Alarm Call

For the human and animal behaviour, see alarm signal.
"Alarm Call"
Single by Björk
from the album Homogenic
B-side "All Is Full of Love" "So Broken" "Hunter"
Released November 30, 1998
Format
Genre
Length 4:21 (album version)
3:38 (radio edit)
Label One Little Indian
Writer(s) Björk
Producer(s)
Björk singles chronology
"Hunter"
(1998)		 "Alarm Call"
(1998)		 "All Is Full of Love"
(1999)
Homogenic track listing

"Alarm Call" is a song by Björk released as the fourth single from her fourth studio album Homogenic, peaking at #33 in the UK.

The song was used in the 1999 film The Mod Squad

Background

The song speaks of re-awakening through music and is rumoured to be about Michael Jackson as it was originally labelled "Jacko" on the Homogenic demo tape. Björk explained "I think that music has the power to change the things, and that's what I wanted to show on Alarm Call". It is the only single from Homogenic that was not included on Greatest Hits.

Music video

Björk in the jungle in the Alarm Call music video.

The first music video for "Alarm Call" was directed by Paul White, who also directed the "Hunter" video,[2] and it featured Björk in a similar dressing as the one featured on the Homogenic album cover, with a special dance scene in Los Angeles' Subway.[3]

However, Björk was not convinced with the result and a second video was directed by fashion designer Alexander McQueen and recorded at the Asylum Studios.[4] It features Björk floating on a raft on a river in a jungle and her scenes are intercut with footage of snakes, crocodiles, and other animals, with Björk playing with them. It was rumoured to be a sequel to "Bachelorette", because of the lyrics that make a little allusion to the events occurred in past Isobel adventures ("Human Behaviour", "Isobel" and "Bachelorette"). The video also has some signs that make people think about this fact. "Alarm Call" shows Isobel back to the nature after having disillusions in the big city, so this video is the fourth and last of Isobel's adventures.

The version of the song used on the video is the Radio mix by Andy Bradfield and Mark Bell, which is sped-up, with dance influences and omits the word 'fucking'.

Track listings

EU CD

  1. "Alarm Call" (radio mix)
  2. "Alarm Call" (French Dub)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Potage du Jour)
  4. "Alarm Call" (Gangsta)
  5. "Alarm Call" (Bjeck Mix)

UK CD1

  1. "Alarm Call" (radio mix)
  2. "Alarm Call" (Rhythmic Phonetics Mix) (by Matmos)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Bjeck Mix)

UK CD2

  1. "Alarm Call" (Potage du Jour) (by Mark Bell)
  2. "Alarm Call" (French Edit)
  3. "Alarm Call" (French Dub)

UK CD3

  1. "Alarm Call" (Phunk You) (by Mark Bell)
  2. "Alarm Call" (Gangsta) (by Mark Bell)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Locked) (by Mark Bell)

12" vinyl record 1

  1. "Alarm Call" (Bjeck Mix)
  2. "Alarm Call" (Rhythmic Phonetics Mix) (by Matmos)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Speech Therapy Mix) (by Matmos)

12" vinyl record 2

  1. "Alarm Call" (Enough is Enough Mix)
  2. "Alarm Call" (Rise and Shine Mix)
  3. "All Is Full of Love" (All is Full of Lies Mix)

12" vinyl record 3

  1. "Alarm Call" (Reprosession Mix)
  2. "So Broken" (DJ Krust Mix)

12" vinyl record 4

  1. "Alarm Call" (Alan Braxe & Ben Diamond Remix) (a.k.a. French Dub)
  2. "Alarm Call" (Teasmade Dub)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Alan Braxe & Ben Diamond Edit) (a.k.a. French Edit)

12" vinyl record 5

  1. "Alarm Call" (radio mix)
  2. "Alarm Call" (album version)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Snooze Button Mix)
  4. "Hunter" (Moodswing Remix)

12" vinyl record 6

  1. "Alarm Call" (Potage Du Jour)
  2. "Alarm Call" (Locked)
  3. "Alarm Call" (Phunk You)

Remixes

Charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 33

References

  1. ↑ Phares, Heather. "((( Homogenic > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  2. ↑ "Alarm Call". bjork.fr. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  3. ↑ "Alarm Call". bjork.fr. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  4. ↑ "Alarm Call Premiere". Unit.bjork.com. Retrieved 2011-09-29.