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Call Me (Blondie song)

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Released
  
February 1, 1980

Genre
  
Dance-rock new wave

Format
  
7" single, 12" single

B-side
  
"Call Me" (instrumental) (U.S.)

Recorded
  
August 1979 in New York

Length
  
3:32 (radio edit) 8:05 (album version)

"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie and the theme to the 1980 film American Gigolo. Released in the US in early 1980 as a single, "Call Me" was number one for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it became the band's biggest single and second #1. It also hit #1 in the UK and Canada, where it became their fourth and second chart-topper respectively. In the year-end charts of 1980 it was Billboard's #1 hit, and according to Billboard magazine, was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1980 and RPM's #3.

Contents

Song and single information

"Call Me" was the main theme song of the 1980 film American Gigolo. The song is about a prostitute. Italian disco producer Giorgio Moroder originally asked Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac to help compose and perform a song for the soundtrack, but she declined as a recently signed contract with Modern Records prevented her from working with Moroder. It was at this time that Moroder turned to Debbie Harry and Blondie. Moroder presented Harry with a rough instrumental track called "Man Machine". Harry was asked to write the lyrics and melody, a process that Harry states took only a few hours. Harry stated that the song is about driving, and that "When I was writing it, I pictured the opening scene, driving on the coast of California." The completed song was then recorded by the band, with Moroder producing. The bridge of the original English-language version also includes Harry singing "Call me, my darling" in Italian ("Amore, chiamami") (Love, call me) and in French ("Appelle-moi, mon chéri") (Call me, darling).

In the US, the song was released by three different record companies: the longest version (at 8:06) on the soundtrack album by Polydor, the 7" and 12" on Blondie's label Chrysalis, and a Spanish language 12" version, with lyrics by Buddy and Mary McCluskey, on the disco label Salsoul Records. The Spanish version, titled "Llámame", was meant for release in Mexico and some South American countries. This version was also released in the US and the UK and had its CD debut on Chrysalis/EMI's rarities compilation Blonde and Beyond (1993). In 1988, a remixed version by Ben Liebrand taken from the Blondie remix album Once More into the Bleach was issued as a single in the UK. In 2001 the "original long version" appeared as a bonus track on the Autoamerican album re-issue.

Harry recorded an abbreviated version of the song, backed by the Muppet Band, for her guest appearance on The Muppet Show in August 1980. It was first broadcast in January 1981.

Popularity and acclaim

The single was released in the United States in February 1980. It peaked at No. 1 for six consecutive weeks, (until it was replaced by Lipps, Inc.'s worldwide smash hit "Funkytown") and was certified Gold (for one million copies sold) by the RIAA. It also spent four weeks at No. 2 on the US dance chart. The single was also No. 1 on Billboard magazine's 1980 year-end chart. The song lists at No. 44 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. It was released in the UK two months later, where it became Blondie's fourth UK No. 1 single in little over a year. The song was also played on a British Telecom advert in the 1980s. 25 years after its original release, "Call Me" was ranked at No. 283 on the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1981, The Village Voice ranked "Call Me" as the third-best song of the year 1980 on their annual year-end critics' poll, Pazz & Jop.

In 1981, the song was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Music video

There were two videos made:

  • One was clips and video footage in New York of Debbie Harry. The video can be found on the 1991 UK video compilation The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie.
  • The other, which came out in 1981, was non-representational, not featuring any of the band. It depicted a New York City taxi driver (who had in fact appeared in numerous other Blondie music videos) driving his Checker Taxi through Manhattan traffic. This version was part of the 1981 "Best Of Blondie" compilation video.

    • 1980 Release

    US, UK 7" (CHS 2414)
    1. "Call Me (Theme from American Gigolo)" (7" edit) — 3:32
    2. "Call Me" (7" instrumental) — 3:27
    UK 12" (CHS 12 2414)
    1. "Call Me" (7" edit) — 3:32
    2. "Call Me" (Spanish version – 7" edit) — 3:32
    3. "Call Me" (7" instrumental) — 3:27
    US 12" (Polydor PRO 124)
    1. "Call Me" (Theme from American Gigolo) — 8:04
    2. "Call Me" (12" instrumental) — 6:10
    US 12" (Salsoul SG 341) [promo only]
    1. "Call Me" (Spanish version, extended) — 6:23
    2. "Night Drive" (Reprise) - by Giorgio Moroder — 6:10

    1989 Release

    UK 7" (CHS 3342-1)
    1. "Call Me" (Ben Liebrand Remix) — 7:09
    2. "Call Me" (Original Version) — 3:31
    UK 12" (CHS 12 3342)
    1. "Call Me" (Ben Liebrand Remix) — 7:09
    2. "Backfired" (Bruce Forrest And Frank Heller Remix) — 6:03
    3. "Call Me" (Original Version) — 3:31
    UK CD (CHSCD 3342)
    1. "Call Me" (Ben Liebrand Remix) — 7:09
    2. "Backfired" (Bruce Forrest And Frank Heller Remix) — 6:03
    3. Performed by Debbie Harry
    4. "Call Me" (Original Version) — 3:31
    5. "Hanging on the Telephone" — 2:23

    Chipmunks version

    In 1980, KMET DJ Chuck Taylor played the 12" version of this single at double speed and announced, in jest, that it was The Chipmunks' latest single. So many requests came for this "new" Chipmunks release, that Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and his collaborator Steve Vining rushed to record what would be the Chipmunks' "comeback album", Chipmunk Punk in 1980.

    Track listing

    US 7" (SIS-1003)
    1. "Call Me" — 3:13
    2. "Refugee" — 3:08

    In This Moment version

    The song was recorded in 2009 by metal band In This Moment.

    Tracks

    1. "Call Me" (Blondie cover) - 3:17
    2. "A Dying Star" - 4:35
    3. "Sailing Away" - 3:59

    Music video

    The video for the song was released in June 2009. It features vocalist Maria Brink talking through a telephone.

    Other cover versions

  • In 1980, Marianne Rosenberg in German.
  • In 1984, composer Sylvester Levay used Moroder's track as the basis for his theme to the U.S. TV-series Airwolf.
  • In 1986, San Francisco-based band Until December covered the single on their self-titled album.
  • In 1996, Australian heavy metal group Dungeon covered the song on their album Demolition.
  • In 1997, a cappella group Da Vinci's Notebook covered the song on their album Bendy's Law.
  • In 1997, Finland group The 69 Eyes covered the song on their album Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.
  • In 1999, artist Emilia Mojello recorded a cover for the soundtrack of the comedy film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
  • In 2001, indie punk rock band Squatweiler recorded a cover for the compilation How Many Bands Does It Take to Screw up a Blondie Tribute.
  • In 2001, artist Nikka Costa recorded a cover for the soundtrack of the comedy film Zoolander.
  • In 2001, The Box Tops covered the song for the compilation When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear.
  • In 2002, synthpop band I Am The World Trade Center covered the song on their album The Tight Connection.
  • In 2002, Tiffany recorded a cover of the song for the compilation Platinum Girl: A Tribute to Blondie.
  • In 2003, American alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols released a cover of the song as a B-side to their single We Used to Be Friends.
  • In 2005, Lea DeLaria covered the song in the jazz album Double Standards.
  • In 2008, Australian singer Tina Arena recorded a retro swing version of the song for her 2008 album Songs of Love & Loss II.
  • In 2008, British singer Skye Edwards collaborated with Marc Collin of French band Nouvelle Vague on a cover of the song for the album Hollywood, Mon Amour.
  • In 2009, American metalcore band In This Moment released a cover of this song as a single.
  • Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand were asked by Blondie themselves to cover it for a War Child charity album.
  • In 2010, British singer Samantha Fox and Italian singer Sabrina released a dance version of the song as a single.
  • Blondie re-recorded the song (with Moroder returning as producer) for their 2014 re-recording compilation album Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux. The compilation was part of a 2-disc set called Blondie 4(0) Ever which included their 10th studio album Ghosts of Download and marked the 40th anniversary of the forming of the band.
  • In 2015 for their deluxe-reissue of their latest album, Cult, American punk band Bayside covered the song as one of their four new bonus tracks.
  • In 2015, Australian singer Tina Arena released a French version called "Je Dis Call Me" for the European release of her album Songs of Love & Loss.

    • Live cover performances

  • Garbage, No Doubt and The Distillers performed together a live version of the song in November 2002 at the Long Beach Arena.

    • References

    Call Me (Blondie song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA