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This Is a Call

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"This Is a Call" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released as the lead single from the band's 1995 self-titled debut album. Released in June 1995, it is one of many songs Dave Grohl wrote and performed on the album when Foo Fighters was a one-man band.

"This Is a Call"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album Foo Fighters
WrittenMid-1994
ReleasedJune 19, 1995 (1995-06-19)
Genre
Length
  • 3:52
  • 3:45 (live at Downing)
Label
Songwriter(s)Dave Grohl
Producer(s)
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"This Is a Call"
(1995) 		"I'll Stick Around"
(1995)

Origins edit

"This Is a Call" is one of the few songs on the Foo Fighters' debut album that does not date from Dave Grohl's days with Nirvana. It was a new song written in mid-1994, months after Kurt Cobain's death. Grohl married his long-time girlfriend Jennifer Youngblood and wrote the song while on honeymoon in Ireland, "In that summer of 1994 I'd travelled a lot; I think I wrote 'This Is A Call' in Ireland. When I got back I booked five days in a recording studio, which seemed like an eternity, and I did the whole first Foo Fighters album in five days".[3]

Lyrics edit

Dave Grohl said about the song: "The chorus says 'This is a call to all my past resignation'. It's just sort of like a little wave to all the people I ever played music with, people I've been friends with, all my relationships, my family. It's a hello, and in a way a thank you."[4]

"'This Is A Call' just seemed like a nice way to open the album, y'know, 'This is a call to all my past resignations...' I felt like I had nothing to lose, and I didn't necessarily want to be the drummer of Nirvana for the rest of my life without Nirvana. I thought I should try something I'd never done before and I'd never stood up in front of a band and been the lead singer, which was fucking horrifying and still is!"[3]

Release and reception edit

On June 19, 1995, "This Is a Call" was serviced to US alternative radio and was issued commercially in the United Kingdom as a 7-inch single, 12-inch single, and CD single.[5][6] The following month, the song debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and rose to a peak of number two the following month.[7][8] The song also charted at number five on the UK Singles Chart.[9]

No music video was made for the song; however, the band played the song live on the Late Show with David Letterman in mid-1995. It was the band's first national television performance.

Other versions edit

Track listings edit

UK 7-inch single; French and Japanese CD single

  1. "This Is a Call"
  2. "Winnebago" (Grohl, Turner)

UK 12-inch and CD single

  1. "This Is a Call"
  2. "Winnebago"
  3. "Podunk"

Dutch and Australian CD single; New Zealand cassette single

  1. "This Is a Call"
  2. "Winnebago"
  3. "Podunk (Cement Mix)"
  • "Podunk (Cement Mix)" is seemingly the same mix and version as the standard version of "Podunk". The reason for this is unknown.

Personnel edit

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[25] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ Partridge, Kenneth (July 4, 2015). "Foo Fighters' Self-Titled Debut at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Guarino, Mark (October 18, 2014). "REVIEW: Foo Fighters at Cubby Bear a back-to-roots moment for Dave Grohl". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Foo Fighters: Kerrang! June '06". www.fooarchive.com.
  4. ^ "Foo Fighters : Dave Grohl's Guide To Every Song". www.fooarchive.com.
  5. ^ "New Music for June". Radio & Records. No. 1096. May 26, 1995. p. 78.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 17, 1995. p. 31.
  7. ^ "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. July 8, 1995. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Foo Fighters Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Foo Fighters: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  10. ^ "Foo Fighters – This Is a Call". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  11. ^ "ARIA Alternative Charts Top 20". ARIA Report. No. 286. August 6, 1995. p. 12. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2768." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 8516." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. July 8, 1995. p. 12. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "M & M Charts Airplay EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Music & Media. July 22, 1995. p. 21. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  16. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (23.9 '95 – 29.9 '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). September 23, 1995. p. 20. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Foo Fighters" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  18. ^ "Foo Fighters – This Is a Call" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  19. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – This Is a Call". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  20. ^ "Foo Fighters – This Is a Call". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  22. ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  23. ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  24. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1995". ARIA. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  25. ^ "ARIA October 2023 Single Accreditations" (PDF). dropbox.com. ARIA. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
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