The Electronic Pop music genius Giorgio Moroder turns 84 today
The Italian songwriter, producer and musician developed an unique signature sound on all his songs
The Electronic Pop music genius Giorgio Moroder turns 84 today
The electronic pop music world owes immensely to Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, born on April 26, 1940, in South Tyrol, Italy. The Italian songwriter, producer, DJ and sometimes singer, revolutionize Electronic Pop music during the 1970’s and 1980’s and signed his name on an impressive number of timeless hits throughout the years. Moroder first came to prominence in 1969 but, it was during the mid to late 1970’s that he started to gain the reputation he holds today. During that period, he wrote and produced most of Donna Summer’s hits including “Love to Love You Baby”, “I Feel Love”, “Hot Stuff”, “Bad Girls”, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” and “On the Radio”. During this period, he started to develop his influential, unique and distinctive signature sound. He also wrote released “Chase”, the theme from the 1978 cult movie film “Midnight Express” which would lead him to the pinnacle of his career when during the 1980’s he did a series of successful collaborations on songs that became huge hits by being featured as main themes of movies such as “American Gigolo”, “Cat People”, “Top Gun”, “The Neverending Story”, “Flashdance” among others. Among these hits were “Call Me” with Blondie, “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” with David Bowie, “Together in Electric Dreams” with Philip Oakey of The Human League, “Flashdance… What a Feeling” with Irene Cara, “The NeverEnding Story” with Limahl, “Love Kills” with Freddie Mercury, “Take My Breath Away” with Berlin. Giorgio Moroder with his longtime collaborator Donna Summer and her husband Bruce Sudano. On the left Moroder’s wife Francisca Gutierrez in 1984, Moroder compiled a new restoration and edit of the silent film Metropolis (1927) and provided it with a contemporary soundtrack. This soundtrack includes seven pop music tracks from Pat Benatar, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Billy Squier, Loverboy, Bonnie Tyler and Freddie Mercury. He also integrated the old-fashioned intertitles into the film as subtitles as a means of improving continuity, and he also increased the film’s framerate to 24 frames a second. Since the original speed was unknown this choice was controversial. For two decades he released no albums, focusing largely on remixes and visual art during most of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. In 2013 Moroder returned to music and continued to compose, produce and collaborate with other artists, such as Daft Punk, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Sia among others. Giorgio Moroder, it’s one of the most accomplished songwriters, producers and creatives in music, among his achievements are three Academy Awards: Best Original Score for Midnight Express (1978); Best Song for “Flashdance…What a Feeling”, from the film Flashdance (1983); and Best Song for “Take My Breath Away”, from Top Gun (1986); four Grammy Awards for “Flashdance”: Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special and Best Instrumental Composition for the track “Love Theme from Flashdance”. The third was awarded for Best Dance Recording for the song “Carry On”. Moroder also won four Golden Globes: two Best Original Score for “Midnight Express” and “Flashdance… What a Feeling”, and two Best Original Song for “Flashdance… What a Feeling” and “Take My Breath Away”. In 2014, Giorgio Moroder won his fourth Grammy Award for Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” (Album of the Year). Giorgio Moroder turns 84 today.
Watch a rare appearance by Giorgio Moroder at Top Of The Pops where his own track “From Here To Eternity” and “I Feel Love” with Donna Summer are played, both features the distinctive signature sound of Moroder’s
Also watch Giorgio Moroder’s DJ set in Vienna, 2013, where he spins some of his greatest hits
Listen to a playlist featuring some of Giorgio Moroder’s most significant work on Spotify
Watch more music related videos
Images and photographs can be from different ranges of sources such as Pinterest, Tumblr etc. except when/where noted. If you are the copyright holder and would like them removed or credited, please get in touch.
