"Let the Day Begin" by The Call

Song#:  3969

Date:  07/22/1989

Debut:  91

Peak:  51

Weeks:  9

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  The last time The Call was on the Pop chart was back in 1983 when "The Walls Came Down" from their second album Modern Romans got to #74. Their next album, Scenes Beyond Dreams, would not chart, but their fifth album Reconcile did okay reaching #82 thanks to a pair of Rock Top 20 entries. Then '87's Into the Woods wouldn't fare as well stopping at a minor #123. Realizing they needed something with a little more of a commercial edge to keep the train going, the band went into the studio and recorded their next LP, Let the Day Begin, in a quick six days. Unfortunately, their label at the time, Elektra, didn't like what they heard and wanted the band to start over. Disagreements ensued and when all was said and done, both The Call and the album wound up over at MCA Records. The title track was selected for the first single and it would become the band's biggest overall hit reaching #1 at Rock, #5 Modern Rock and nearly making the Pop Top 50. The hit helped the album get to #64, which would also be their best result.

ReduxReview:  I remember liking this rock anthem. It was big, bold, and performed well by the band. I liked the piano part, which served as a nice enhancement behind the crashing drums and guitars. The part before the instrumental mid section where lead singer Michael Been sings "let the daaaayyyyy.......start!" was pretty cool. If U2 had been a southern rock band, they might have sounded like this. The song definitely should have made the Pop Top 40 and probably would have if there were records to sell (see below). Still, it would provide the band with their biggest career/chart moment.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This song might have done better on the Pop chart had there been more singles available. Apparently, prior to this single coming out, MCA was getting ready to switch vinyl manufacturing plants, which would interrupt the supply chain of records. Before the switch, the label only had a certain amount of the single pressed for release. It seems they didn't think the song would do as well as it did. But then it suddenly reached #1 on the Rock chart and was making its way up the Pop chart. Sadly, at that point there were no singles to be had. The lack of sales most likely played into its peak on the Pop chart, which combined sales and airplay. It would take five weeks before the single could get another pressing, but by then it was too late.   2) The Call's next album, Red Moon, was a more experimental album that, once again, didn't thrill their label who apparently wanted to scrap it. MCA would begrudgingly release the LP in the late summer of '90, but did little to promote it. The album, of course, failed to sell and MCA dropped the band. The Call then went on an extended hiatus that found lead singer Michael Been pushing out a couple of solo albums. The band would regroup later in the decade and release the indie LP To Heaven and Back in 1997. They stuck around and performed for a few more years before calling it quits in 2000. Been would die of a heart attack in 2010 while working backstage for his son Robert's band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

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