''Rocky: Original Motion Picture Score'' is a soundtrack album for the 1976 film ''
Rocky
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...
'', composed by
Bill Conti. It was released on
vinyl in the United States on November 12, 1976, by
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.
History Genres
In 1959, ...
, followed by a CD release by
EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
on November 7, 1988. The soundtrack is notable for its inclusion of "
Gonna Fly Now
"Gonna Fly Now", also known as "Theme from ''Rocky''", is the theme song from the movie ''Rocky'', composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta West and Nelson Pigford. Released in 1976 with ''Rocky ...
", the theme song from ''Rocky''.
Overview
Although the Conti version of "Gonna Fly Now" is the most recognizable arrangement, a cover of the song performed by legendary trumpeter
Maynard Ferguson
Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...
on his ''
Conquistador
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...
'' album prior to the release of the motion picture soundtrack actually outsold the soundtrack itself. The version of Conti's "Gonna Fly Now" released on later records and CDs differs from the version used in the film. The vocals and guitars are much more emphasized in the film than on the versions released. The "movie version" has yet to be officially released.
Parts of the song contain phases of the old german soldier song "Fehrbelliner Reitermarsch".
Track listing
All music by
Bill Conti.
# "
Gonna Fly Now
"Gonna Fly Now", also known as "Theme from ''Rocky''", is the theme song from the movie ''Rocky'', composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta West and Nelson Pigford. Released in 1976 with ''Rocky ...
(Theme from ''Rocky'')"
(vocals: DeEtta Little/Nelson Pigford) – 2:48
# "Philadelphia Morning" – 2:22
# "Going the Distance" – 2:40
# "Reflections" – 3:19
# "
Marines' Hymn/
Yankee Doodle"
( Jacques Offenbach/Thomas Holcomb
General (United States), General Thomas Holcomb (August 5, 1879 – May 24, 1965) was a United States Marine Corps officer who served as the seventeenth Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1936 to 1943. He was the first Marine to achieve the ra ...
/Traditional, arranged by Conti) – 1:45
# "Take You Back (Street Corner Song from ''Rocky'')"
(vocals: Valentine)(written by F. Stallone, Jr.) – 1:49
# "First Date" – 1:54
# "You Take My Heart Away"
(vocals: DeEtta Little/Nelson Pigford) – 4:46
# "Fanfare for Rocky" – 2:34
# "Butkus" – 2:12
# "Alone in the Ring" – 1:09
# "The Final Bell" – 1:56
# "Rocky's Reward" – 2:03
Personnel
* Composer, conductor, orchestrator, producer - Bill Conti
* Recording engineer - Ami Hadani
Performers (uncredited):
* The
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony (sometimes the Hollywood Freelance Studio Symphony) is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', ''Suck ...
* Trumpet -
Malcolm McNab
Malcolm Boyd McNab is a trumpeter and player of other brass instruments, and a Los Angeles-based session musician who has performed on nearly 2000 film and television soundtracks.
Education
Raised in the San Gabriel Valley, McNab began studying ...
,
Tony Terran, Graham Young,
Maurice Harris, Robert DiVall,