Call and Answer
"Call and Answer" is a song by the Canadian group Barenaked Ladies. It was the third single from their highly successful 1998 album Stunt (the song "Alcohol" had been previously released to radio stations, but was not sold commercially as a single). When released as a single, the song was both remixed and edited into a radio mix which cut from the second verse to the third chorus, skipping a chorus, an instrumental break and the third verse. The remix was a slight adjustment of EQ and levels; not a comprehensive remix involving adding or replacing musical elements. This version was also included on the soundtrack for the film EdTV.
| "Call and Answer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Barenaked Ladies | ||||
| from the album Stunt | ||||
| Released | July 13, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 5:48 (Album) 4:09 (Radio Mix) | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Steven Page, Stephen Duffy | |||
| Producer(s) | Barenaked Ladies, David Leonard, Susan Rogers | |||
| Barenaked Ladies singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Call and Answer" on YouTube | ||||
The song was written by Steven Page and his longtime collaborator, Stephen Duffy. All of the vocals in the song are performed by Page; this includes overlapping vocals, harmonies and octaves, and a call-and-response chorus. This, in addition to a long ad-lib outro makes the song a showcase of Page's vocal abilities. In live performances, the backing vocals were performed by bandmates Ed Robertson and Jim Creeggan. The song seems to be about the reconciliation of a tumultuous relationship.
The song was performed on CBC Radio as a tribute to Peter Gzowski on his death in 2002. It was also performed as a duet with Alanis Morissette in 2004 during the co-headlining Au Naturale Tour.
Music video
The video for the song utilized the shorter, radio mix version, and involved the band living in a world of duplicates. All the houses look the same, all the cars are white Volkswagen New Beetles, and there are several "copies" of each band member. Notably, there are multiple Stevens that sing the multiple vocal lines he sings on the song. Steve is the main band member seen in the video, and the other band members are only in a few shots. Steve is paired with a female character in the video.
The video was shot in the Valencia section of Santa Clarita, California. A second version of the video includes scenes from the film EdTV.
The video for the song was an Easter egg on the install disc for Mac OS 9-9.2, along with the video for Static X's "Push It".
Personnel
- Steven Page – lead vocals
- Ed Robertson – acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals
- Jim Creeggan – double bass, cello, backing vocals
- Kevin Hearn – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals
- Tyler Stewart – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Chart positions
Weekly charts
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart | 52 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Adult Recurrents | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks | 40 |
References
- "Top Singles – Volume 70, No. 8, December 13, 1999". RPM. December 13, 1999. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
