Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track

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Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track
Soundtrack album by Bee Gees & Various Artists
Released November 15, 1977
Recorded 1975–1977
Genre Disco
Length 74:06
Label RSO
Polydor
Reprise
Producer Bill Oakes (Music Supervisor)
Bee Gees chronology
Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live
(1977)
Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track
(1977)
Spirits Having Flown
(1978)
Singles from Saturday Night Fever : The Original Movie Sound Track
  1. "How Deep Is Your Love"
    Released: October 1977
  2. "Stayin' Alive"
    Released: December 1977 (US), January 1978 (UK)
  3. "Night Fever"
    Released: February 1978
  4. "More Than A Woman"
    Released: April 1978
  5. "If I Can't Have You"
    Released: 1978
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 5/5 stars[1]
Robert Christgau (B+)[2]
Pitchfork Media (8.7/10.0)[3]

Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track is the soundtrack album from the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. In the United States, the album was certified 15x Platinum for shipments of over 15 million copies.[4] The album stayed atop the album charts for 24 straight weeks from January to July 1978, and stayed on Billboard's album charts for 120 weeks until March 1980. In the UK, the album spent 18 consecutive weeks at number one. The album epitomized the disco phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic and was an international sensation.[5]

Contents

[edit] Background

Along with the success of the movie, the soundtrack, composed and performed primarily by the Bee Gees, was the best-selling soundtrack album of all time (it was later surpassed by Whitney Houston's soundtrack to The Bodyguard).[6] The cultural impact of Saturday Night Fever in the United States was tremendous. The Bee Gees had originally written and recorded the five original songs for the film, "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever" and "How Deep Is Your Love", "More Than a Woman" (performed in the film in two different versions—one version by Tavares, and another by the Bee Gees) and "If I Can't Have You" (performed in the movie by Yvonne Elliman) as part of a regular album. They had no idea at the time they would be making a soundtrack, and say that, basically, they lost an album in the process. Two previously released Bee Gees songs—"Jive Talkin'" and "You Should Be Dancing"—are also included on the soundtrack. Other previously released songs from the disco era round out the music in the movie.

In addition to the Bee Gees' score, additional incidental music was composed and adapted by David Shire. Three of Shire's cues—"Manhattan Skyline", "Night on Disco Mountain" (based on the classical piece "Night on Bald Mountain") and "Salsation"—are included on the soundtrack album as well. Five additional cues—"Tony and Stephanie", "Near The Verrazano Bridge" (both adapted from the Bee Gees' song "How Deep Is Your Love") "Barracuda Hangout", "Death On The Bridge" and "All Night Train"—while heard in the film, remain unreleased on CD.

The soundtrack also won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.[7]

In 1994, the soundtrack was re-released on CD through Polydor Records. The album was recently re-released on Reprise Records, as part of the Bee Gees' regaining control of their master tapes.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 131 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The soundtrack hit the #1 spot on Billboard Music Chart's Pop Album and Soul Album charts. In 2003 the TV network VH1 named it the 57th greatest album of all time.

Saturday Night Fever – The Original Movie Soundtrack was ranked 80th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. 

The original issue of the album included the original studio version of "Jive Talkin'"; later LP pressings included a version culled from Here At Last...Bee Gees...Live. All CD releases have included the original "Jive Talkin'". "Jive Talkin'" was to have been used in a deleted scene taking place the day after Tony Manero's first Saturday night at the disco, but as the sequence was cut for the final film, the song was cut as well.

[edit] Track listing

CD Release

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Stayin' Alive" (Bee Gees) Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson 4:45
2. "How Deep Is Your Love" (Bee Gees) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Bee Gees, Galuten, Richardson 4:05
3. "Night Fever" (Bee Gees) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Bee Gees, Galuten, Richardson 3:33
4. "More Than a Woman" (Bee Gees) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Bee Gees, Galuten, Richardson 3:18
5. "If I Can't Have You" (Yvonne Elliman) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Freddie Perren 3:00
6. "A Fifth of Beethoven" (Walter Murphy) Murphy (Based on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony) Thomas J. Valentino 3:03
7. "More Than a Woman" (Tavares) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Perren 3:17
8. "Manhattan Skyline" (David Shire) Shire Shire & Bill Oakes 4:45
9. "Calypso Breakdown" (Ralph MacDonald) W. Eaton 7:51
10. "Night on Disco Mountain" (David Shire) Modest Mussorgsky & arranged by Shire Shire & Oakes 5:13
11. "Open Sesame" (Kool & the Gang) Robert Bell Kool & the Gang 4:01
12. "Jive Talkin'" (Bee Gees) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Arif Mardin 3:44
13. "You Should Be Dancing" (Bee Gees) B. Gibb, R. Gibb & M. Gibb Bee Gees, Galuten & Richardson 4:14
14. "Boogie Shoes" (KC and the Sunshine Band) Harry Wayne Casey Casey & Richard Finch 2:17
15. "Salsation" (David Shire) Shire Shire & Oakes 3:51
16. "K-Jee" (MFSB) C. Hearndon & Harvey Fuqua Bobby Martin & Broadway Eddie 4:13
17. "Disco Inferno" (The Trammps) L. Green & Ron Kersey Kersey 10:51
Total length:
1:15:54

Original Vinyl Release

Side A:

  1. "Stayin' Alive" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:45
  2. "How Deep Is Your Love" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:05
  3. "Night Fever" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 3:33
  4. "More Than a Woman" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 3:17
  5. "If I Can't Have You" performed by Yvonne Elliman, produced by Freddie Perren – 2:57

Side B:

  1. "A Fifth of Beethoven" performed Walter Murphy, produced by Thomas J. Valentino – 3:03
  2. "More Than a Woman" performed by Tavares, produced by Freddie Perren – 3:17
  3. "Manhattan Skyline" performed by David Shire, produced by David Shire & Bill Oakes – 4:44
  4. "Calypso Breakdown" performed and produced by Ralph MacDonald – 7:50

Side C:

  1. "Night on Disco Mountain" performed by David Shire, produced by David Shire & Bill Oakes – 5:12
  2. "Open Sesame" performed and produced by Kool & the Gang – 4:01
  3. "Jive Talkin'" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Arif Mardin – 3:43
  4. "You Should Be Dancing" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:14
  5. "Boogie Shoes" performed by KC and the Sunshine Band, produced by H. W. Casey, Richard Finch – 2:17

Side D:

  1. "Salsation" performed by David Shire, produced by David Shire & Bill Oakes – 3:50
  2. "K-Jee" performed by MFSB, produced by Bobby Martin & Broadway Eddie – 4:13
  3. "Disco Inferno" performed by The Trammps, produced by Ron Kersey – 10:51

"Jive Talkin'" was not contained in the film.

[edit] Personnel

  • Mike Baird – Drums (Track C 1)
  • Michael Boddicker – Synthesizer (Tracks B 3, C 1)
  • Bob Bowles – Guitar (Tracks A 5, B 2)
  • Dennis Bryon – Drums (Tracks A 1 to 4, Side C 3 & 4)
  • Dennis Budimir – Guitar (Track C 1)
  • Sonny Burke – Piano (Tracks A 5, B 2 & 3)
  • Sonny Burke – Electric Keyboards (Track D 1)
  • Eddie Cano – Acoustic Piano (Track D 1)
  • Carmine d'Amico – Guitar, Electric Guitar (Track B 1)
  • Paulinho DaCosta – Percussion (Tracks A 5, B 2)
  • Scott Edwards – Bass (Tracks A 5, Side C 1, D 1)
  • Steve Forman – Percussion (Tracks B 3, C 1, D 1)
  • James Gadson – Drums (Tracks A 5, B 2 & 3)
  • Robin Gibb – Vocals (Tracks A 1 to 4, C 3 & 4)
  • Barry Gibb – Vocals, Guitar (Tracks A 1 to 4, C 3 & 4)
  • Maurice Gibb – Vocals, Bass (Tracks A 1 to 4, C 3 & 4)
  • Ralph Grierson – Keyboards (Track C 1)
  • Mitch Holder – Guitar (Track B 3)
  • Alan Kendall – Guitar (Tracks A 1 to 4, C 3 & 4)
  • Abraham LaBoriel – Bass (Track B 3)
  • Joe Lala – Percussion (Track C 4)
  • Stephen Stills - Guitar
  • Freddie Perren – Synthesizer, Keyboards, Percussion (Track A 5)
  • Emil Richards – Percussion (Track C 1, D 1)
  • Jerome Richardson – Trumpet solo (Track D 1)
  • Lee Ritenour – Guitar (Tracks B 3, C 1, D 1)
  • David Shire – Adaptation (Track C 1)
  • Mark Stevens – Drums (Track D 1)
  • Chino Valdez – Congas (Track D 1)
  • Blue Weaver – Keyboards (Tracks A 1 to 4, C 3 & 4)
  • Bob Zimmitti – Percussion (Tracks A 5, B 2, D 1)
  • John Tobler – Liner Notes
  • Bill Oakes – Compilation, Album Supervision

[edit] Additional songs in the film not on the soundtrack album

[edit] Additional songs recorded for the film but not used

[edit] Charts

[edit] Album

Chart (1978) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Pop Albums 1
U.S. Billboard R&B Albums 1
UK albums chart 1[8]
Australian Kent Music Report 1

[edit] Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1977 "How Deep Is Your Love" Adult Contemporary 1
Pop Singles 1
1978 "Night Fever" R&B Singles 8
Pop Singles 1
"If I Can't Have You" Pop Singles 1
"Stayin' Alive/Night Fever/More Than A Woman" Club Play Singles 3
"Stayin' Alive" Pop Singles 1
R&B Singles 4
"Boogie Shoes" Pop Singles 35

[edit] Certification

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[9] Diamond 1,000,000^
France (SNEP)[10] Diamond 2,157,600[11]
Germany (BVMI)[12] 6× Golddouble-dagger 1,500,000^
United States (RIAA)[13] 15× Platinum 15,000,000dagger^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

dagger When it was first released on CD, it was issued on two CDs, but later reissues were a single CD set. This changed how the RIAA calculated the sales numbers, as the RIAA counts multi-disc sets for each unit within the set.[14]

double-dagger Usually the BVMI does not give a 6× Gold certification, but a 3× Platinum instead.[15] The reason for this singular certification is unclear.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Allmusic review". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r84563. 
  2. ^ Robert Christgau: Album: Saturday Night Fever
  3. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/44189-saturday-night-fever[dead link]
  4. ^ "Gold & Platinum – November 30, 2009". RIAA. http://riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved November 30, 2009. 
  5. ^ James Sullivan, Chronicle Pop Culture Critic (January 14, 2003). "APPRECIATION / Contributor to a sound that went beyond disco". Sfgate.com. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/01/14/DD113470.DTL&hw=appreciate&sn=223&sc=222. Retrieved November 30, 2009. 
  6. ^ Morgan, Laura (December 10, 1999), "The Winning Score", Entertainment Weekly, http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,271992,00.html, retrieved August 5, 2010 
  7. ^ "GRAMMY.com". GRAMMY.com. February 8, 2009. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx. Retrieved November 30, 2009. 
  8. ^ "Number 1 Albums – 1970s". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080209095720/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_the_no1_albums.php?show=3. Retrieved 24 June 2011. 
  9. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Saturday+Night+Fever&sa=Various+Artists&smt=0. 
  10. ^ "French album certifications – Bee Gees – Saturday Night Fever" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-259165-CERTIFICATIONS.html&type=15. 
  11. ^ "Les Meilleures Ventes de CD/Albums depuis 1968 :". infodisc.fr. SNEP. http://www.infodisc.fr/CDCertif_Album.php. Retrieved 2012-01-12. 
  12. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bee Gees; 'Saturday Night Fever')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Saturday+Night+Fever&strInterpret=Bee+Gees&strTtArt=alben&strAwards=unchecked. 
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Bee Gees – Saturday Night Fever". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Saturday+Night+Fever%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  14. ^ "RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America". riaa.com. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=criteria. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
  15. ^ "Bundesverband Musikindustrie: Gold/Platin". musikindustrie.de. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin/. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Billboard 200 number-one album
January 21, 1978 – July 7, 1978
Succeeded by
City to City by Gerry Rafferty
Preceded by
Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt
Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
March 20, 1978 – June 25, 1978
Succeeded by
Bat out of Hell by Meat Loaf
Preceded by
20 Golden Greats by Nat 'King' Cole
UK Albums Chart number-one album
May 6, 1978 – September 2, 1978
Succeeded by
Nightflight to Venus by Boney M
Preceded by
Arrival by ABBA
UK Albums Chart biggest selling album of the year
1978
Succeeded by
Parallel Lines by Blondie
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