Someone to Call My Lover

"Someone to Call My Lover"
Single by Janet Jackson
from the album All for You
Released June 26, 2001 (2001-06-26)
Format
Recorded 2000; Flyte Tyme Studios
(Edina, Minnesota)
Genre
Length 4:32 (album version)
4:15 (single edit)
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Janet Jackson
  • Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Janet Jackson singles chronology
"All for You"
(2001)		 "Someone to Call My Lover"
(2001)		 "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)"
(2001)

"Someone to Call My Lover" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson from her seventh studio album, All for You (2001). Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song was released as the album's second single on June 26, 2001 by Virgin Records. Using a guitar riff from America's "Ventura Highway", and the melody from Erik Satie's "Gymnopedié No. 1", "Someone to Call My Lover" talks about being determined to find a perfect match.

"Someone to Call My Lover" received positive reviews from critics, with most praising its innocence and sweet aura, picking the song as a standout track on the album. The song was a success on the charts, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while reaching the top-ten in Canada and the top-twenty in Australia and the United Kingdom. A music video was directed by Francis Lawrence and centers on a jukebox. Another video for the "So So Def" remix was also released. Jackson has performed the song on two of her tours, most recently on her 2017 State of the World Tour. And to date it's her last top ten hit.

Background and writing

"Someone to Call My Lover" was written and produced by Janet Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis.[1] The song's looped guitar riff is sampled from America's 1972 hit "Ventura Highway", with Dewey Bunnell receiving writing credits. The loop played throughout the chorus is an interpolation of "Gymnopédie No. 1" by French classical composer Erik Satie, played in 4/4 time instead of the original 3/4. Jackson had searched for years for the catchy Satie track.

When I was a little girl and I used to come home from school, there was something called "The 3:30 Movie", and they used to play the MGM Musicals. There was a commercial. I remember watching Singin' in the Rain and there was a commercial with the lady all in white, and I don't know if it was for Dove or something like that, but they would play this, 'Da, da, da.' It was the Erik Satie. I never knew who the composer was, and this song never left me.[2]

Jackson said she came across the tune again about seven years later: "I was at Ralph Lauren and I said, 'Oh, my God! Is this the radio or is this a CD?' I said, 'Please tell me it's a CD.' They said, 'It's a CD—well, actually it's a Ralph Lauren CD and we don't have it anymore. I was like, 'Oh God...no,' and they gave me the CD."[2] Jackson said, "I took it straight to Jimmy [Jam] and said, 'Jimmy, I've just got to share this with you,' and he saw my passion and my love for it. He didn't take the actual song, but he kind of put his own flavor to it in 'Someone To Call My Lover,' which takes me back to my childhood."[2] In an interview, Jimmy said, "And for 'Someone to Call My Lover,' she hadn't heard the 'Ventura Highway' sample before. She hadn't heard those songs. So it's kind of fun to come up with stuff like that and play it for her. And she hasn't heard of it, but she still really likes it. So you have something that's going to appeal to people that haven't heard it before, it's going to catch them, but it's also going to catch the people who are nostalgic about it."[3]

Composition and music

At the time of recording, Jackson had just divorced her husband, René Elizondo, Jr., after nearly ten years of marriage. "Someone to Call My Lover", and several of the other songs on All for You, use Jackson's divorce and re-emergence into single life as central themes. "Someone to Call My Lover" talks about being determined to find a perfect match.[4] The sample of America's "Ventura Highway" opens the single, accompanied by finger snaps and bass. In the beginning, Jackson has begun touring again and there isn't anyone to talk to and she wishes she had companionship, "Back on the road again/Feeling kinda lonely/And looking for the right guy/To be mine," she sings.[4]

In the pre-chorus, she fantasizes where her dream guy might be, "Maybe we'll meet at a bar / He'll drive a funky car / Maybe we'll meet at a club / And fall so deeply in love," she sings. In the chorus, she's eager to find a guy to love, "Alright, maybe gonna find him today / I gotta get someone to call my lover / Yeah, baby, come on," she chants.[4]

"Someone to Call My Lover" is written in the key of D major with a moderately fast tempo of 128 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of Dmaj7–G6–Dmaj7–G6, and Jackson's vocals span from the low note A3 to the high note B4.[5]

Critical reception

"Someone to Call My Lover" received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic picked the song as "one of the record's best cuts".[1] Timothy Park of NME enjoyed the lyrics, writing that "while most of us dream of being Janet, it's reassuring to know she dreams of being us. And providing she does it with the ever-enduring Jam & Lewis produced fluffy pop of 'Someone To Call My Lover' then who are we to complain?."[6] In another NME review, Piers Martin wrote that the song "recalls Aaliyah's 'Try Again' in its squelchy simplicity."[7] Gene Stout of Seattle Post-Intelligencer praised the track, calling it "sweetly innocent", praising the "Ventura Highway guitar," writing that it "adds a wistful, nostalgic feel to the song's deep yearnings for love and togethernesss."[8]

Chart performance

The song was released as the second single from All for You, following the huge success of its title track. It is the last of Jackson's singles to have reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart to date. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Someone to Call My Lover" reached the top-forty in June, while it reached the top-ten in July. It eventually peaked at number 3, stuck behind Alicia Keys' "Fallin'" and Jennifer Lopez' "I'm Real (Murder Remix)", becoming her 28th top-10 hit.[9] It also debuted at number-one on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart,[9] where it remained for 3 weeks.[10] It also topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart for 2 weeks.[10] The song reached number 9 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.[11] "Someone to Call My Lover" reached the top-twenty in many places. In the UK, the song reached number 11, on the UK Singles Chart[12] In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 15 on the ARIA Chart week of August 5, 2001, spending 9 weeks on the chart,[13] while on the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song started at number 30, peaking at number 18 in its fourth week, spending a total of 15 weeks on the chart.[14]

Remixes and accolades

For the single, a So So Def Remix was produced and became Jackson's first collaboration with Jermaine Dupri.[15] The song earned Jackson a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2002, losing out to Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like a Bird".[10]

Music video

The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence, and centres on a jukebox. Jackson is depicted driving and walking into a bar, where she sings, dances and eventually hitches a ride from a red car. A video for the So So Def Remix was also released, and contains similar footage to the original but contains shots of Dupri in alternate scenes as well as his vocals.[16] The original video made the limited bonus-DVD edition of All for You while the So So Def Remix video appears on the 2004 video compilation From Janet to Damita Jo: The Videos.[17]

Live performances

Jackson has performed "Someone to Call My Lover" on two of her tours. The song was added to the setlist of her All for You Tour, as one of the last songs on the show. During the performance, the singer wore a white T-shirt and jeans, while using a garland of flowers, called Lei in Hawaii. The February 16, 2002 final date of the tour at the Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, was broadcast by HBO. This rendition was also added to the setlist at its DVD release, Janet: Live in Hawaii, in 2002.[18] "Someone To Call My Lover" was also the video dedication song to Singapore for the 2011 Number Ones, Up Close and Personal tour.[19] It was also performed on her 2017 State of the World Tour in place of "Island Life" at several shows, including in Cleveland on December 3,[20] and Memphis on December 6, 2017.[21]

Track listings

Official remixes

  • Album Version – 4:32
  • Album Instrumental – 4:32
  • Single Edit – 4:14
  • Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Club Mix – 7:38 (= Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Vocal Mix or Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Club Vocal Mix)
  • Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Radio Mix – 3:49
  • Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Radio A Cappella – 3:49
  • Hex Hector/Mac Quayle Dub Mix – 6:02
  • Velvet Mix – 4:46
  • Jam & Lewis Total 80's Remix – 5:08
  • So So Def Remix featuring Jermaine Dupri – 4:40
  • So So Def Instrumental – 4:40
  • So So Def Remix Acapella - 4:40

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2001) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[55] 38
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[41] 98

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See also

References

  1. 1 2 "All For You - Janet Jackson | Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Janet Jackson On The Creation Of 'Someone To Call My Lover'
  3. ↑ "Jimmy Jam? Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "Music Review: Janet Jackson "Someone To Call My Lover"". The Bland Is Out There. October 29, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ Terry, Lewis,. "Janet Jackson "Someone To Call My Lover" Sheet Music - Download & Print". www.musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  6. ↑ Park, Timothy (July 31, 2001). "NME Track Reviews: Janet Jackson: Someone To Call My Lover - NME.COM". NME. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  7. ↑ "- Janet : All For You - Album Reviews - NME.COM". NME. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  8. ↑ Stout, Gene (2001-07-05). "Janet Jackson's steamy album leaves room for romance". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  9. 1 2 "Chart Beat Bonus | Billboard". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 "Rock on the Net: Janet Jackson". Rock on the Net. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Janet Jackson Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  12. 1 2 "Janet Jackson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  13. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  14. 1 2 "Charts.nz – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  15. ↑ "Someone to Call My Lover - Jermaine Dupri | Janet Jackson: AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  16. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (May 22, 2001). "Janet Jackson Two-Times Her 'Lover'". MTV. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ From janet. to Damita Jo: The Videos (DVD liner notes). Janet Jackson. Virgin Records. 7243 5 99508 9 1.
  18. ↑ Janet: Live in Hawaii (VHS, DVD). Janet Jackson. Eagle Rock Entertainment. 2002.
  19. ↑ Rasul, Juliana June (January 24, 2011). "Janet Jackson coming to Singapore despite earlier ban on songs". The New Paper: 17–18. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  20. ↑ Wallace, Emanuel (December 4, 2017). "Janet Jackson Delivers a Message of Love at Quicken Loans Arena Concert". Scene. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  21. ↑ Mehr, Bob (December 7, 2017). "Review: Janet Jackson offers spectacle and intimacy at FedExForum concert". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  22. ↑ Janet* - Someone To Call My Lover
  23. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  24. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  25. ↑ Janet* - Someone To Call My Lover
  26. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  27. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  28. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  29. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  30. ↑ Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover
  31. ↑ Janet Jackson Someone To Call My Lover Japan 5" CD SINGLE (182867)
  32. ↑ Janet Jackson Someone To Call My Lover Australia 5" CD SINGLE (188582)
  33. ↑ Janet Jackson Someone To Call My Lover - in sales presenter France Promo 5" CD SINGLE (199682)
  34. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  35. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  36. ↑ "Brazil" (PDF). ABPD. October 6, 2001. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  38. ↑ "Musicline.de – Janet Jackson Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  39. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 32, 2001". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  40. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  41. 1 2 "DOCOMO OSAKAN HOT 100｜CHART［YEARLY CHART］". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  42. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Janet Jackson" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  43. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  45. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  46. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  47. ↑ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  48. ↑ "Janet Jackson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  49. ↑ "Janet Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  50. ↑ "Janet Jackson Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  51. ↑ "Janet Jackson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  52. ↑ "Janet Jackson Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  53. ↑ "British single certifications – Janet Jackson – Someone to call my lover". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 10, 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Someone to call my lover in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  54. ↑ "American single certifications – Janet Jackson – Someone to call my lover". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 10, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  55. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
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