The Sweet Dropper

Michael Been, circa 1990

Last night I learned the sad news of the death of Michael Been, bassist and lead singer of The Call. He died of a heart attack at the age of 60 in Hasselt, Belgium while assisting his son’s band on their tour. Jim Kerr, lead singer of Simple Minds, wrote a touching tribute to Been, remembering their brief time touring and recording together in the 1980′s:

A preacher and a teacher no doubt, he was always much more than your usual “ten a penny” careerist ‘80’s rock star. That said as driven as he was with his beliefs, the very ones that infused his music; Michael far from sanctimonious, was always a hoot to be around. To my mind, he had a similar soul that one perceives in true American greats such as Robbie Robertson and even Dylan himself. But even more wonderfully he also had the wickedly spirited comedy of John Belushi draped all around him. For that reason I easily recall the difficulty in picking myself up off the floor numerously after he had acted out one of his genuinely hilarious anecdotes. As I say, it was a pleasure and an honour to have hung around with Michael Been, and for that reason it is with sadness and with feelings of extreme fondness that I recall this warm and friendly man only hours after his sudden death.

That the Call were denied the kind of commercial success that their music merited, is an obvious understatement. Too American for the Europeans perhaps, and too English sounding for the American mainstream, Michael’s face was more suited to Biblical epics than the once ubiquitous MTV. (Beards and bellies were not associated with authenticity back then in MTV land. And Michael to be frank was way too authentic to take seriously the falsities needed to play the success game.)

Four years ago this month I wrote a short blog entry remembering the Santa Cruz-based band. Here’s what I wrote then:

Through the wonder of internet music technology, I have been reacquainting myself with one of the best, though least-remembered, bands of the 1980′s–The Call. They came on the scene in northern California in the early ’80s with a sound and ethos influenced by U2 and Simple Minds–emotion-laden lyrics, post-punk/anti-war angst, and an out-front spirituality shaped by Christian themes. Lead vocalist and bass player Michael Been describes himself as a Christian, although he is quick to add that he does not subscribe to the way he sees Christianity being practiced by many of its adherents–and, sadly, he has a point there. Few singers convey as much emotion and sincerity in their craft as Been does.

Their best work was their 1986 release Reconciled. However, the 1997 (and re-released in 2005) ’The Best of the Call’ compilation is a must-listen. The single ‘Let the Day Begin’ may strike a chord of remembrance in you political junkies out there. In 2000 the Al Gore presidential campaign used it as the anthem for various rallies. Interestingly, The Call was not asked for permission to use the song, but, like most musicians, they didn’t mind the free publicity.

A photo of Been taken earlier this month