"Alarm Call" | ||||
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Single by Björk | ||||
from the album Homogenic | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 30 November 1998 | |||
Format | ||||
Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Length | 3:38 (radio edit) 3:44 (video edit) |
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Label | One Little Indian | |||
Writer(s) | Björk | |||
Producer(s) |
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Björk singles chronology | ||||
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"Alarm Call" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album Homogenic (1997). It was released as the fourth single from the album, peaking at number 33 in the UK.
The sped-up "radio version" of the song (which was also featured in the video) was used in the 1999 film The Mod Squad.
The song speaks of re-awakening through music and is rumoured to be about Michael Jackson as it was originally labelled "Jacko" on the Homogenic demo tape. Björk explained "I think that music has the power to change the things, and that's what I wanted to show on Alarm Call". It is the only single from Homogenic that was not included on Greatest Hits.
The first music video for "Alarm Call" was directed by Paul White, who also directed the "Hunter" video, and it featured Björk in a similar dressing as the one featured on the Homogenic album cover, with a special dance scene in Los Angeles' Subway.
However, Björk was not convinced with the result and a second video was directed by fashion designer Alexander McQueen and recorded at the Asylum Studios. It features Björk floating on a raft on a river in a jungle and her scenes are intercut with footage of snakes, crocodiles, and other animals, with Björk playing with them. It was rumoured to be a sequel to "Bachelorette", because of the lyrics that make a little allusion to the events occurred in past Isobel adventures ("Human Behaviour", "Isobel" and "Bachelorette"). The video also has some signs that make people think about this fact. "Alarm Call" shows Isobel back to the nature after having disillusions in the big city, so this video is the fourth and last of Isobel's adventures.
The version of the song used on the video is the Radio Mix by Andy Bradfield and Mark Bell, which is sped-up, with dance influences and omits the word 'fucking'.