimed Eighties alternative rock band". The Independent.
  9. ↑ The Whoopee Boys Soundtrack @imdb.com Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  10. ↑ "The Lost Boys Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  11. ↑ Grierson, Tim; Grow, Kory; Kreps, Daniel; Mallon, Tom; Soderberg, Brandon (October 31, 2014). "Rockers' 20 Best Appearances in Eighties Horror Movies". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Russ Taff - Russ Taff". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  13. ↑ "The Protomen - The Cover Up". discogs. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ Chaney, Jen. "The Sax Man's Tribute to Reservation Dogs' Lost Boy". Vulture. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Songs Chart". Billboard. August 19, 1989. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  16. ↑ Baine, Wallace (August 23, 2010). "Michael Been, lead singer for Santa Cruz band, "The Call," dead at age 60". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
  17. ↑ "Disco Menu: Red Moon – The Call". U2wanderer.org. U2 Wanderer. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  18. ↑ Light Sleeper (1992) - IMDb , retrieved April 27, 2020
  19. ↑ Comerford, Will (August 18, 2000). "Song By '80s Rockers The Call Revived As Campaign Theme". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  20. ↑ Gene Triplett, "Oklahoma-born rocker Michael Been dies in Belgium", The Oklahoman , August 20, 2010.
  21. ↑ Barbara Hoberock, ""Flaming Lips' 'Do You Realize??' named state rock song", Tulsa World , March 2, 2009.
  22. ↑ "The Call's Been dies of heart attack", CNN, August 20, 2010.
  23. ↑ Kravitz, Kayley (September 16, 2014). "Interview: Robert Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club answers the Call, preserves his father's musical legacy". Vanyaland.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 53. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.