The Call (song)

Infobox Single
Name = The Call


Caption =
Artist = The Backstreet Boys
from Album = Black & Blue
A-side =
B-side =
Released = February 6, 2001 Remixes March 13, 2001
Format = CD
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:24
Label = Jive
Writer = Max Martin
Rami
Producer = Max Martin
Rami
Certification =
Last single = "Shape of My Heart"
(2000)
This single = "The Call"
(2000)
Next single = "More Than That"
(2001)
Misc = "The Call" is a song by the Backstreet Boys, released as the second single from their album "Black & Blue" on February 6, 2001.

Track listing

Standard
#The Call
#Shape Of My Heart (Soul Solution Radio Mix)
#Shape Of My Heart (Soul Solution Club Mix)

Remixes EP
#The Call (Album Version)
#The Call (Fragma Remix)
#The Call (Tom Novy Remix)
#The Call (Neptunes Remix feat. Pharrell & Clipse)
#The Call (Kruger Mix)
#The Call (Thunderpuss Radio Edit)
#The Call (Thunderpuss Club Mix)
#The Call (Thunderdub)

Remixes vinyl
# The Call (Thunderpuss Club Mix)
# The Call (Destiny Mix)
# The Call (Fragma Remix)
# The Call (Kruger Mix [Shanks & Bigfoot] )
# The Call (Thunderpuss Radio Edit)

Urban Remixes vinyl
# The Call (Neptunes Remix - w/ Rap)
# The Call (Neptunes Remix - No Rap)
# The Call (Marcus DL Remix)
# The Call (Earthtone III Remix)
# The Call (Aza's Blak Beatniks Club Mix)

Video

The music video for "The Call" was directed by Francis Lawrence. For the video, the album version of the song was edited to extend the length of the song. Additional telephone rings were added at the start, and one measure was added to both the break following the second chorus, and the subsequent a cappella choral segment. A third repeat of the final chorus was also added. There were two cuts of the video released. One featured the modified album version, and the second featured the Neptunes Remix. The two versions were substantially the same, however the differing arrangements of the two song versions resulted in the video being slightly re-edited to match. The Neptunes video also adds flashes of early in the video as callbacks near the end of the video.

Band member A. J. McLean later admitted on the Oprah Winfrey Show (in an episode discussing his recovery from depression and drug and alcohol abuse) he tried cocaine for the first time on the set of this video.

The Music Video won MTV Asia Awards Favourite Video. MTV Video Music Awards Best Pop Video.

Plot

The video follows a character portrayed progressively by different members of the group. As the video begins, McLean calls his significant other from a club to tell her he will be late. He then follows another woman out of the club and into a taxi. When the taxi stops in traffic, the woman leaves the taxi and runs off. McLean follows her, searching through the now-empty vehicles.

The scene shifts to Brian Littrell, who is following the same woman. He notices a Backstreet Boys billboard advertisement which has his and McLean's faces crossed off with white Xs. As he looks at the billboard, he is sniped with a non-lethal bullet. As rounds begin to rain down at him, he takes refuge in a deserted supermarket. The lights go out, and he sees someone run past the aisle. He follows them out the back door of the store.

Nick Carter bursts out of a door and finds a car with its keys sitting on it. Behind him, there are Backstreet Boys flyers with his, Littrell's and McLean's faces crossed off. He drives to a hotel which is also deserted, and runs to Howie Dorough's room. He explains what has occurred and Dorough takes him out into the now-populated hotel. As they exit the lobby, another Dorough is seen picking up a drink at the lobby bar. The first Dorough drives Carter down a city street when he suddenly jumps out of the car and removes a mask to reveal that he is actually the woman from earlier in the video. Carter stops the car as it is about to crash into a wall.

Kevin Richardson then exits the car, noticing flyers showing all five band members' crossed out. He chases the woman into a building and up its stairs. She jumps through a window to a neighbouring building. He pursues and finds a room whose walls and ceiling are painted with words like "cheat", "scum bag" and "fraud". As he runs out of the building, he is met by a large group of people, with his significant other from the beginning of the video at the head of the group. The shot cuts back to show all five band members standing and facing the group.