Thanks to the hit single “Wherever You Will Go,” a BMI Pop Award winner as one of 2002’s 50 Most Performed Songs, the album has sold close to a million in the U.S., and more than two million around the world. The Calling are even bigger outside America, where they have earned gold or platinum in 12 countries, including the U.K., Brazil, Canada and Mexico. They were voted Best New Artist by fans at the 2002 MTV Europe Music Awards in Barcelona, Spain, beating out The Strokes, Avril Lavigne and Shakira.

“Our fans are just so committed,” marvels Band, who is in the process of putting the finishing touches on the band’s second effort, Two , set for release May 18. “Having thousands of people greet you at the airport in all these different countries you never thought you’d ever go to or that anybody would know who you are, was quite an experience.”

Having written “Wherever You Will Go” when he was just 16 and performed it in the film Coyote Ugly long before it spent 20 weeks at the top of the Adult Contemporary charts, Alex was anxious to show his songwriting growth on the new album. The first single, “Our Lives,” is a post-Sept. 11 admonition to stop and smell the coffee, with a radio-ready, U2-styled chorus that offers inspiration: “These are the moments/These are the times/Let’s make the best out of our lives.”

“Most people never take the time to appreciate their accomplishments,” explains Alex, “and I think we were guilty of that, too. We were on tour in Europe when Sept. 11 took place, so we got to experience first-hand how it affected people there. It was scary, but it definitely made for some good songwriting. This record’s a little more grown up. We’re talking about bigger issues than our girlfriends.”

As for avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump, Alex insists: “Sure, there’s pressure following up such a successful record. I want to convert all those people who heard the hit, but don’t know who this band is. There are five separate singles on this album. We’re out to prove we’re no ‘one-hit wonder’.”

Guitarist Kamin and vocalist Band first met several years ago, when Kamin was dating Band's sister. After seeing Band's guitar, Kamin says, "I asked his sister if he was any good, and she said yes. When she told me he was 15, I said, 'Oh, please.' But once I heard him sing, I realized I'd never heard anyone like him. The age difference became a non-issue."

Originally, the adolescent pair toured southern California in a band called Generation Gap, featuring a 40-year-old bassist and a 58-year-old drummer. The joke soon grew stale, however, and Band and Kamin soon rededicated themselves to the basics. "We knew that the only way to gain respect was to write our way into everyone's hearts and minds," Kamin says.

The Calling was given a huge break when they were asked to perform "Wherever You Will Go" in a scene from the film Coyote Ugly. That song is still picking up airplay nationwide, helping to turn the group into a formidable live act.

Songcraft remains of paramount importance to the group. "Too many people get lost writing just for themselves," says Kamin. "It's a big world, and as writers, we're onlookers, describing what we see and feel."

"We never stop writing," adds Band. "The people that work with us understand that things come fast and furious from us. This is the real deal."]]> 2002-03-28T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233541 Artists, Calling, The, Clapton, Eric, King, B.B., Musical Styles, Jazz, Latin, Rock, Musicworld, Feature In the late '60s, British rock fans were so worshipful of Eric Clapton's guitar playing, they blasphemously scrawled "Clapton is God" on storefronts throughout London. In the years that followed, personal problems and tragedies - most notably, the tragic death of Clapton's infant son - proved the guitarist was all too human. But Clapton persevered and has since become that rare artist who wins fame on his own terms. In a business that often thrives on gimmicks and image, Clapton is a symbol of talent, diligence and uncompromising musical integrity. As he approaches his 40th year in the global spotlight, Clapton's mythic stature is stronger than ever.

Consider his recent accomplishments. Clapton is the only triple-inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream and as a solo artist). In 1999, the singer, songwriter and guitarist won a Grammy for his performance on "The Calling" from Santana's celebrated album, Supernatural. Next, the British rock legend teamed with B.B. King in 2000 for the critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated album, Riding with the King. Early 2001 saw the celebrated CD reissue of Blind Faith, the 1969 "supergroup" album featuring Clapton, Steve Winwood, drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Rich Grech.

With his legacy firmly established, Clapton has reemerged with his first solo album in four years. Co-produced by the guitarist himself and featuring 14 tracks, Reptile provides a stylistic overview of Clapton's illustrious career, with some musical surprises thrown in for good measure. The album commences with the title track, a Latin samba showcasing Clapton's heretofore unheralded jazz guitar playing. Tracks like "Find Myself" and "Believe in Life" recall his laid-back '70s recordings, while "Got You On My Mind" and "Come Back Baby" feature searing guitar and bluesy vocals that hearken back to Clapton's formative days with the seminal British band, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

Reptile was partially inspired by B.B. King, who teamed with Clapton in 2000 for the aforementioned Riding with the King. "It was such a magical experience that I thought, 'well, why not just complete the philosophy and make an album . . . while this is all still kind of hot, for myself'," Clapton commented recently.

Born in Surrey, England on March 30, 1945, Clapton started his career pinch-hitting in a couple of bands in the early '60s. He rose to prominence in the Yardbirds, with a lineup that would eventually include the three top British guitar heroes of the decade: Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.

In 1966, Clapton left the Yardbirds to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. In the late '60s, Clapton co-founded the rock & roll "power trio" Cream with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. His work with Derek and the Dominos yielded the classic album rock staple, "Layla."

In the '70s, Clapton commenced an auspicious solo career that has resulted in film soundtrack scores, album rock classics like "Layla" and unforgettable singles like "I Shot The Sheriff," "Lay Down Sally," "Tears In Heaven" and "Change the World."

Listening to Reptile, one senses Clapton's hitmaking days aren't over. The CD features a wealth of potential hits and highlights the guitarist's soul-stirring musicianship.

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Double BMI Grammy winners included Barry White, Sting, Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks and Eminem. Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith -- together known as the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- claimed Best Rock Song honors for "Scar Tissue"; Shania Twain's "Come On Over" captured the Best Country Song award.

The Recording Academy presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to BMI affiliates Woody Guthrie, John Lee Hooker and Willie Nelson, and Trustees Awards to BMI's Phil Spector and Clive Davis (who also picked up an Album of the Year Grammy as a Supernatural producer). Elton John (PRS), previously honored during Grammy Week as MusiCares Person of the Year, was given a Legends Award.