Calling (Geri Halliwell song)

"Calling"
Single by Geri Halliwell
from the album Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
B-side
  • "Getting Better"
  • "Destiny"
Released26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
Length4:25
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stephen Lipson
Geri Halliwell singles chronology
"Scream If You Wanna Go Faster"
(2001) 		"Calling"
(2001) 		"Ride It"
(2004)
Music video
"Calling" on YouTube

"Calling" is a song by British singer Geri Halliwell. It was written by Halliwell and Peter-John Vettese for her second album, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster (2001), while production was helmed by Stephen Lipson. The song was released as the third and final single from the album. Just like Halliwell's previous single, "Scream If You Wanna Go Faster", the success for "Calling" was limited. In certain regions, the song was released in a French version, called "Au nom de l'amour". To promote the single, Halliwell performed the song on Top of the Pops, Top of the Pops Germany, CD:UK, Children in Need 2001, Blue Peter, This Morning and the Pepsi Chart.

Background

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"Calling" was written by Geri Halliwell along with Peter-John Vettese, while production was helmed by Stephen Lipson.[1] Halliwell called it her favorite song on the album. After she recorded a demo version of the song, she rushed over to singer and personal friend George Michael in London and played it to him. She commented that Michael would only offer praise if he really thought it was deserved. As he was "brutally honest" and it could be hard to take, she was so confident about this song that she was willing to risk it. When the song ended, he said, "You know what, Geri, that's very good". According to Halliwell, "from George Michael that means something. I really believed I had a winner."[2]

Chart performance

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Released on 26 November 2001,[3] "Calling" debuted and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart on 2 December 2001, lasting 10 weeks on the chart.[4] Altogether, the song sold 70,515 copies and became the 192nd best selling single of 2001 in the United Kingdom.[5] Elsewhere, "Calling" entered the majority of the charts it appeared on, peaking at six on the Hungarian Rádiós Top 40 and at number 11 in the Wallonian region of Belgium.[6][7] In her autobiography Just for the Record, Halliwell revealed that the chart position upset her as "Calling" was her favourite song from the album, and she was certain that it was a sure-fire number one. Due to her disappointment with the chart position of the single, no further singles were released from Scream If You Wanna Go Faster and Halliwell moved to Los Angeles, California for several months and took a break from the music industry.[8]

Music video

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The music video for "Calling " was filmed in Barcelona in October 2001.[9]

The black and white music video for "Calling" was directed by Pierluca DeCario and filmed in Sant Vicenç de Montalt near Barcelona, Spain in October 2001. It shows Halliwell, dressed with a black sweater and barefoot, singing the song while lying in a meadow and standing and walking in front of concrete walls.[9] The video was released on 1 November 2001.[9]

Track listings

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UK CD1[10]
No.TitleLength
1."Calling"4:25
2."Getting Better"3:07
3."Destiny"4:29
4."Calling" (video) 
UK CD2[11]
No.TitleLength
1."Calling"4:25
2."Calling" (WIP 'Coeur de lion' edit)3:45
3."Calling" (Metro 7-inch)3:43
4."Calling" (Mauve's Factor 25 Mix)3:55
5."Calling" (Mareeko remix edit)3:58
UK cassette single[12]
No.TitleLength
1."Calling"4:25
2."Getting Better"3:07
3."Destiny"4:29
European CD single[13]
No.TitleLength
1."Calling"4:25
2."Getting Better"3:07
French CD single[14]
No.TitleLength
1."Calling (Au nom de l'amour)"4:21
2."Calling"4:24

Personnel

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Personnel are taken from the Scream If You Wanna Go Faster album booklet.[1]

  • Geri Halliwell – writing
  • Peter-John Vettese – writing, keyboards, original production, programming
  • Nick Ingman – string arrangement
  • Gavyn Wright – concertmaster
  • Steve Price – string engineering
  • Stephen Lipson – production, programming
  • Heff Moraes – mixing, engineering

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ a b Scream If You Wanna Go Faster (UK CD album booklet). Geri Halliwell. EMI Records. 2001. 533 3692.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Halliwell 2003, p. 204
  3. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting November 26, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 24 November 2001. p. 31. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Geri Halliwell: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Geri Halliwell – Calling" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  8. ^ Halliwell 2003, p. 222
  9. ^ a b c "Calling". imvdb.com. November 2001. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  10. ^ Calling (UK CD1 liner notes). Geri Halliwell. EMI Records. 2001. CDEMS 606, 7243 5 50099 0 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Calling (UK CD2 liner notes). Geri Halliwell. EMI Records. 2001. CDEM606, 7243 5 50099 2 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Calling (UK cassette single sleeve). Geri Halliwell. EMI Records. 2001. TCEM 606, 7243 5 50099 4 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Calling (European CD single liner notes). Geri Halliwell. EMI Records. 2001. 7243 5 50185 2 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Calling (Au nom de l'amour) (French CD single liner notes). Geri Halliwell. EMI Records. 2001. 5502122.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ "Geri Halliwell – Calling" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Geri Halliwell – Calling" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 51. 15 December 2001. p. 11. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Geri Halliwell – Calling (au nom de l'amour)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Geri Halliwell – Calling" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  21. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Calling". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Geri Halliwell – Calling". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 2, saptamina 14.01–20.01, 2002" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Geri Halliwell – Calling". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Rapports annuels 2002" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
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