Calling America

"Calling America" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released as a single from their 1986 album Balance of Power. The single reached number 28 in the United Kingdom, making it their 26th and final Top 40 hit single in their native country and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard singles chart, making it their 20th and final Top 40 hit single in the United States.

"Calling America"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Balance of Power
B-side
  • "Caught in a Trap"
  • "Destination Unknown" (UK 12-inch only)
Released
  • 24 January 1986 (1986-01-24) (US)
  • 21 February 1986 (UK)
Recorded1985
Studio
GenrePop rock
Length3:28
Label
Songwriter(s)Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Stranger"
(1983)		 "Calling America"
(1986)		 "So Serious"
(1986)

Overview

Like most of the songs on Balance of Power, "Calling America" is musically upbeat and bright. Lyrically, it features a similar theme to ELO's earlier single "Telephone Line", where the narrator is longing for a lover from across the telephone, although "Calling America" also discusses satellite communication. Appropriately, the song pays homage to the track "Telstar", which had celebrated the communication satellite of the same name, in the instrumental section. In his column Real Life Rock (published in The Village Voice), Greil Marcus called the song an "answer record to [the] 24-year old hit".[1] Fellow American music journalist Chuck Eddy said, "Greil Marcus was the only person besides me who realized that 'Calling America' by ELO was one of the most brilliant records of last year. I thought it was really neat that it ended up on both our top 10s."[2]

Epic Records released a three-track 12-inch single in the UK, with "Destination Unknown" as the B-side.

The promotional music video was shot in Paris, and contains shots of the band playing in front of Centre Georges Pompidou.

Reception

Cash Box called it a "bright, cleanly done bit of pop sheen from the masters of the genre" with a "very hooky lyric."[3] Billboard said that it has ELO's "familiar wall of sound and sci-fi predilections."[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Jeff Lynne.

7-inch single
  1. "Calling America" – 3:28
  2. "Caught in a Trap" – 3:43
US 12-inch single
  1. "Calling America" – 3:28
  2. "Caught in a Trap" – 3:43
  3. "Endless Lies" – 2:54
UK 12-inch single
  1. "Calling America" – 3:28
  2. "Caught in a Trap" – 3:43
  3. "Destination Unknown" – 4:10
  4. "Rock'n' Roll Is King" - 3:49
  5. "Secret Messages" - 4:44

Chart history
Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart[5] 47
Austrian Ö3 Austria Top 40[6] 22
Canada RPM Top Singles[7] 28
French SNEP Singles Chart 10
German Media Control Singles Chart[8] 31
Irish Singles Chart[9] 16
South Africa (Springbok)[10] 23
UK Singles Chart[11] 28
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 18
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[12] 22
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[12] 20
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles 26
US Radio & Records (R&R)[13][14] 20

Video

The video, directed by John Beug and Jane Simpson,[15] was shot in Paris and contains shots of Centre Georges Pompidou; the band plays in front of Pompidou.

References
  1. Marcus, Greil (January 2015). Real Life Rock: The Complete Top Ten Columns, 1986-2014. Yale University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-300-19664-1.
  2. Interview with Chuck Eddy, Nerve magazine, 1986
  3. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 February 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  4. "Reviews". Billboard. 1 February 1986. p. 81. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Discographie Electric Light Orchestra". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  7. "RPM Top 100 Singles - April 19, 1986" (PDF).
  8. "charts.de - Electric Light Orchestra". charts.de. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  9. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2013. Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search.
  10. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  11. "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  12. "Electric Light Orchestra - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  13. ELO
  14. Charts!
  15. "Electric Light Orchestra: Calling America". imdb.com. IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
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