Danger Zone (song)

"Danger Zone"
Single by Kenny Loggins
from the album Top Gun soundtrack
B-side	"I'm Gonna Do It Right"
Released	May 13, 1986
Format	7" single
Recorded	January 1986
Genre	Hard rock
Length	3:36
Label	Columbia Records
Writer(s)	Giorgio Moroder, Tom Whitlock
Producer(s)	Giorgio Moroder
Kenny Loggins singles chronology
"I'll Be There" (1985) "Danger Zone" (1986) "Playing with the Boys" (1986)

"Danger Zone" is a song, with music composed by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics written by Tom Whitlock, which American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins recorded and released in 1986. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1986 American motion picture Top Gun.

Background

The band Toto was originally intended to perform the track, but legal conflicts between the producers of Top Gun and the band's lawyers prevented this.^[1]

Bryan Adams was approached to allow his song "Only the Strong Survive" on the soundtrack and perform "Danger Zone", but Adams refused any involvement, feeling that the film glorified war and he did not want any of his work linked to it.

REO Speedwagon were also approached to perform "Danger Zone", but the group declined due to not being allowed to contribute any of their own compositions to the soundtrack.

Eventually, the film producers agreed that "Danger Zone" would be recorded and performed by Kenny Loggins.^[1]

Overview

Dann Huff, lead vocalist and guitarist from the 1980s hard rock group Giant, performed guitar on the selection. The bass line is a classic 1980s sound composed in the main of a plucked bass sound from the ubiquitous Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, with the drums being provided by the LinnDrum, a drum machine designed by Roger Linn, which also appears on hundreds of other 1980s pop hits. A tenor saxophone joins in near the end of the song.

Music video

A music video was released in May 1986 to promote the single. The video was directed by Tony Scott and featured footage of Loggins singing, as well as clips from the film Top Gun, which Scott also directed.

According to the MuchMusic network's program Pop-Up Video, the U.S. Navy described this video as "the most effective recruiting poster ever produced."

Cover versions

• An animated portion of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show featured a cover of this song sung by a female vocalist.
• Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song in 1990 for The Chipmunks Go to the Movies episode "Batmunk" (a spoof of the 1989 Batman film).
• The song was sung on the 2013 episode "Girls (And Boys) On Film" from American TV series Glee, in a mash-up with Bob Seger's song "Old Time Rock and Roll" from the 1983 film Risky Business, also starring Tom Cruise.
• The animated comedy series Archer turned the song into a running joke about any dangerous situation. Loggins would later appear as himself in season 5, episode 6: "Archer Vice: Baby Shower", performing "Danger Zone" as a country duet with Cheryl Tunt.^[2]
• A Megaman-inspired band known as "The Protomen" released a cover EP that featured a cover of this song.
• Comedy metal band Psychostick has been covering the song in their live performances, and recorded a studio version on their album IV: Revenge of the Vengeance.

In other media

• The song was featured in a trailer for the 2014 animated film Penguins of Madagascar.
• The song was also in a domestic trailer for the 2005 animated film Valiant.
• The song is also featured in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay; the song is played when the film's main characters get detained a second time.
• The song is played by How I Met Your Mother breakout star Barney Stinson on the sixth episode of Season 1 "Slutty Pumpkin".
• A version of the song is sung in the fifth season of Archer by Kenny Loggins and the fictional country singer Cherlene. In previous episodes, the song was heavily referenced by the lead character, Sterling Archer.
• The song was featured in a trailer for the 2001 animated film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
• Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger of Parks and Recreation sang the song in a drunken karaoke duet in the second season of the show.
• The song appears on the in-game radio station "Los Santos Rock Radio" in the remastered edition of Grand Theft Auto V which is presented by Kenny Loggins himself, who lent his voice as the DJ. The song's presence on Top Gun is referenced in a mission description.

Chart positions

Year-end charts

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Official TOTO Website - Encyclopedia". www.toto99.com. 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2012-03-12. 
2. ↑ http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/archer-season-5-kenny-loggins-duet-soundtrack-lanas-baby-and-more.html
3. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Kenny Loggins > Danger Zone – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
4. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone". Top 40 Singles.
5. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone". Swiss Singles Chart.

External links

• Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone - Official music video