The Heat Is On (Glenn Frey song)
1984 single by Glenn Frey
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"The Heat Is On" is a song written by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey, and recorded by Glenn Frey for the American film Beverly Hills Cop (1984). The song was released as a single and as the sixth track of the album Beverly Hills Cop: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1984).
- 3:45 (7-inch and album)
- 5:51 (12-inch)
| "The Heat Is On" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Glenn Frey | ||||
| from the album Beverly Hills Cop: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
| B-side | "Shoot Out" by Harold Faltermeyer | |||
| Released | November 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | ||||
| Glenn Frey singles chronology | ||||
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| Official video | ||||
| "The Heat Is On" (From Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack) on YouTube | ||||
History
According to Frey, he was invited to an early screening of the film, and about two months later was sent a demo of a song written by Keith Forsey and Harold Faltermeyer to be used in the film to see if he was interested in singing the song. Frey agreed, and recorded the vocal part in one day. The following day he played the guitar and recorded the backing vocals, and was paid $15,000 for the work.[1]
The mid-to-up-tempo recording featured a steady drumbeat, synthesizer, and guitar, with a repeated saxophone riff framing the lyrical message. The guitar solo is played by Frey himself.[2]
The song became a major hit single, reaching No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1985, behind "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon.[3] It was also popular internationally, reaching No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1985 and gaining peaks of No. 8 on the Canadian Singles Chart and No. 12 on the UK singles chart.[4] In the United States, it is the highest charting solo single by any member of the Eagles.
The recording subsequently appeared on Frey's albums Glenn Frey Live (1993) and Solo Collection (1995) as well as on some various-artists "top hits" collections.
Music video
The music video for the song received heavy MTV airplay. It showed a film editor assembling scenes for Beverly Hills Cop while Frey and a band played the song in the adjacent room, with action scenes from the movie then directly interspersed. Among the musicians shown in the video is saxophone player Beverly Dahlke-Smith (the actual recording being made by session horn player David Woodford[5]) and Frey's long-time drummer, Michael Huey.
Critical reception
Cashbox called it "a hard rocking outing featuring the distinctive vocals of ex-Eagle Frey" and added that it contains "a signature horn riff and some effective dynamics."[6] Billboard said it "features a bustling rock 'n' roll beat, electric organ (or equivalent) and a wailing sax."[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Heat Is On" |
| 3:45 |
| 2. | "Shoot Out" | Harold Faltermeyer | 2:44 |
| Total length: | 6:29 | ||
| No. | Title | Remixer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Heat Is On (extended version)" | 6:04 | |
| 2. | "The Heat Is On (dance version)" | Brian Reeves | 5:40 |
| 3. | "The Heat Is On (dub version)" | Brian Reeves | 2:39 |
| Total length: | 14:23 | ||
Personnel
- Glenn Frey – lead and backing vocals, guitar solo
- Harold Faltermeyer – keyboards, bass
- Richie Zito – guitars
- Keith Forsey – drums, backing vocals
- David Woodford – saxophone
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[30] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||