Thanks! I had read ages ago they, as in the Bee Gees, saw an unfinished print and as example timed the rhythm to "Stayin Alive" to Travolta's foot steps as he walked down the street in the movie's opening.
Have to wonder if the film made the music or did the music make the film. The cross-pollination was a first, I believe (aside from out and out Hollywood musicals). "Grease" later was able to make lightening strike again and the same music sells the film\film sells the movie happened (Travola reportedly made a lucrative deal for himself, taking a chance that the soundtrack would sell like "Fever" had, and took a cut in pay for the acting in exchange for a percentage of the album. The millions he made from the album are what kept him in jets and luxury during his down time in the late 80's - course you could write back saying all that was myth as well!).
So how would the film have fared with generic dance tracks? Would a new Bee Gee's studio album with the same songs have started a disco craze? I personally think the late 70's, actually the decade in general, could have done without disco. The craze, which ran only from 77-79, ended up defining the decade. A whole lot more went on musically during that time than disco!
I loved the movie when I first saw it but by mid '78 I was clearly a member of the "Disco Sucks" teenage brigade!
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ferdinandhudson
8 years ago
If you have access to the audio commentary by director John Badham for Saturday Night Fever he brings up the fact that the Travolta walk was done to the original demo as they were filming that scene. Probably also that very mix that appears on the original film, vhs and laserdisc. Undoubtedly, during post-production they would have to lay down the track separately but using it during shooting meant that Travolta's pace (as well as that of his double who stood in for him for certain shots where he was not available) was 100% perfectly in sync with the music.
Sadly, when they remastered SNF for DVD they replaced the originally, slightly crude edited version of Stayin' Alive to that of a remastered version of the commercial release without that particular edit (in the original the Gibbs' falsetto voices comes in as the train screeches on the bridge tracks before cutting to the actual lyrics, not so anymore which is unfortunate as it was a memorable transition to the song). The scene doesn't have the same flow anymore on the DVD and the subsequent blu-ray, Travolta's pace is just ever so s-l-i-g-h-t-l-y off now in my opinion.
A similar fate happened with the Grease soundtrack when that film was remastered as well. Paramount has a lot to answer for in that regard.
Stigwood was clever with the promotion for the film, having How Deep Is Your Love issued as a single well in advance of the film's release and following it up with Stayin' Alive as the premiere drew closer. Bee Gees success fed the ticket sales and the ticket sales fed the singles and album sales.
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500 years ago on the planet Zeist
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