Gonna Fly Now
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| "Gonna Fly Now" | ||||
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| Single by Bill Conti | ||||
| from the album Rocky - Original Motion Picture Score | ||||
| Released | February 28, 1977 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Orchestral | |||
| Length | 2:48 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Writer(s) | Bill Conti, Carol Connors, Ayn Robbins | |||
| Producer | Bill Conti | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Bill Conti singles chronology | ||||
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"Gonna Fly Now," also known as "Theme from Rocky," is the theme song from the movie Rocky, composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta Little (the sister of actor Cleavon Little) and Nelson Pigford. Released in February 1977 with the movie Rocky, the song became part of American popular culture after main character Rocky Balboa completed his daily training regimen while the song played. The song finishes as Rocky completes his famous run up the "Rocky Steps" of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and raises his arms in a victory pose.The song was written in Philadelphia. The song is also often played at sporting events, especially at sporting events in the city of Philadelphia or featuring sports teams from there.
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Reception [edit]
The song (whose lyrics have a total count of 30 words) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in the 49th Academy Awards. The version of the song from the movie, performed by Conti with an orchestra, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977, while a version by jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson hit the top 30. Disco versions by Rhythm Heritage and Current were on the chart at the same time (Conti's own version reveals some early disco influence in the orchestration). Conti's single was certified Gold by the RIAA, for shipments exceeding one million in the United States. The American Film Institute placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs list.
Uses [edit]
In Rocky II, an alternate version of the song was used, with a children's choir singing the chorus. Rocky III included an updated disco influenced arrangement during the training montage on the beach. This recording is however missing from the soundtrack album, the sleeve notes of which say "All music on this album selected by Sylvester Stallone", who instead opted to reprise the original versions of "Gonna Fly Now" and "Reflections" from the first film and "Conquest" from the second installment.
Rocky IV was scored by Vince DiCola who mainly introduced new themes of his own but "Gonna Fly Now" returned with its composer for later installments. In Rocky Balboa, a slightly different version of the song used more trumpets and different vocal tones. The soundtrack for that film also includes a vocal remix performed by Natalie Wilde.
Chart performance [edit]
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 8 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
In popular culture [edit]
Due to its original use, the song (or soundalikes) is used frequently in various forms of popular media where a main character is forced to train hard in order to defeat an opponent, often during a montage sequence.
American politician and former Vice President Walter Mondale used this as his campaign song in 1984.
It is often played at sporting events in the city of Philadelphia. For example, it is played right before kickoff of Eagles games at Lincoln Financial Field.
References [edit]
External links [edit]
- "Gonna Fly Now". "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)". Retrieved February 12, 2005.
| Preceded by "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" by Marvin Gaye |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 2, 1977 |
Succeeded by "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day |
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