Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes carried this duet up where the eagles cry on a mountain high, where it belonged. 'Up Where We Belong' was written by Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Will Jennings for the soundtrack to 'An Officer And A Gentleman'. Nitzsche and Saint-Marie wrote the score for the movie and the music for this song and Jennings wrote the lyrics. Jennings recalls: "Joel Sill, who was head of the music department of Paramount, asked me to consider writing a song for this film. I watched a rough cut, loved the film and I heard enough parts to make up a song. I asked Joel to send me the work track and I stitched together the verse, chorus, and bridge of the song and wrote the lyrics... Joel sent it to Stewart Levine, a fine music producer, and Stewart and I talked the song over on the phone and he went in to the studio and cut the hit track with Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes." Cocker was on tour and flew into Los Angeles for a day to record the song and then resumed his tour. Director Taylor Hackford used the song for the iconic final scene in the film in which Richard Gere arrives at the factory where Debra Winger works in his white naval dress uniform and carries her out. Producer Don Simpson fought to get the song cut from the movie because he thought it wasn't a hit.
He couldn't have been more wrong. 'Up Where We Belong' went to thirty-two in Belgium; fourteen in Austria; seven in Switzerland and the UK; six in Germany; three in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and on the US adult contemporary chart; two in Spain and on the Canadian adult contemporary chart; and number one in Australia, Canada, and the US. The song won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by Duo or Group With Vocal for Cocker and Warnes; and the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Film Award for Best Original Song for Nitzsche, Sainte-Marie, and Jennings. Nitzsche and Saint-Marie got married the following year.
Who knows what tomorrow brings In a world where few hearts survive All I know is the way I feel When it's real I keep it alive The road is long There are mountains in the way But we climb a step every day Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry On a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow Some hang on to used to be Live their lives looking behind When all we have is here and now All our lives Out there to find The road is long There are mountains in the way But we climb a step every day Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry On a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow Time goes by No time to cry Life's you and I Alive, today Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry On a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow
No one could keep this baby in the corner when Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes took it to the top of the charts. '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' was composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. Previte recalls: "I received a call from Jimmy Ienner, had had been head of Millenium Records, my label with Franke and the Knockouts. Jimmy asked me to write a song for this little movie called 'Dirty Dancing'. I told him I didn't have the time and he said, 'Make time. This could change your life.'" DeNicola and Marowitz wrote the music for the song and Previte came up with the lyrics: "I received a track from John and Donny and I wrote the lyric and melody for the chorus in the car while I was driving along the Garden State Parkway, going to a studio session for another song...It was the last song on the last tape submitted on the last day for the movie's final scene. But, everyone loved it!"
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey ended up dancing to the demo during the filming. Previte remembers how Swayze revealed the importance of the song to the film: "He told me that the 'Dirty Dancing' dance finale scene was actually shot to my original demo of '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life.' I had performed the song with my duet partner, Rachele Cappelli. Patrick explained that the movie was filmed out of sequence and the finale scene was the first thing they shot. And, there was a lot riding on getting it right. He said it was crucial that he, Jennifer and the rest of the cast filming that scene develop an immediate camaraderie and that the demo was a big part in helping them do just that. The film's most memorable scene really had been filmed to our demo of '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life.'"
Previte had hoped to sing on the soundtrack version; but Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers was chosen instead. He was snubbed again when Eric Carmen was picked to sing his other compositional contribution to the soundtrack: 'Hungry Eyes'. The 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack held the number one spot on the US album charts for eighteen consecutive weeks and has sold over forty-eight million copies worldwide.
'(I've Had) The Time of My Life' went to number twelve in Sweden; five in Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and France; three in Austria; two in Canada; and number one in Australia, the Netherlands, and the US. In the UK, the single charted twice: going to number eight in 1987 after the original release of the film and to number six in 1991 when it was broadcast on television. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Now I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you 'Cause I had the time of my life And I owe it all to you I've been waiting for so long Now I've finally found someone To stand by me We saw the writing on the wall As we felt this magical Fantasy Now with passion in our eyes There's no way we could disguise it Secretly So we take each other's hand 'Cause we seem to understand The urgency. Just remember You're the one thing I can't get enough of So I'll tell you something This could be love because I've had the time of my life No I never felt this way before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you Hey baby... With my body and soul I want you more than you'll ever know So we'll just let it go Don't be afraid to lose control no Yes I know what's on your mind When you say, "Stay with me tonight" (stay with me) Just remember You're the one thing I can't get enough of So I'll tell you something This could be love because I've had the time of my life No I never felt this way before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you 'Cause I've had the time of my life And I've searched though every open door Till I found the truth And I owe it all to you Now I've (I've) had the time of my life Oooo No I never felt this way before (Never felt this way) Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you I've had the time of my life No I never felt this way before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you 'Cause I've had the time of my life And I've searched though every open door Till I found the truth And I owe it all to you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpmILPAcRQo
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