Call and Answer

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“Call and Answer”
“Call and Answer” cover
Single by Barenaked Ladies
from the album Stunt
Released 1999
Format CD
Recorded 1998
Genre Alternative rock
Length 5:48 (Album)
4:09 (Radio Mix)
Label Reprise Records
Producer Barenaked Ladies,
David Leonard,
Susan Rogers
Barenaked Ladies singles chronology
"It's All Been Done"
(1998)
"Call and Answer"
(1999)
"Get in Line"
(1999)

"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"). 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.

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 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 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 Valencia, CA. There are two versions of the video; one which includes scenes from EdTV, and one which does not.

The song was performed on CBC Radio as a tribute to Peter Gzowski on his death in 2002.

[edit] Chart positions

Charts Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 52
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 121
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Adult Recurrents 14
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 17
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks 40