The Call (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Call" is a song by the Backstreet Boys
. It was released in February 2001 as the second single from their album Black & Blue
.
CD1
CD2 (The Remixes)
from December 22–24, 2000. For the video, the album version of the song was edited to extend the length of the song. Additional telephone rings were added at the start, and one measure was added to both the break
following the second chorus, and the subsequent a cappella
choral segment. A third repeat of the final chorus was also added.
There were two cuts of the video released. One featured the modified album version, and the second featured the Neptunes Remix. The two versions were substantially the same, however the differing arrangements of the two song versions resulted in the video being slightly re-edited to match. The Neptunes video also adds flashes of early in the video as callbacks near the end of the video; there is also a unreleased remix video using the Thunderpuss Club Mix and the Thunderdub of the song. Band member A. J. McLean later admitted on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in an episode discussing his recovery from depression and drug and alcohol abuse, that he tried cocaine for the first time on the set of this video. The music video won at the MTV Asia Awards
in 2002 for Favorite Video
. The Song also Received two nominations at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
.
Complementing the lyrics to the song, the video tells the story of a man who is unfaithful to his girlfriend. He meets another woman in a nightclub
and leaves the club with her instead of going home to his girlfriend (whom he calls to make up an excuse for being late home). The man is portrayed progressively by the five members of The Backstreet Boys. However, a twist in the tale is revealed at the end of the video, when it turns out that the man's girlfriend actually knows the woman he cheated on her with. This perhaps leads the viewer to the conclusion that the man's girlfriend sets him up as a test of his fidelity to her. The video could be dismissed as an unlikely case of one partner in a relationship discovering that the other is going behind their back. However, the message behind the video is more likely to be an attack on unfaithful behavior, and a warning against its consequences.
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
. It was released in February 2001 as the second single from their album Black & Blue
Black & Blue
Black & Blue is the follow-up album to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 studio release Millennium. It is their fourth album and their third American release. In the United States, Black & Blue sold 1.6 million discs in its first week of release, making them the first group in Soundscan history to have...
.
Track listing
- UK
CD1
- "The Call" (Album Version)
- "Shape Of My Heart" (Soul Solution Radio Mix)
- "Shape Of My Heart" (Soul Solution Club Mix)
CD2 (The Remixes)
- "The Call" (Album Version)
- "The Call" (Fragma Remix)
- "The Call" (Tom Novy Remix)
- "The Call" (Neptunes Remix)
- "The Call" (Kruger Mix)
- "The Call" (Thunderpuss Radio Edit)
- "The Call" (Thunderpuss Club Mix)
- "The Call" (Thunderdub)
Video
The music video for "The Call" was directed by Francis LawrenceFrancis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
from December 22–24, 2000. For the video, the album version of the song was edited to extend the length of the song. Additional telephone rings were added at the start, and one measure was added to both the break
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
following the second chorus, and the subsequent a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
choral segment. A third repeat of the final chorus was also added.
There were two cuts of the video released. One featured the modified album version, and the second featured the Neptunes Remix. The two versions were substantially the same, however the differing arrangements of the two song versions resulted in the video being slightly re-edited to match. The Neptunes video also adds flashes of early in the video as callbacks near the end of the video; there is also a unreleased remix video using the Thunderpuss Club Mix and the Thunderdub of the song. Band member A. J. McLean later admitted on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in an episode discussing his recovery from depression and drug and alcohol abuse, that he tried cocaine for the first time on the set of this video. The music video won at the MTV Asia Awards
MTV Asia Awards
The biannual MTV Asia Awards is the Asian equivalent of the Europe MTV EMA. Established in 2002, the show gives recognition and awards to Asian and international icons in achievement, cinema, fashion, humanitarian, and music. Just like the EMA, most of the awards are voted for by the viewers from...
in 2002 for Favorite Video
MTV Asia Award for Favorite Video
The following is a list of MTV Asia Awards winners for Favorite Video....
. The Song also Received two nominations at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
2001 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2001 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 2001, honoring the best music videos from June 10, 2000, to June 8, 2001. The show was hosted by Jamie Foxx at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City...
.
Complementing the lyrics to the song, the video tells the story of a man who is unfaithful to his girlfriend. He meets another woman in a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and leaves the club with her instead of going home to his girlfriend (whom he calls to make up an excuse for being late home). The man is portrayed progressively by the five members of The Backstreet Boys. However, a twist in the tale is revealed at the end of the video, when it turns out that the man's girlfriend actually knows the woman he cheated on her with. This perhaps leads the viewer to the conclusion that the man's girlfriend sets him up as a test of his fidelity to her. The video could be dismissed as an unlikely case of one partner in a relationship discovering that the other is going behind their back. However, the message behind the video is more likely to be an attack on unfaithful behavior, and a warning against its consequences.
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 23 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 30 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 9 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 15 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 6 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 19 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 30 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 52 |