Giorgio Moroder

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Giorgio Moroder
Birth name Hansjörg Moroder
Born April 26, 1940 (1940-04-26) (age 68)
Genre(s) Dance, Rock, Disco, Pop, Electronic Italo Disco
Occupation(s) songwriter, producer
Instrument(s) Synthesizers
Years active 1966–present
Website http://www.giorgiomoroder.com

Giorgio Moroder (born Hansjörg Moroder on April 26, 1940 in Ortisei, Italy)[1] is an Academy Award-winning Italian record producer, songwriter and performer, whose groundbreaking work with synthesizers during the 1970s and 1980s was a significant influence on new wave, techno and electronic music in general. Particularly well known are Donna Summer's disco hits produced by Moroder, including "I Feel Love". Moroder is also the founder of the former Musicland Studios in Munich, which served as a recording home for artists ranging from Led Zeppelin and Queen to Elton John for much of the 1980s and 1990s.

Moroder was one of the producers of "Love to Love You Baby" -- Donna Summer's 17 minute opus -- along with Pete Bellotte. Moroder also produced a number of electronic disco hits for The Three Degrees, two albums for Sparks, and a variety of others including Swedish-born Madleen Kane, Melissa Manchester, Debbie Harry and France Joli.

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[edit] History

Often collaborating with lyricist Bellotte, Moroder scored a number of hits in his own name including "Son Of My Father" in 1972 and "From Here to Eternity" in 1977, and in the following year releasing "Chase", the theme from the film Midnight Express. All were hits in the UK. The full movie score for Midnight Express won him his first Academy Award for best film score in 1978. In 1979 Moroder released his album E=MC². Text on the album's cover stated that it was the "first electronic live-to-digital album." He also released three albums between 1977-1979 under the name Munich Machine.

In 1984, Moroder worked with Philip Oakey, frontman of the popular synthpop group, The Human League, to make the album Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder. In 1986, Moroder collaborated with his protege Harold Faltermeyer (of "Axel F." fame) and lyricist Tom Whitlock to create the score for the popular film Top Gun (1986), with the most noteworthy hit being the Berlin classic, "Take My Breath Away", which went on to become a huge hit for the group. "Chase" was also used as an entrance theme for wrestling's (then) popular heel group The Midnight Express. In 1987, Moroder produced Falco's song "Body Next to Body".

On September 20, 2004 Moroder was honored at the Dance Music Hall of Fame ceremony, held in New York, when he was inducted for his many outstanding achievements and contributions as producer. In 2005, he was given the title of Commendatore by the then President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

[edit] Film work

In 1984, Moroder compiled a new restoration and edit of the famous silent film Metropolis and provided a new modern rock-and-roll soundtrack to the film. This soundtrack includes pop tracks from the likes of Pat Benatar, Adam Ant, Billy Squier, Loverboy, Bonnie Tyler and Freddie Mercury. He also integrated the old-fashioned intertitles into the film as subtitles as a means of improving continuity, and he also played the film at a rate of 24 frames per second. Since one does not know the correct film speed this choice was controversial. The slightly faster speed makes this version only 80 minutes in length. Known as the "Moroder version", it sparked heated debate among film buffs and fans, with outspoken critics and supporters of the film falling into equal camps. If nothing else, it introduced the silent classic to a new generation of fans.

He also scored other popular films in the 1970s and 1980s including Midnight Express, American Gigolo, Flashdance, The Never Ending Story, Thief of Hearts, Electric Dreams, Cat People and Scarface. The latter score has recently regained popularity due to its use in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto III (and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories). Moroder's "From Here to Eternity" and "The Chase" were also used in the Sony PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. "Together In Electric Dreams", a collaborative effort of Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey (of The Human League) features in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Moroder wrote the official theme songs, "Reach Out", for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and "Hand in Hand", for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and "Un'estate Italiana" for the 1990 Football World Cup. "The Chase" is now also well-known as the theme bumper-music for the popular late-night AM talk radio program Coast to Coast AM.

[edit] Notable collaborations

Moroder has worked with:

[edit] Partial discography

1969 : That's Bubblegum - That's Giorgio

1972 : Son of My Father

1974 : Giorgio's Music

1975 : Einzelganger

1976 : Knights in White Satin

1977 : From Here to Eternity

1978 : Giorgio and Chris - Love's in You, Love's in Me

1978 : Midnight Express (soundtrack)

1978 : Battlestar Galactica (soundtrack)

1979 : E=mc2

1980 : American Gigolo (soundtrack)

1982 : Cat People (soundtrack)

1983 : Solitary Men (with Joe Esposito)

1983 : Scarface (soundtrack)

1984 : Metropolis (soundtrack)

1990 : To Be Number One

1992 : Forever Dancing

1998 : Moroder and Moroder Art Show (limited to 100 copies)

[edit] Sampling and other uses

  • His song "Tears" was sampled and used as the basis of the DJ Shadow song "Organ Donor" on his 1996 album Endtroducing......
  • The Hip Hop-duo Mobb Deep used a sample from the song "Tony's Theme" in their song G.O.D. Pt. III.
  • His Song "E=MC2" was sampled and used for J. Dilla's song of the same title.
  • The song is also featured on the video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
  • His song "The Chase" was partially covered by Daft Punk in their "Live @ Rex Club Paris" performance in 1997.
  • Vitalic made an electro remix of "The Chase" in 2003.
  • The Chase is also the opening theme music for Coast to Coast AM.
  • One of his early compositions, "Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo" from 1969, would be featured for many years in silent sketches on The Benny Hill Show, as part of a medley that also included "Mah Nà Mah Nà," a 4/4 adaptation of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Für Elise", and "Gimme Dat Ding."
  • The theme from Midnight Express was sampled by Hip Hop duo OutKast for their song "Return of the Gangsta."
  • Moroder's opening theme from the film Scarface is sampled by Nas and Mobb Deep for the track "It's Mine".
  • "Leopard Tree Dream" from "Cat People" is sampled by Cannibal Ox in the song "Iron Galaxy."
  • "The Chase" was the sonic signature for the MISL's Kansas City Comets during the late 1970's and 80's. It was played during live match play when the Comets would move the ball up the field.
  • "The Legend Of Babel" theme From the "metropolis" soundtrack was covered By DJ Dado

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References