I remember seeing The Call on MTV in the mid-eighties, and there was a reason I remembered them. Playing the organ was no other than Garth Hudson for that song. It was a minor MTV hit, and I liked it a lot. The riff really stuck with you. I started to explore more of what they did, and this song is on their album Red Moon, released in 1990.
The Call was formed in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980. The Call was led by bassist, singer-songwriter Michael Been, a gravel-voiced singer who brought fire and the introspection of a tortured poet. His lyrics weren’t about getting the girl or cruising in muscle cars; they were about faith, doubt, injustice, identity, and the fragile grip we keep on hope. Heavy stuff delivered in tight, taut rock songs that carried a punch.
I think the general public really missed a great band here. They did have some MTV play now and then, but never broke through. Probably because they were more Americana, and that didn’t fit in at the time of big production and synths. Altogether, they released 9 albums from 1982 to 1997. In 2024, they released an album called The Lost Tapes with unreleased music from the 1980s and early 1990s.
Where earlier Call albums leaned into their Springsteen/U2 style, Red Moon pulls things inward. The rhythm section is more restrained. There’s even a bit of The Band in the album’s organic, Americana leanings. I also hear some Van Morrison in this track.
The production is warm and minimal, again almost Band-like in its restraint. You get brushed drums, subtle guitar, and just enough space to let the song breathe. You could hear this playing while drifting out of a cracked car window on a long, lonely drive.
They did have one celebrity on this recording. Irishman Van …Bono. He did the backups on this song. In the record company’s infinite wisdom…they picked this one as the single off the album. The reason? Oh, because Bono sang backups. Michael Been said, “I don’t care if Elvis and Lennon came back to life and sang backgrounds, it’s not a single kind of song.”
The song peaked at #25 on the Billboard Alternative Charts and #39 on the Mainstream Rock Charts in 1990.
It is a good song, though…very Americana. The band members were Michael Been, Bass and lead vocals, Jim Goodwin, keyboards and sax, Tom Ferrier, guitar, and Scott Musick, drums. All of them did vocals except Musick.
Here is the song that got me to pay attention to this band. The guest organ player is one of a kind.
What’s Happened To You
La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laEverybodyLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la
What’s happened to you?You used to be so shyYou used to hang your head downYou wouldn’t look in my eyesDid you some great vision?Did you finally break through?Did you shake the foundations?What’s happened to you?
La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la
What’s happened to you?You used to look so tiredNow there’s a spring in your stepAnd your words are on fireDid you hear some great secret?Did the words ring of truth?Did you rise from the ashes?What’s happened to you?
Where the four winds meetThe world is so stillThe waves are not poundingAnd the hungry are filledOur shadows have crossed hereWhere the sun touched the groundThe gathered are singing (ooh)What a beautiful soundThey’re singing
La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laEverybody singLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la
What’s happened to you?You used to be so unkindYou used to curse at this poor worldSo what changed your mind?What stirred such compassionIs a mystery to meI don’t know what’s happenedOh, but I like what I see
Where the four winds meetThe world is so stillThe waves are not poundingAnd the hungry are filledOur shadows have crossed hereWhere the sun touched the groundThe gathered are singingWhat a beautiful soundThey’re singing
La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laEverybodyLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la
Everybody!
La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laOh singLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la
…
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I think the song The Walls Came Down is about Joshua marching around Jericho till the walls came down. Nice find, Max.
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Thanks Jim! It’s a good sounding roots Americana band.
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I don’t recall having heard of The Call before. I like both “The Walls Came Down” and “What’s Happened to You.” I also agree the latter has a bit of a Band vibe – nice find!
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Thanks for giving it a try Christian! VERY Americana roots…that probably explains why you didn’t hear of them…because of the time period.
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Again, I’ve heard of the band, but knew little about them
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I only knew them from that one video in the 80s…but very rootsy Band like.
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‘The walls came down’ is a little familiar, didn’t know Garth was on it though. The first Wave sat. station play The Call fairly regularly but not these 2 songs..’Everywhere I Go’ gets played a fair bit . I only recently learned they were American, I for some reason assumed British.
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The more I’ve dive into them…the more I like them. They were totally out of place with the top 40 in the 80s…they sound so authentic…a real throwback to the early seventies but they kept it modern.
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you might be right, they do sound a little throwback-ish for the mid-’80s but I don’t think they sounded too radically different to not get picked up by radio… but they weren’t in any real big way
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No…MTV picked up the Wall song and that is where I found them but nothing after that.
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Damn Dave, I thought they were British for some reason too; The Call/The Fall? Maybe the ol’ brain filed them together or something…
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Dont you love some of those record company people. Bree’s quote on the “single” thing is priceless. Despite all that . this is a very cool song. Gives guy like CB some kind of emotional charge. ‘Walls’ is a good one also. I see that sneaky Garth guy doing his thing.
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His quote was awesome and so true. The record company over thinks too much…and under thinks. Oh to me…I would have actually bought it if I knew about it at the time. This is right up my alley and was then. For me it belongs beside Caravan and songs like that. I love it. You feel like he believes in what he is singing/wrote.
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I would say that Breen is committed to the song. The line in ‘Walls” when he sings “They arent laughing anymore” is delivered perfectly.
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Authentic…that word again. Maybe that word instead of gritty yesterday.
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Yes. Stand into it and deliver. Amazing how good songs will take the singer into that place.
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I like the second one – I find the first one a bit too repetitive, though in that one the vocalist’s voice reminds me of David Byrne.
I bookmarked a band you’d probably like – an English band with an American (female) vocalist, but can’t remember what they’re called! When I find it I’ll give you a link.
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Found it. They’re called Vox Americana – not like Call in any shape or form! Not that sort of Americana. But re-listening to this I reckon they’ve stolen the start of The Ballad of John and Yoko!! See what you think:
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Agree, there’s a chunk of ‘John And Yoko’ in there.
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Interesting band and music. I have heard the name, but really don’t think I’ve heard anything by them. Both good songs.
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The Call remind me of The Animals. This is the music Burdon and company would have been doing in the 80s, I think.
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That is a good comparison….they sounded different for the time.
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I like their sound. Two super tunes. When I see Garth and Bono are backup on them, I know why they stepped in to support them. The second song reminds me of U2 with the lyrics. I can hear the Van in there as well. Thanks for another introduction to new music.
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Thank you for giving it a try! That is what I love about blogs. I’m always ready to pick up someone new.
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You’re welcome. Max, I’ve learned so much about music since starting the blog.
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Oh I have and I’ve expanded my range so so so much!
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I can’t believe I still have their album,scene beyond dreams…the Band’s Garth Hudson is on it. I seriously have no rememberance of why I bought it, but it was a part of my soundtrack back in 1984
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I am really liking this band Warren. I paid attention to them in the 80s because of Garth…but they did have some good music…very rootsy.
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Yep the Band is influencing here for sure. Sounds like someone Called by at Big Pink. Hey, that’s no bad thing.
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No not a bad thing at all but in the middle of the 80s…got lost in the shuffle.
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Yes, in the synthetic 80s organs were so passé…
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Don’t get me started! lol
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Sounds like a single to me.
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After listening to it a few times…it does to me as well I have to admit. Good band though.
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