"Calling You" and the Art of Intimate Soul

Decoding the classic 80s ballad, Calling You from the 1987 film, Bagdad Café

Composers have a perfect vision when it comes to an original song.

We’ve heard Arthur’s Theme, Flashdance theme creating an epic dance finale, and even Disney’s Award-Winning themes, but I don’t think we talk enough about the ones that could’ve won.

“Calling You” from Bagdad Cafe is an Academy Award-nominated song. Despite losing to Carly Simon, the song was still a winning composition in my book.

I had intense chills when I first heard this record a few years ago. So much so, that I thought it would be appropriate to break down the song's beauty. Let’s talk about the beauty of the intimate soul on this record.

Background of the Record

“Calling You” was used as the theme for the 1987 movie Bagdad Café. If you’re not familiar with the film, it's a comedy-drama about a German woman enhancing a deserted California motel. It touched on inclusion with cultural and racial barriers.

Bob Telson wrote and produced the theme, but requested gospel singer, Jevetta Steele to sing on the record. She no doubt creates an unforgettable soulful performance.

The song was a critical success in Europe reaching number 8 in France and number 9 in Sweden. George Michael covered the song with the help of his background singer Lynn Mabley on his Faith Tour. Céline Dion covered the song on her live album, À l'Olympia in 1994.

The Instrumentation

The beauty of “Calling You” lies in the minimal instrumentation. There’s a keyboard and a harmonica weaving in and out throughout the record. This is a close-your-eyes and drift-away kind of song.

I love how the instruments echo; making room for her vocals. The minimalism of it all still lingers in our ears. Even the harmonic bridge section is a subtle arrangement.

Creating the right intimate space that we need. The intimate beauty of the song came out in the sparse piano and aching melody. You can hear the instruments in a dreamlike presence. With the background instruments and vocals, it stays in our memory bank.

The Vocals & Lyrical Meaning

Jeveeta Steele’s version is hauntingly beautiful. When we hear the song, we wouldn’t associate it with a comedy right away, but it does well.

Her voice creates the right intimate moment for the film right from the opening scene.

“Calling You” is a ballad that satisfies Jevette’s calming soprano vocals.

When she sings, she creates the perfect duality. In one sense, we hear the first-person message in the song. The lyrics reference the film and the reserved atmospheric setting. In another, there is a spiritual essence that lingers.

The more we hear Jevetta’s voice, the more we get why she was picked to sing the vocals in the song because Telson wanted her to depict the African American experience on the track.

At face value, the song addresses the setting in the movie, but forces us to look at our own lives, who are we calling for? And how do we observe our environment? That sort of self-reflection is the power of the song.

The lyrics detail Brenda’s character in the film. As she sings out the yearning and frustration in “Calling You.”

The lyrics may be simple, but the song is quite challenging to sing without proper vocal training. “Calling You” requires a lot of breath support to hold those needed notes in the chorus. Jevetta does an excellent job executing the demands of the song. It’s a crystal clear resonant song that rings back to our ears.

The vocality of this song is what attracted singers like Céline Dion to cover it and many others as well. Céline Dion does an equally good job as well as belting in the upper register is her strong suit. Hey, it’s even a song that we could’ve heard Whitney Houston cover if she was asked.

Final Thoughts

Part of the reason Bagdad Café remains a cult classic is because of their treasured hit, “Calling You.”

Even though “Calling You” didn’t win the Academy Award in 1989, it still an impactful soul record.

I love how the song was nominated for its emotional resonance rather than just lyrics. (which is what the Best Original Category is for).

Sometimes music can be just as powerful when great vocals outshine basic production on a record like this.

In “Calling You” the intimacy is in the vocals and minimal production. No matter what you’re doing it forces you to stop, listen and reflect.

Her vocal interpretation is unforgettable when she belts out the yearning lyrics. A few people can cover this song, but Jevetta’s original version remains classic.

I think this song is special because we can’t get contemporary songs like this in movies these days. I love how the meaning of this song can be complex and overwhelmingly moving.

Hearing how “Calling You” was featured in American Horror Story: NYC is proof the song never lost its impact. The song will always be the perfect torch ballad of the 1980s.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. The song is available to stream on Spotify UK but not in the US, so listen to the Soundcloud version. Here is the song again for the US readers.

Songs You May Like Similar to This

• Desiree - Kissing You

• Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind

Comment any song suggestions you want me to breakdown below.

Watch Bagdad Café for free on Prime Video.