There is SO much more to this story! So Bangalter & Falcon made this to play on tour with Cassius back in 2002. Other people then ripped it off, Red Kult, then Retarded Funk (sound similar to Daft Punk at all 😂) made versions sounding similar. After the original creators had turned Ministry Of Sound down, they approached Eric as he was an up and coming star at the time… The original release on Data, a sub-label of Ministry, actually names the track as Eric Prydz Vs Retarded Funk Mix. It’s sounds very similar to the Retarded Funk bootleg, just with better production and new vocals from Steve Winwood. Somehow their name is lost in the sands of time and Eric Prydz is the name associated with it forever.
As for Falcon and Bangalter, they say they don’t care about it and think the version that was released was ‘cheesy’ so I suppose all is well in the end. The music industry is a pretty vapid and greedy place at the best of times, as demonstrated in this tale!
But the more interesting thing for me is Prydz, it’s so different from anything else he ever made, but did it launch his career, and allow him to tour and release the music he wanted to? Would he have achieved the success he did, without it? I think he’s defiantly talented enough to, but it might have taken a little longer… I guess we’ll never know!
This is where is all begins… DJ Falcon & Thomas Bangalter playing live supporting Cassius at Pay & Go Groove in Belgium in 2002.
I’ve set it to start when CALL ON ME plays, but obviously you can listen to the full set!
Retarded Funk Version (Ignore the artwork, it’s wrong)
You can hear this is really close the the Eric Prydz released version, Replay Heaven helped them to get it finished. If you don’t know about Replay Heaven, check them out HERE
The hilarious full scene from Perfect with John Travolta & Jamie Lee Curtis!
The iconic music video for Eric Prydz’s “Call on Me” began with a simple idea: “sexual aerobics,” directed by Huse Monfaradi. Despite its risqué nature and undeniable eroticism, the video has cemented itself as a significant piece of early 21st-century pop culture. It features a sweaty, hypersexualized aerobics class, led by Deanne Berry and co-starring Juan Pablo Di Pace, with the camera unapologetically focused on their bodies rather than personalities.
While the video sparked controversy and spoofs, it captured the primal essence of desire, blending everyday mundanity with exaggerated sexuality. Its dancers—reduced to anonymous physical forms—embody the video’s exploration of physicality over individuality, reflecting a societal obsession with the body as art. Though many of the cast have since faded into obscurity, their performance remains immortalized in a cultural touchstone.
Ultimately, “Call on Me“ is celebrated as a bold, tacky, and undeniably impactful work of art. Its near-universal resonance transcends its superficial nature, offering a nostalgic snapshot of early 2000s pop culture and desire.
Eric Prydz – Call On Me (Official HD Video) [2004]
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