Why did Giorgio Moroder never became the "Hans Zimmer" of his time ?
The Twelve Inch 120 : "Chase" (Giorgio Moroder)
Saturday Night Fever: The Autumn of the Disco Era
Saturday Night Fever was not only a watershed moment for the development of disco, but it also proved that soundtracks could be commercially successful on their own. This was a revelation for the music industry, offering an extra revenue source and a separate marketing channel. It helped to kickstart or revive flagging careers by including the right song on a hit soundtrack.
For film companies, a hit movie soundtrack could be a powerful marketing tool. Although it could not save a film, as seen in episode 113 about Dan Hartman and Streets of Fire. When it worked well, magic happened. At the start of the eighties, one man was responsible for a few sublime examples of that magic: Giorgio Moroder.
The Rise of Giorgio Moroder
What would “American Gigolo,” “Flashdance,” or “Cat People” be without Moroder’s scores? He was in high demand from the early eighties on. After producing a number of successful soundtracks, he stopped making new ones. What happened? Why did Giorgio Moroder not develop a career like Hans Zimmer? This week’s episode centers around the soundtrack and song that made Giorgio Moroder a successful soundtrack composer overnight: “Midnight Express” and the song “Chase.”
Talent, Timing, and Commercial Acumen
Whenever someone talks to me about “talent” as the sole driver of successful artists and careers, I always reply by saying that talent is part of it, but it takes much more. A keen eye for what the public wants and the ability to use that knowledge are crucial. More importantly, being in the right place at the right time is essential—all of which are true for Giorgio Moroder.
Born in 1940 in South Tyrol, an area with cultural ties to Austria and Bavaria but part of Italy (more on the peculiar history of South-Tyrol), Giorgio began teaching himself to play the guitar after hearing Paul Anka’s “Diana.” At 18, he became a professional musician and studio technician. His first success came as a German Schlager composer with Ricky Shayne’s hit single "Ich sprenge alle Ketten" ("I Bust All the Chains"). He soon started his own career, releasing his first album, “That’s Bubble Gum, That’s Giorgio.” It’s exactly what it says on the tin.
The Birth of Musicland Studios
Giorgio and Pete in the musicland studio
In 1970, Giorgio started Musicland Studios in Munich in the basement of a high-rise. It would become a crucial recording venue for successful seventies bands like Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. Here, Giorgio first experimented with the Moog synthesizer on his 1972 album “Son of My Father.” The album would be a collaboration with lyricist Pete Bellotte and drummer Keith Forsey, two of the names that would later also become influential in dance music. The title track would be a hit for Giorgio but it’s the cover version of Chicory Tip that you probably know best.
Great cover art ! 😁
The Disco Explosion
As disco (then called danceable R&B) started to make waves in New York, European DJs and club owners began adopting the new sound in cities like Paris, London, and…. Munich. Giorgio’s studio experiments and a keen eye for trends set the stage for his big break. And things would start moving fast when Giorgio and Pete Bellotte met a backing singer called Donna Summer, when recording Three Dog Night in the Musicland studio. The right time & place.
Innovating the Dance Floor: “I Feel Love”
As for the talent. Giorgio made two very important contributions to dance music. The first was the song “I Feel Love” from Donna Summer’s fifth album, “I Remember Yesterday.” The album represented the past and future of music, with “I Feel Love” embodying the latter. Giorgio did not immediately realize the impact: “I thought I had something new, but I absolutely didn’t know that it would have such a strong effect. I only realized that a few months later when Brian Eno told David Bowie that he heard the sound of the future in “I Feel Love.” I would have never thought that something like that would come out of Brian Eno”
The Birth of “Chase” and Midnight Express
“I Feel Love” brought director Alan Parker to Giorgio Moroder for his film “Midnight Express.” Alan wanted an “I Feel Love”-style track for the pursuit of Billy Hayes, the main character. The result was “Chase” (contribution 2) which kickstarted Giorgio’s career as a film composer.
The “Midnight Express” soundtrack was a blend of electronic music and traditional orchestration, creating a unique auditory experience that complemented the film’s intense narrative. Critics praised the soundtrack for its originality and emotional depth. It set a new tone for film scores upon its release in 1978. But the usage of synthesizers/Electronic instruments on film scores was nothing new. In 1968 Wendy Carlos already used the Moog on the soundtrack of “A Clockwork Orange” and together with Giorgio Moroder you had Vangelis and John Carpenter that made full electronic scores. It was Midnight Express, though, that would set the tone upon its release in 1978.
The Magic of Midnight Express
Giorgio had complete freedom for the soundtrack: “I guess Alan Parker just trusted my vision and hired me to do the soundtrack for Midnight Express. The interesting thing is that I did it without knowing anything about scoring a film. I was watching movies like everybody else, not thinking about how the music for a movie should sound – I just did it. It was amazing that Alan let me do whatever I wanted. And in the end it actually worked out quite well”.
It took Giorgio two days to finish the song. And it took only 4 weeks to record the complete soundtrack. When Alan Parker came to the studio, they mixed everything in 1 day ! It would earn him the Oscar for best original score in 1979. “Chase” would make into the pop and dance charts all over the world. The album version is already an extended version but Casablanca would release a one sided twelve inch version of 13:07 minutes. “Chase” would be remixed numerous times, but none of the remixes even came close to the original.
A Pioneering Career Cut Short
“Chase” and “Midnight Express” marked the start of a successful career in film composing, including scores for “American Gigolo,” “Scarface,” “Flashdance,” “Metropolis,” “Cat People,” and “Top Gun.” However, by 1987-1988, his career waned with less memorable projects like “The Neverending Story” and “Over The Top.” At the end of the decade, it was all over. Giorgio stopped scoring and producing altogether.
The End of an Era and a New Beginning
So what happened? Why didn’t Giorgio become the Hans Zimmer of his time? Were electronic soundtracks becoming less popular? Not really. His direct successor, in many ways, was Harold Faltermeyer. He wrote the arrangements for Midnight Express and American Gigolo but would go on to become a composer in his own right delivering the highly successful soundtracks of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise.
I think the key in understanding the “why” lies in the fact that Giorgio stopped making & producing music at the end of the eighties. In interviews he says that he wanted to do different things. He married his Mexican manager Francisca Gutiérrez in 1990 (they would remain married until her death in 2022) and wanted to enjoy life. He designed a car with Marcello Gandini and ex-Lamborghini personnel, the Cizeta-Moroder V16T. In a 2013 interview, he spoke about the architectural design of a pyramid-like apartment, he had, that was supposed to take place in Dubai. It was never built. Other projects included creating his own cognac liquor and getting involved with digital and neon art and putting on shows
The “Well Ran Dry”
But even more important is that I think the “well ran dry”. To explain that one we should take a closer look at his body of work. For someone that wrote the song “I Feel Love”, without which, we would not have house and/or EDM today, only the qualification “impressive” will do. And there is more. “Chase”and his 1977 album “From Here To Eternity”were important for the development of dance in the late seventies. His production of the two Sparks albums “N°1 Song in Heaven” and “Terminal Jive” would be an inspiration for much of the dance-pop of the eighties.
But most of his productions of late seventies/early eighties were formulaic. It was “eat, sleep & repeat”. It did work for a long time but music & styles change and you got to keep innovating to keep up. Giorgio Moroder is one of the best producers of his time, but not really an innovator. Hans Zimmer is, and that is the reason why Giorgio would not become the Hans Zimmer of his time.
Giorgio’s Comeback
Giorgio disappeared from the music scene until Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” in 2013, featuring “Giorgio by Moroder.” New generations discovered him, and he started DJing and performing live (what he hated at the start of his career, hence the choice to become a producer). His 2015 album “Déjà Vu” was critically panned. Bland and… formulaic (you got to give credit for choosing the title , though). Read the Guardian review
I love Giorgio Moroder. He is timeless. I have an extensive playlist on my MacBook with Giorgio repertoire and productions. If I have to listen to everything it would take me days… But he’s also one of the artists that would come to mind if I give the reply to someone talking to me about “talent”
Fun Facts
Giorgio’s favorite film composers include Hans Zimmer.
Hans and Giorgio collaborated on the theme song for “Rain Man.”
There is also a connection between Wendy Carlos (who wrote the electronic score for A Clockwork Orange) and Giorgio. Wendy Carlos would release “Switched On Bach” as Walter Carlos (before his gender re-allignment). After hearing this record Giorgio became interested in electronic instruments.
A Call to Action
What are your thoughts on Giorgio Moroder's impact on dance music and film scores? Do you have any memories tied to "Chase" or other classic disco hits? Share your stories and join the conversation. And don't forget to check out this week's Mixcloud or Soundcloud mixtape, featuring "Chase"
Stay tuned, keep dancing, and let's continue to celebrate the rich tapestry of dance music history together!
Further reading (or should I say watching)
There are a number of interesting video’s/links :
A short behind the scenes of Midnight Express and the introduction of the real story the film is based on.
So You Wanna Hear More ?
I thought you would !
It’s fun to write about music but let’s be honest. Music is made to listen to.
Every week, together with this newsletter, I release a 1 hour beatmix on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. I start with the discussed twelve inch and follow up with 10/15 songs from the same timeframe/genre. The ideal soundtrack for…. Well whatever you like to do when you listen to dance music.
Go To The Mixcloud Mix Of The Week
There is a Facebook & Instagram page. You can follow The Twelve Inch” to keep informed of what is happening with the blog, the mixes..etc..
So what’s in this week’s mix ?
“Chase” comes at a moment when disco is heavily influenced by the electronic beats that comes mainly from Europe. The opening trio : “Chase” by Giorgio Moroder, “For Your Love” by Chilly and “Supernature” by Cerrone are prime examples.
The three European tracks are followed by three American ones that have understood the way the wind was blowing at the end of the seventies : “Party Boys”, the sterile disco track by Foxy, Patrick Cowley and the wonderfull '“Confessions” by DC LaRue.
The middle section is formed by 4 tracks you could consider classic disco. Yes, it was still made in 1979 : Tony Rallo, Captain Sky, the strange Casablanca release by a band called “Persia” and Captain Rock
And we end with two tracks driven by synths : “Beat The Clock” (another Moroder production) by The Sparks and the connection with last week’s newsletter “Remember” by Gino Soccio
Enjoy !
Next week, we’ll meet the artist that combined poetry and new wave and I’ll give you a mixtape that reflects exactly what I was playing when dj-ing the local parties at that time.
Chase still gets me pumped up any time I listen to it, which is whenever I want since finding a vinyl copy for $5 back around 2003, and gleefully grabbing it. Moroder found a four leaf clover when he and Bellotte met that Moog, and I can't imagine the thrill they must have felt in discovering what they could do with it.
As a Canadian who grew up watching MuchMusic in the early 2000s, this was my first introduction to Giorgio Moroder. 😄 Sample: Tears.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1mY9YGuaRWwE92vkgKKhp9?si=0G9Eaj6USriirB7vjzn0jA