"Vienna Calling" by Falco

Song#:  2705
Date:  04/26/1986
Debut:  70
Peak:  18
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Europop, Dance-Pop



Pop Bits:  Austria's Falco made an indelible mark on the Pop chart when his "Rock Me Amadeus" spent three weeks at the top. The quirky German-language talk/rap tune became an 80s camp classic and made Falco a one-hit wonder in the US, even though technically he wasn't due to this follow-up track that made the Top 20. It was just that "Rock Me Amadeus" was such an overpowering hit that it far overshadowed this tune, which most folks have forgotten. Like "Rock Me," this song was a new edit/remix done specifically for the US single release (it was titled "The New '86 Edit/Mix) . The version found on the US release of Falco 3 was much longer (at 7+ minutes) and different from the four-minute one found on the original European album. It would end up being Falco's final single to reach the US Pop chart. His next album, Emotional, would contain the single "The Sound of Musik," which was able to get to #16 on the US Dance chart. After that he would mainly just have hits in Austria and Germany. Sadly, Falco died from injuries he sustained in a car accident in 1998.

ReduxReview:  How do you follow up a kooky hit? With another one, of course! While not quite as off the rails as "Rock Me Amadeus," this track was still fun even though I had zero idea as to what it was about. Its mix of German and English certainly didn't help. The chorus was strong and the US mix of the track was better than the album versions. I thought it might dip into the Top 10 but it stopped a bit short. At the time, I enjoyed this track just as much as I did "Rock Me." Unfortunately, this one quickly faded and became a "lost song" of the 80s while "Rock Me" lived on.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  A third single, "Jeanny," would be issued out from the album. The original version of the song had Falco doing a spoken word section in German that led to a chorus sung in English. For the US single release, a special radio edit of the song was done with Falco doing the spoken word section in English as well. While the song was a big hit in several European countries, it failed to chart in the US. The song would be highly controversial in Europe. Falco has said that the lyrics were just point-of-view musings of a stalker, but many interpreted that Jeanny was eventually raped by the stalker. It didn't help that there was a "news flash" included in the song that talks about missing persons including a 19-year-old girl, which alluded to murder. The song was outright banned by several radio stations while others only played it at night or with a front-loaded warning. Of course, the controversy probably helped sell records and it hit #1 in at least six European countries. On his next album, Falco continued the story of Jeanny with the track "Coming Home (Jeanny Part II, One Year Later)." It would also reach the Top 10 in several countries.

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