| "Chariots of Fire" | |
|---|---|
Chariots of Fire album cover |
|
| Single by Vangelis | |
| from the album Chariots of Fire | |
| Released | 1981 |
| Genre | New Age |
| Length | 3:33 |
| Label | Polydor |
| Writer(s) | Vangelis |
| Producer | Vangelis |
"Chariots of Fire" is an instrumental theme written and recorded by Vangelis for the soundtrack of the 1981 film of the same name. The recording has since been covered by numerous performers and used as theme music for various television programmes and sporting events.
Contents |
On the film's soundtrack album, the piece is called "Titles" because of its use in the movie's opening titles sequence, but it widely became known as "Chariots of Fire". According to Allmusic, the track title was listed as "Chariots of Fire - Titles" on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and simply as "Chariots of Fire" on the Adult Contemporary chart.[1]
A 1989 CD single release also gave the title of the piece simply as "Chariots of Fire".[2] When the single debuted at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week ending December 12, 1981, it was known simply as "Titles." Seven weeks later, when it moved to #68, the Hot 100 chart dated Jan. 30, 1982, the single was now listed as "Chariots of Fire" and stayed with that name for the remainder of its chart run. Radio listeners and radio DJs could now better identify with the song.
Vangelis was accused of plagiarising "Chariots of Fire" from a song by fellow Greek composer Stavros Logaridis called "City of Violets". Vangelis won in court[3] by convincing the judge to allow him to bring his setup to the court and demonstrate his method of composing by improvising new music.[4]
"Chariots of Fire" stayed for one week at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1982, after climbing steadily for five months (it made #1 in its 22nd week on the chart), and to date remains the only song by a Greek artist to top the U.S. Charts. It was Polydor's first-ever #1 single in the U.S. in the 1980s— Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and Peaches and Herb's "Reunited" were also #1 songs on Polydor in 1979.[5]
The single spent 64 weeks on the Australian charts, although it only peaked at #21. In Japan, "Chariots of Fire" was the biggest-selling single of 1981.[6] The track proved moderately successful in the UK, where it reached #12, but its parent album peaked at #5 and spent 107 weeks on the album chart.
| Chart (1981/82) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart[7] | 4 |
| Dutch Top 40[8] | 12 |
| Irish Singles Chart[9] | 15 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[10] | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart[11] | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[12] | 1 |
A video clip was made of Vangelis playing "Chariots of Fire" on acoustic piano in front of a projection of the film. He is smoking a cigarette in the first minute of the video.[13]
Innumerable cover versions of "Chariots of Fire" have been recorded in all styles by all manners of artists, including the orchestral sounds of John Williams and the Boston Pops, the electric guitars of The Shadows, the acoustic guitar of Bronn Journey, the soft piano of Richard Clayderman, the pan flute of Zamfir, and the jazz of The Bad Plus. Ween also plays a portion of this song at the end of Japanese Cowboy live.
Vocal recordings of "Chariots of Fire" have been made by Melissa Manchester, Jane Olivor, Mireille Mathieu, Demis Roussos, and Italian soprano Gioaria — all with lyrics, "Race to the End" provided by Jon Anderson.[14][15][16]
Owing both to its sweeping tune and the content of the movie in which it first appeared, "Chariots of Fire" has become somewhat synonymous with the Olympic Games. It was the official theme for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo,[3] as well as the opening theme used by the BBC for their coverage of the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympic Games, and even during the title screen of the NES port of Track & Field.
In light of its original use, the song is often used for slow-motion sequences and parodies of the sports genre. It was used in the soundtrack of National Lampoon's Vacation and Mr. Mom (both 1983 and both written by John Hughes), Happy Gilmore (1996), Good Burger (1997), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Bruce Almighty (2003), and Madagascar (2005, also included in the soundtrack album), in all cases in parodic slow-motion sequences.
Other uses include:
| Preceded by "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 8, 1982 |
Succeeded by "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder |