Chase (instrumental)

"Chase"
Single by Giorgio Moroder
from the album Midnight Express: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side
  • "Love's Theme"
  • "Istanbul Blues"
  • "(Theme From) Midnight Express"
Released1978
Recorded1978
Genre
Length
  • 13:06 (maxi single)
  • 8:26 (LP version)
  • 3:38 (single version)
LabelCasablanca Records
Songwriter(s)Giorgio Moroder
Producer(s)Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder singles chronology
"Let The Music Play"
(1977) 		"Chase"
(1978) 		"E=MC2"
(1979)

"Chase" (also known as "The Chase") is a instrumental composition by Italian music producer Giorgio Moroder. It was released as a single by Casablanca Records during 1978 from his Academy Award-winning soundtrack album Midnight Express (1978), and was a disco instrumental that was subsequently extended and released as a maxi single. It made the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1979, peaking at number 33, and the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 48.

Background

Created especially for the film Midnight Express, Alan Parker, the director of the film, explicitly asked Moroder for a song in the style of "I Feel Love", which Moroder composed for Donna Summer. It was Moroder's second time composing a movie soundtrack after his work on 1972's German softcore sex film "Sex Life in a Convent".[3][4][5] The song's main melody was played on a Roland SH-2000 synthesizer, while the bass lines were played on a Minimoog synthesizer. The track also has a flanging effect produced by the MXR Flanger, while other instruments used include an ARP/Solina String Ensemble, Fender Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet, and piano.[6]

Although a disco piece, "Chase", along with "I Feel Love", is more specifically considered the pioneering introduction of the hi-NRG genre, which came to prominence in the early 1980s. The music was arranged by Harold Faltermeyer under the leadership of Giorgio Moroder.

Reception

In 2016, Pitchfork named it the 175th best song of the 1970s, saying, "Any time someone describes a piece of music as 'cinematic,' there’s a decent chance they’re thinking, consciously or subconsciously, of 'Chase'. It's impossible to overstate, let alone list, the amount of composers and films who've ripped off 'Chase'."[7] In 2019, Spin ranked it among "The 30 Best Disco Songs That Every Millennial Should Know".[8]

Track listing

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Chase"13:06
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Chase"3:38
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Love's Theme"3:20

Charts

References

  1. ^ "Giorgio Moroder". CMJ New Music. May 2000. Retrieved August 28, 2023. Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase" isn't necessarily a familiar name, but you'd recognize it if you heard it: it's the ur- Eurodisco instrumental, an interlocking set of minor-key patterns that's as classic as late-night get-up-and-boogie background music gets, created by the man who produced most of Donna Summer's hits.
  2. ^ a b Molanphy, Chris (September 15, 2023). "Insert Lyrics Here Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "Giorgio Moroder, Filmkomponist by Thomas Staedeli". www.cyranos.ch. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Sex Life in a Convent (1972) - IMDb, retrieved August 30, 2021
  5. ^ "Giorgio Moroder: 'Sylvester Stallone wanted Bob Dylan to sing on a Rambo movie'", The Guardian, 31 October 2013.
  6. ^ Giorgio Moroder Gear Guide, Dolphin Music
  7. ^ Katherine St. Asaph (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork.
  8. ^ Spin Staff (June 18, 2019). "The 30 Best Disco Songs That Every Millennial Should Know". Spin. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  9. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 31, 1979" (PDF).
  11. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 8, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli", then search with "Hold you" under "Titolo" and "Giorgio" under "Artista".
  12. ^ a b "Giorgio Moroder: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Giorgio Moroder Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  14. ^ "RPM Top 30 Dance - May 29, 2000" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  17. ^ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Giorgio Moroder vs. Jam & Spoon – The Chase". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
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