The Call should have been bigger

[Ivan May]

Based out of Santa Cruz, CA, in the late Eighties, The Call was 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 with "Let the Day Begin" in 1989 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. Michael Been's son, Robert Levon Been, is also a rock musician. 

The original lineup of the Call 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 with Joe Read taking over bass duties for Scene Beyond Dreams. Both Been and Musick were originally from Oklahoma but didn't meet until independently moving to California. The Call was earlier known as Motion Pictures and served as Phil Seymour's band at that time.

Beginning with their self-titled debut in 1982, released by Mercury Records, they went on to produce and release nine studio albums by 2000, though most of these albums have been sadly out of print for decades. The eponymous premiere album was recorded 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." Peter Gabriel liked the band so much that he called them the "future of American music" and asked them to open for him during his 1982–1983 "Plays Live" tour. (Been would eventually perform backing vocals on Gabriel's classic 1986 album So.)

Their next album, Modern Romans, released in early 1983, was notable for its political content. It has 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 'Walls Came Down'." Garth Hudson of the Band played keyboards on these first two records, whereas Robbie Robertson of The Band and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds also considered themselves under the spell of The Call. The song The Walls Came Down, a New Wave track not unlike what The Cars and Brian Eno were putting out around the same time, was a minor hit and got heavy airplay on MTV.

 

 

This was followed by Scene Beyond Dreams, released in 1984. Been referred to as the Call's "metaphysical" album. With a strong poetic sense to the lyrics and a change in instrumentation, the change in sound is notable. 

The band's next album, Reconciled, was recorded in mid-1985. Prior to this, the band had not had 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." However, when a new deal was signed with Elektra Records, the band produced their most commercially successful album to date. Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds' Jim Kerr, Hudson and Hudson's bandmate Robbie Robertson—both of the Band—all performed as guests on the album, which was released in 1986. Several tracks from the album became hits on the Mainstream Rock Chart, and one of these tracks, "I Still Believe (Great Design)" (aka "I Still Believe") appears on the soundtrack of the 1986 film The Whoopee Boys.

The following year, "I Still Believe" was covered by Tim Cappello for the film The Lost Boys. In the film, Cappello memorably stole the scene as a shirtless saxophonist belting out the tune on the beach. The song was also covered by contemporary Christian musician Russ Taff on his 1987 self-titled album, and more recently by the Protomen as part of their 2015 cover album. In 2017 Klayton from Celldweller Covered "Too Many Tears" on The Cover Up. In 2018, a cover version of "I Still Believe" appeared in the Paramount television series Waco about the Branch Davidian tragedy.

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

Red Moon, the group's final studio album for a major label, was released by MCA Records in 1990. The album included background vocals by U2's Bono on the track "What Happened to You". The album took a turn into the new 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".

 

The group would reform in the early 2000s, but sadly, lead singer Michael Been died of a heart attack, aged 60, in Belgium in August of 2010. This band has been largely forgotten, but thanks to the Internet and the Music Player Forums, now people will understand their brief moments in American rock music in the Eighties.

[Winston Psmith]

FWIW, I remember them, and I was very excited to hear "The Walls Came Down" on satellite radio not long ago. My poor wife was in the car, and didn't understand why I was all but jumping up and down in my seat.

[Larryz]

Here you go WP! 😎👍

 

 

 

 

[Winston Psmith]

"I don't think there are any Russians
And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals
Playin' with tanks"

 

Brilliant . . .

[Polychrest]

Grafting Garth Hudson into this song was a great idea.  His unmistakeable sounds and style garnish it brilliantly.