Chase (instrumental)
| "Chase" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Giorgio Moroder | ||||
| from the album Midnight Express: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Casablanca | |||
| Songwriter | Giorgio Moroder | |||
| Producer | Giorgio Moroder | |||
| Giorgio Moroder singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Chase" (also known as "The Chase") is an instrumental composition by Italian music producer Giorgio Moroder. It was released as a single by Casablanca Records during 1978 from his Academy Award-winning soundtrack album Midnight Express (1978), and was a disco instrumental that was subsequently extended and released as a maxi single. It made the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1979, peaking at number 33, and the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 48.
Background
[edit]Created especially for the film Midnight Express, Alan Parker, the director of the film, explicitly asked Moroder for a song in the style of "I Feel Love", which Moroder composed for Donna Summer. It was Moroder's second time composing a movie soundtrack after his work on 1972's German softcore sex film "Sex Life in a Convent".[3][4][5] The song's main melody was played on a Roland SH-2000 synthesizer, while the bass lines were played on a Minimoog synthesizer. The track also has a flanging effect produced by the MXR Flanger, while other instruments used include an ARP/Solina String Ensemble, Fender Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet, and piano.[6]
Although a disco piece, "Chase", along with "I Feel Love", is more specifically considered the pioneering introduction of the hi-NRG genre, which came to prominence in the early 1980s. The music was arranged by Harold Faltermeyer under the leadership of Giorgio Moroder.
Reception
[edit]In 2016, Pitchfork named it the 175th best song of the 1970s, saying, "Any time someone describes a piece of music as 'cinematic,' there’s a decent chance they’re thinking, consciously or subconsciously, of 'Chase'. It's impossible to overstate, let alone list, the amount of composers and films who've ripped off 'Chase'."[7] In 2019, Spin ranked it among "The 30 Best Disco Songs That Every Millennial Should Know".[8]
Track listing
[edit]- Casablanca — NBD 20146 — single-sided 12"
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chase" | 13:06 |
- Casablanca — NBD 956 — 7" single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chase" | 3:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love's Theme" | 3:20 |
Charts
[edit]
|
|
References
[edit]- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder". CMJ New Music. May 2000. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase" isn't necessarily a familiar name, but you'd recognize it if you heard it: it's the ur- Eurodisco instrumental, an interlocking set of minor-key patterns that's as classic as late-night get-up-and-boogie background music gets, created by the man who produced most of Donna Summer's hits.
- 1 2 Molanphy, Chris (September 15, 2023). "Insert Lyrics Here Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder, Filmkomponist by Thomas Staedeli". www.cyranos.ch. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ↑ Sex Life in a Convent (1972) - IMDb, retrieved August 30, 2021
- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder: 'Sylvester Stallone wanted Bob Dylan to sing on a Rambo movie'", The Guardian, 31 October 2013.
- ↑ Giorgio Moroder Gear Guide, Dolphin Music
- ↑ Katherine St. Asaph (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork.
- ↑ Spin Staff (June 18, 2019). "The 30 Best Disco Songs That Every Millennial Should Know". Spin. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 31, 1979" (PDF).
- ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 8, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli", then search with "Hold you" under "Titolo" and "Giorgio" under "Artista".
- 1 2 "Search results for "Giorgio Moroder" | Official Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "RPM Top 30 Dance - May 29, 2000" (PDF).
- ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
