Fame (Irene Cara song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"fame"
Single by Irene Cara
from the album Fame soundtrack
Released June 1980 (US)
May 1982 (UK)
Recorded 1980
Genre Disco, pop, rock
Length 5:14
Label RSO
Writer(s) Michael Gore
Dean Pitchford[1]
Producer Michael Gore
Certification Gold (US)
Gold (UK)
Irene Cara singles chronology
"Making Love with Me"
(1979)		 "Fame"
(1980)		 "I love you"

"Fame" is a pop song, written by Michael Gore (music) and Dean Pitchford (lyrics) that was released in 1980, and achieved chart success as the theme song to the Fame film and TV series.[1] The song was performed by Irene Cara, who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1980,[1] and the Golden Globe Award for the same.

The tune was later used as the theme song for the Fame television series, which aired from 1982 to 1987. It was also used in other TV shows related to Fame.

Contents

Chart and sales performance [edit]

"Fame" rose to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1980. It also reached number one on the Billboard dance chart for one week. The song was not released in the United Kingdom until 1982, thus coinciding with the UK premiere of the Fame television series in the future. It hit number one in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.[1] It has sold 1,050,000 copies in the UK as of November 2012.[2] The song also reached number one in Flanders, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand, and number three in Sweden.[3][4]

Cover versions [edit]

  • The theme song for the Fame television series was performed by Erica Gimpel (who portrayed Coco Hernandez), and later by Loretta Chandler (who portrayed Dusty Tyler).
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a cover of this song for their 1982 album The Chipmunks Go Hollywood.
  • A French language version, "Aime", was released by Noam in 1980.
  • A Finnish-language cover version, "Me emme laske viiteen", was included on Mona Carita's 1983 album Mikä Fiilis!.
  • In 2000, a eurodance cover was recorded by Swedish session singer Nana Hedin. An audio sample can be heard on her official website.[5]
  • A dance cover version was released by a European girl group called Models.
  • French progressive-metal band Adagio covered the song on their 2005 release entitled Dominate.
  • Japanese pop duo Pink Lady covered the song in Japanese, retitling it "Remember".
  • Nerdcore/hip hop artist Shael Riley recorded a cover, which is available for download on the internet.
  • Naturi Naughton covered the song for the 2009 film Fame, reaching #33 in the UK chart.
  • A Turkish-language cover version, "Unutma / Don't forget", was included on group Hepsi's 2010 album Geri Dönüşüm.

Live cover performances [edit]

Appearances in other media [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2010)
  1. ^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 136. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
  2. ^ Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012. 
  3. ^ "Irene Cara: Fame". Lescharts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2012. 
  4. ^ "Search the Charts: Irene Cara". The Irish Charts: All There Is to Know. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 1 December 2012. 
  5. ^ Nanahedin.com

External links [edit]
Fame franchise
Films
Series
Musicals
Spin-off acts
Albums/Singles
Irene Cara
Studio albums
Soundtrack albums
Singles
Musicals
Filmography
Television
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fame_(Irene_Cara_song)&oldid=556505142"