Almost Paradise
| "Almost Paradise" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Strike Zone" (by Loverboy) |
"Almost Paradise... Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet by singers Mike Reno of Loverboy and Heart's frontwoman Ann Wilson. It is one of two major hits with music by singer Eric Carmen and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, the other being Carmen's hit, "Make Me Lose Control".
Reno is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Loverboy, while Wilson is the lead singer of the rock band Heart. Both bands achieved a significant amount of success in the 1980s, and Reno and Ann Wilson were approached to record a duet for the film Footloose (1984).
Officially listed as the "Love Theme from Footloose" on the film's soundtrack, "Almost Paradise" was one of three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart found on the soundtrack; it peaked at No. 7 and spent 13 weeks in the top 40.[1] An alternate version of the song with a slightly different musical arrangement, which has never been released, is used in the film. The other hits from this soundtrack include "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, both of which went to No. 1 on the pop chart.[2] "Almost Paradise" was also a hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in the United States, where it spent one week at No. 1.[3] Both singers resumed their respective roles within their bands following this one-off recording.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Cover versions
- In 1989 Eric Carmen and Merry Clayton released a cover single, which was performed as part of the Dirty Dancing live tour.[11][12]
- In 2011, Victoria Justice and Hunter Hayes performed the song, for the 2011 remake of the original film.[13]
- Gloriana performed the song for the deluxe edition of the 2011 soundtrack.[citation needed]
- In 2014, Eric Benét and Ailee covered the song, featured on Benét's album, From E to U: Volume 1.
- The song was covered by Filipino singers Jay-R and Iya Villania.[when?][citation needed]
In popular culture
In Orange Is the New Black season 2, episode 4 ("A Whole Other Hole", air date June 6, 2014), hearing the song on the radio inspires Morello to steal the prison van to visit her supposed fiancé's house; the song also plays over the episode's closing credits.[14] This song is also the theme song for the TV series Bachelor in Paradise.
Personnel
- Mike Reno – vocals
- Ann Wilson – vocals
- Keith Olsen – bass, acoustic guitar
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Chas Sanford – electric guitar
- Bill Cuomo – keyboards, synthesizer
- Jerry Peterson – saxophone
See also
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Hits, 5th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6799&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=fv6j7b5n3elookp7s1gtfk5q84
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6809&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=fv6j7b5n3elookp7s1gtfk5q84
- ^ http://www.top40db.net/lyrics/?SongID=84010&By=Title&Match=Almost+Paradise
- ^ http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/mreno.html
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9638&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=fv6j7b5n3elookp7s1gtfk5q84
- ^ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1984.htm
- ^ http://streamd.hitparade.ch/cdimages/eric_carmen_with_merry_clayton-almost_paradise_s.jpg
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Various-Dirty-Dancing-Live-In-Concert/release/926463
- ^ "Footloose (Music from the Motion Picture) by Various Artists". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ^ Buss, Hillary (June 6, 2014). "Orange Is the New Black recap: Stalk This Way (Turns out there's more to Lorna Morello than lipstick and wedding magazines)". Entertainment Weekly.
