Call and Answer
Encyclopedia
"Call and Answer" is a song by the Canadian
group Barenaked Ladies
. It was the third single from their highly successful 1998 album, Stunt
(though the song Alcohol was released as a radio sampler between "It's All Been Done
" and "Call and Answer"). 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, and not a comprehensive remix involving adding or replacing musical elements. The song was also included on the soundtrack for the film, EdTV
.
The song was a collaboration between Steven Page
and his longtime collaborator, Stephen Duffy
. Its most notable property is that all the vocals on the album track are those of Page, and none of his other bandmates. This includes overlapping vocals, harmonies and octaves, and a call-and-response type of chorus. These vocals are handled by his bandmates during live performances. This, in addition to a long ad-lib outro makes the song a showcase of Page's vocal abilities. 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.
This was also the final song Steven Page performed with Barenaked Ladies, on February 5, 2009, 3 weeks before he announced that he was leaving the band.
s, 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 Valencia, CA. There are two versions of the video; one which includes scenes from EdTV, and one which does not.
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".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
group Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
. It was the third single from their highly successful 1998 album, Stunt
Stunt (album)
Stunt is the fourth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. By far their most successful album, it entered the US charts at #3 and sold over 4 million units by the end of its chart run. Its first single, "One Week" would become the band's breakthrough single in the U.S. market by hitting #1...
(though the song Alcohol was released as a radio sampler between "It's All Been Done
It's All Been Done
"It's All Been Done" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their 1998 album, Stunt....
" and "Call and Answer"). 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, and not a comprehensive remix involving adding or replacing musical elements. The song was also included on the soundtrack for the film, EdTV
EdTV
EDtv is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the Quebec film Louis 19, le roi des ondes , it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Landau, Rob Reiner, Sally Kirkland, Elizabeth Hurley, Clint Howard, and Dennis Hopper.The...
.
The song was a collaboration between Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
and his longtime collaborator, Stephen Duffy
Stephen Duffy
Stephen Anthony James Duffy is an English singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was a founding member and vocalist/bassist of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo performer under several different names, and is the singer and songwriter for The Lilac Time with his older brother...
. Its most notable property is that all the vocals on the album track are those of Page, and none of his other bandmates. This includes overlapping vocals, harmonies and octaves, and a call-and-response type of chorus. These vocals are handled by his bandmates during live performances. This, in addition to a long ad-lib outro makes the song a showcase of Page's vocal abilities. The song seems to be about the reconciliation of a tumultuous relationship.
The song was performed on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
as a tribute to Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski, was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to understand...
on his death in 2002. It was also performed as a duet with Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
in 2004 during the co-headlining Au Naturale Tour.
This was also the final song Steven Page performed with Barenaked Ladies, on February 5, 2009, 3 weeks before he announced that he was leaving the band.
Music video
The video for the song used the 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 BeetleVolkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
s, 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 Valencia, CA. There are two versions of the video; one which includes scenes from EdTV, and one which does not.
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".
Chart positions
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
10 |
| 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 ... |
52 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
21 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Adult Recurrents | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was... |
40 |