The Heat Is On (Glenn Frey song)
Encyclopedia
"The Heat is On" is a song written by Harold Faltermeyer
and Keith Forsey
and recorded by Glenn Frey
, from Faltermeyer and Forsey's soundtrack of the popular 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop
.
chart in March 1985, behind "Can't Fight This Feeling
" by REO Speedwagon
. It was also quite popular internationally, reaching number two on the Australian Singles Chart in 1985 and gaining peaks of number 8 on the Canadian Singles Chart
and number 12 on the UK Singles Chart
.
The mid-to-up-tempo recording featured a steady drumbeat, synthesizer, and guitar, with a repeated saxophone riff framing the lyrical message:
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, who did not play on the actual recording.
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.
The song was ranked 784th out of 2006 songs by voting featured in the Triple M
Essential 2006 Countdown.
star forward Dany Heatley
's goal song. It is also the song played when the Omaha Lancers
junior hockey team scores, making reference to the United States Hockey League
. During the mid-to-late 1980s, it was also played at New York Mets
home games following a home run by a Mets player. It is the walk-on music for English darts
player Denis Ovens
. The song's title expression has been directly used in marketing slogans, such as for Australian television operations TVW
and Seven Network
. It was also a slogan the St. Louis Cardinals
used during their 1985 pennant drive
. Most notably, it has been a theme song for the Miami Heat
since the franchise's creation in 1988, and is played after home wins. It was also covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks
in an episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks
. In 2009, it was used in a political context as well, becoming the theme song for the British Columbia Liberal Party
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Vancouver-Fraserview
, Kash Heed
. It was played at Fraserview Hall on May 12, 2009, when Heed was declared the winner over New Democratic Party of British Columbia
rival Gabriel Yiu
.
The song was also played during the car chase sequence in the film 30 Minutes or Less
.
Harold Faltermeyer
Harold Faltermeyer is a German musician, keyboardist, composer and record producer.He is recognized as one of the composers/producers who best captured the zeitgeist of 1980s synth-pop in film scores...
and Keith Forsey
Keith Forsey
Keith Forsey is an English soundtrack composer, drummer, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:Forsey's first recordings were as the younger member of the group The Spectrum, better known for the end title theme for Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet, but hit makers across Europe in their own...
and recorded by Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
, from Faltermeyer and Forsey's soundtrack of the popular 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
.
History
It was a major hit single in its own right, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in March 1985, behind "Can't Fight This Feeling
Can't Fight This Feeling
"Can't Fight This Feeling" is a number-one power ballad from REO Speedwagon about a man falling in love with a girl with whom he has been friends for a long time....
" by REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
. It was also quite popular internationally, reaching number two on the Australian Singles Chart in 1985 and gaining peaks of number 8 on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
and number 12 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The mid-to-up-tempo recording featured a steady drumbeat, synthesizer, and guitar, with a repeated saxophone riff framing the lyrical message:
- Caught up in the action, I've been looking out for you
- Oh-wo-ho, oh-wo-ho
- (Tell me can you feel it, Tell me can you feel it, Tell me can you feel it)
- The heat is on, the heat is oh-on, the heat is on
- It's on the street, the heat is ... on.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song received heavy MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
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, who did not play on the actual recording.
The recording subsequently appeared on Frey's albums Glenn Frey Live
Glenn Frey Live
Glenn Frey Live is a live album by Glenn Frey, released in 1993 .-Track listing:#"Peaceful Easy Feeling" – 2:35#"New Kid in Town" Glenn Frey Live is a live album by Glenn Frey, released in 1993 (see 1993 in music).-Track listing:#"Peaceful Easy Feeling" (Jack Tempchin) – 2:35#"New Kid in Town"...
(1993) and Solo Collection
Solo Collection
Solo Collection is a greatest hits album of Glenn Frey's solo career, released in 1995 .-Track listing:#"This Way to Happiness" - 3:26#"Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?" - 4:05...
(1995) as well as on some various-artists 'top hits' collections.
The song was ranked 784th out of 2006 songs by voting featured in the Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
Essential 2006 Countdown.
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart | 12 |
| German Singles Chart | 4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 27 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 19 |
| French Singles Chart | 47 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 13 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 2 |
In popular culture
"The Heat is On" was Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
star forward Dany Heatley
Dany Heatley
Daniel James Heatley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger, and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002...
's goal song. It is also the song played when the Omaha Lancers
Omaha Lancers
The Omaha Lancers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League .From 2002-2009, the Lancers' home ice was the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. Until the 2001-2002 season, the Lancers played at...
junior hockey team scores, making reference to the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
. During the mid-to-late 1980s, it was also played at New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
home games following a home run by a Mets player. It is the walk-on music for English darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player Denis Ovens
Denis Ovens
Denis Ovens is an English darts player currently ranked number 29 in the PDC Order of Merit. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage. Ovens is widely regarded as one of the most consistent players in the circuit, though he has as yet failed to convert his form from the circuit to...
. The song's title expression has been directly used in marketing slogans, such as for Australian television operations TVW
TVW
TVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
and Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. It was also a slogan the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
used during their 1985 pennant drive
1985 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 1985 season was the team's 104th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 94th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 101-61 during the season and finished in first place in the National League East division by three games over the New York Mets...
. Most notably, it has been a theme song for the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
since the franchise's creation in 1988, and is played after home wins. It was also covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
in an episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
. In 2009, it was used in a political context as well, becoming the theme song for the British Columbia Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
for Vancouver-Fraserview
Vancouver-Fraserview
Vancouver-Fraserview is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Geography :...
, Kash Heed
Kash Heed
Kash P. Heed is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election, representing the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview....
. It was played at Fraserview Hall on May 12, 2009, when Heed was declared the winner over New Democratic Party of British Columbia
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
rival Gabriel Yiu
Gabriel Yiu
Gabriel Yiu is an award-winning journalist, social activist and small business owner in Vancouver.-Background:Yiu was born and educated in Hong Kong. He worked in his father’s trading business before becoming the administrator of an arts institution...
.
The song was also played during the car chase sequence in the film 30 Minutes or Less
30 Minutes or Less
30 Minutes or Less is a 2011 American action comedy crime film directed by Ruben Fleischer starring Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride and Nick Swardson...
.