Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track is the soundtrack album from the blockbuster film
Saturday Night Fever starring
John Travolta. In the United States, the album was certified 15x Platinum for shipments of over 15 million copies. The album revived the phenomenon of
disco in the U.S. and was a national obsession.
Background
Along with the success of the movie, the
soundtrack, composed and performed primarily by the
Bee Gees, became the number one best-selling soundtrack of all time. 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 (all performed by the Bee Gees), "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). Two previously released Bee Gee 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. 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.
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 live 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.
Track listing
Side A:Side B:Side C:Side D:- "Salsation" performed by David Shire, produced by David Shire & Bill Oakes - 3:50
- "K-Jee" performed by MFSB, produced by Bobby Martin & Broadway Eddie - 4:13
"Jive Talkin'" was not contained in the film.Personnel
- Bob Bowles - Guitar (Tracks A 5, B 2)
- Dennis Bryon - Drums (Tracks A 1 to 4, Side C 3 & 4)
- Sonny Burke - Piano (Tracks A 5, B 2 & 3)
- Sonny Burke - Electric Keyboard (Track D 1)
- Scott Edwards - Bass (Tracks A 5, Side C 1, D 1)
- Steve Forman - Percussion (Tracks B 3, C 1, D 1)
- Barry Gibb - Vocals, Guitar (Tracks A 1 to 4, C 3 & 4)
- Mitch Holder - Guitar (Track B 3)
- Emil Richards - Percussion (Track C 1, D 1)
- Mark Stevens - Drums (Track D 1)
- Chino Valdez - Congas (Track D 1)
- Bob Zimmitti - Percussion (Tracks A 5, B 2, D 1)
- John Tobler - Liner Notes
- Bill Oakes - Compilation, Album Supervision
Additional songs in the film not on the soundtrack album
Additional songs recorded for the film but not used
- "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" by Bee Gees
Charts
Album
Singles
See also
