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Call Me (blondie Song)




  Cover Callmecoverjpg
  Artist Blondie
  From Album American Gigolo Soundtrack
  Released February 1980
  Format Vinyl 7" & 12" single
  Recorded August 1979
  Genre Power Pop / New Wave
  Length 3:32 (7" version)<br>8:04 ('' American Gigolo '' film version also on 2001 reissue of '' Autoamerican '')
  Label Polydor Records <br /> Chrysalis Records <br /> Salsoul Records
  Writer Debbie Harry , Giorgio Moroder
  Producer Giorgio Moroder
  Chart Position <nowiki># 1</nowiki> US<br># 1 UK <br /># 2 Australia<br /> # 3 Sweden<br /># 3 Switzerland<br /># 5 Austria<br /># 14 West Germany<br /># 26 Italy<br />
  Last Single " The Hardest Part "<br />(1980)
  This Single '''Call Me'''<br /> (1980)
  Next Single " Atomic "<br />(1980)
  Upper Caption Alternate cover
  Background khaki
  Cover Blondie - Call Me (GER)jpg
  Lower Caption Single sleeve, Germany




"Call Me" is a song performed by Blondie , it's a Golden Globe -nominated for Best Original Song and for Grammy Award . The single was released in February of 1980 . "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom ; it would become the band's biggest-selling single in the U.S., and the top seller for the entire year.


BEGINNINGS

The song was the main theme of the film '' American Gigolo '', starring Richard Gere . European Disco producer Giorgio Moroder originally asked Stevie Nicks to help compose and perform a song for the soundtrack, but she declined. It was at this time that Moroder turned to Debbie Harry . 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. The completed song was then recorded by the band, with Moroder producing.

Blondie also released the song in Mexico and other South American countries as "Llámame", complete with translated Spanish lyrics. The Spanish language version was also released in the US and the UK and had its CD debut on Chrysalis Records / EMI 's rarities compilation '' Blonde And Beyond '' in 1993. The bridge of the original English language version also includes Harry singing "Call Me" in Italian ("Chiamami") and French ("Appelle-moi").

In the US the song was released by three different record companies; the soundtrack album on Polydor , the 7" and 12" on Blondie's label Chrysalis and the Spanish language 12" on legendary disco label Salsoul Records .


RELEASE HISTORY



US 7" Chrysalis Records CHS 2414, February 1980

US 12" Chrysalis Records CDS 2414, February 1980

UK 7" Chrysalis Records CHS 2414, April 1980



Side A:


  • "Call Me" (7" Instrumental) (Harry, Moroder) – 3:27




UK 12" Chrysalis Records CHS 12 2414, April 1980



Side A:

  • "Call Me" (Harry, Moroder) (7" Edit) – 3:32

  • Side B:

  • "Call Me" (Spanish Version - 7" Edit) (Harry, Moroder) – 3:32

  • "Call Me" (7" Instrumental) (Harry, Moroder) - 3:27




US 12" Salsoul Records SG 341, October 1980



Side A:

  • "Call Me" (Spanish Version, Extended) (Harry, Moroder) – 6:23

  • Side B:

  • "Call Me" (12" Instrumental) (Harry, Moroder) – 6:10





POPULARITY

The single was released in the United States in February 1980 to promote the film and quickly sold enough copies to be certified as the top-selling single for the year. It was released two months later in Britain to a similar volume of sales. "Call Me" was only the third song from a soundtrack to top the singles charts for a given year. "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu in 1967 and "The Way We Were" by Barbra Streisand in 1974 were the first two, both from movies of the same name. "Call Me" was later used in television commercials. Currently, "Call Me" is used as introductory bumper music to the Hal Turner talk show.


MUSIC VIDEO


There were two videos made:

  • One was compiled clips and video footage in New York and Manhattan of Deborah Harry. The video can be found on the 1991 U.K. video compilation, ''The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry And Blondie''.


  • The other, which came out in 1980 was non-representational, not featuring any of the band. It depicted a New York taxi driver (who had in fact appeared in numerous other Blondie music videos) driving his Checker through Manhattan traffic.




ACCLAIM

Twenty-five years after its original release, the acclaim surrounding "Call Me" led to its ranking at #283 on the List Of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time .


COVERS

The song has been relentlessly covered, by a varied array of musical acts.


Single Information

  Name Call Me
  Cover CallMeRefugeecoverjpg
  Artist The Chipmunks
  From Album Chipmunk Punk
  Released August 1980
  Format Vinyl
  Recorded September 1979
  Length 3:11 (LP/radio version)<br>3:49 (12" version)
  Label Excelsior Records
  Writer Debbie Harry <br> Giorgio Moroder
  Last Single " My Sharona "<br />(1980)
  This Single '''Call Me'''<br /> (1980)
  Next Single " On The Road Again "<br />(1981)




RELEASES

  • The long version (8:04) of the song appears on the 1980 soundtrack '' American Gigolo ''.

  • An edited single version (3:32) was released by Chrysalis the same year. This is the version that topped the singles chart that year.

  • In 1981, the single version appeared on Blondie's '' The Best Of Blondie '' album.

  • In 1988 a version remixed by Ben Liebrand taken from the album '' Once More Into The Bleach '' was issued as a single in the UK.

  • Blondie's 2001 reissue of the 1980 album '' Autoamerican '' contains the long version of the song as a bonus track.

  • The band's latest UK compilation, '''' (2005) contains the single version.

  • The song was also released on the album for the game show '' Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? ''. It refers to the "Phone-A-Friend" lifeline, wherein the contestant calls a friend for help in solving a question.



  Before " Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) " by Pink Floyd
  Title Billboard Hot 100 Number One Single
  Years April 19 - May 24 , 1980
  After " Funkytown " by Lipps Inc


  Before " My Sharona " by The Knack
  Title Billboard Hot 100 Number One Single Of The Year
  Years 1980
  After " Bette Davis Eyes " by Kim Carnes


  Before " Working My Way Back To You " by The Detroit Spinners
  Title UK Number One Single
  Years April 20 1980
  After " Geno " by Dexys Midnight Runners



SEE ALSO



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