Song Sunday: Call Me (Blondie)
Returning to my phone playlist, I submit for your approval on this chilly Sunday night, Blondie‘s Call Me, the theme from the 1980 movie American Gigolo. I was 13 when this film came out and, with its “R” rating, I wasn’t allowed to see it (I caught it on HBO, later, tho…). The drum beat opens the movie as Richard Gere cruises in a black Mercedes. This movie was so bad-ass (to a teenager) and Siskel & Ebert gave it a decent rating but, the rest of the critics panned it. Oh, well. This was the movie that put Gere on my radar (I hadn’t seen Looking For Mr. Goodbar).
Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder, he originally approached Stevie Nicks to assist in composing and performing a song for the soundtrack but, she was prevented by contract to another company. Moroder then asked Debbie Harry and she fashioned lyrics, and the melody, in a few hours.
The song made it to the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and stayed there for six weeks. It also made it to #1 in Canada, the UK and in Record World magazine. There are 20 covers of this song with Blondie re-recording it in 2014 and, a live cover done in 2002.
Movie Opening
Single
Extended Version
12 thoughts on “Song Sunday: Call Me (Blondie)”
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April 26, 2020 at 3:32 AM
I just don’t see Stevie Nicks doing this…Debbie was the right one. Maybe my favorite song by them. Great song.
April 26, 2020 at 2:14 PM
Yeah. Nicks would have been an odd choice considering the nature and feel of the film. Fleetwood Mac’s style of music wouldn’t have fit, particularly considering Nicks and her witch/faerie/mystical fascination. She is far too deep for a film about sex and detachment.
April 26, 2020 at 2:17 PM
I really like Stevie…though I like Christine better as far as performers go…she is not a “rock” singer…at least not to me. She has the voice for it but not the style.
April 26, 2020 at 3:07 PM
I like Stevie’s very distinctive voice. I like most of her work. I like Christine’s voice, too…they are completely different.
April 26, 2020 at 3:47 PM
Yea I’m not as much into the mystical…unless it’s Van Morrsion lol. I do like Stevie though
April 26, 2020 at 9:13 AM
Years ago I had that single. Not sure what happened to it.
April 26, 2020 at 2:14 PM
Got a hidden box of records somewhere?
April 26, 2020 at 7:22 PM
Great song that I still belt out when I hear it, and I like me some Richard Gere….. 😉
April 27, 2020 at 1:08 AM
I totally agree…on both counts!
April 27, 2020 at 8:36 PM
Blondie were untouchable at this point… Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass, Atomic, this… All classics 🙂
April 27, 2020 at 11:44 PM
Their music is definitely in the background of my teen years.
February 3, 2023 at 9:01 PM
[…] vocals do, indeed, blend well with the ‘musical wood work.’ The single Call Me from American Gigolo had an instrumental version on the B-side and Debbie did some vocal blending with that, […]