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Harold Faltermeyer | |
|---|---|
 Faltermeyer in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer (1952-10-05)5 October 1952 (age 73) |
| Genres | Synth-pop[2] |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | haroldfaltermeyer |
Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer (born 5 October 1952[1]) is a German musician, composer and record producer.
Faltermeyer is best known for composing the "Axel F"[2] theme for the feature filmBeverly Hills Cop, an influentialsynth-pop hit in the 1980s. He also composed the "Top Gun Anthem" for the feature filmTop Gun, along with its score, and the music for theChevy Chase feature filmsFletch andFletch Lives. TheBeverly Hills Cop andTop Gun projects earned him twoGrammy Awards: the first in 1986 for Best Album of original score written for a motion picture or television special, as a co-writer of theBeverly Hills Cop soundtrack; and the second in 1987 forBest Pop Instrumental Performance with guitaristSteve Stevens for "Top Gun Anthem" from theTop Gun soundtrack.
As a session musician, arranger and producer, Faltermeyer has worked with numerous internationalpop stars includingDonna Summer,Amanda Lear,Patti LaBelle,Barbra Streisand,Glenn Frey,Blondie,Laura Branigan,La Toya Jackson,Billy Idol,Jennifer Rush,Bonnie Tyler andPet Shop Boys.
Faltermeyer was born inMunich,Bavaria, the son of Anneliese (née Schmidt), a homemaker, and Hugo Faltermeier, a construction businessman.[3] Encouraged by his parents (the owners of a civil engineering firm), he started playing piano at the age of six. At 11, aNuremberg music professor discovered that Faltermeyer hadabsolute pitch. His boyhood years combined training in classical music with a developing interest inrock 'n' roll. He played organ in a rock combo and studied trumpet and piano at theUniversity of Music and Performing Arts Munich. While still studying he found work at a recording studio. Within three years he was engineering major classical sessions for the prestigiousDeutsche Grammophon label. Then in 1978,Giorgio Moroder recognized his talent and brought him to Los Angeles to play keyboards and arrange the soundtrack for the filmMidnight Express. Moroder and Faltermeyer continued their collaboration in the next decade,[4] producing Donna Summer albums and several hits for various artists. Soon Faltermeyer was earning an international reputation for both precise workmanship and trendsetting creativity in his use of synthesizer technology.[5]
Alongside a busy schedule as a record producer, he became increasingly involved in soundtrack work on Moroder's scores (Midnight Express,American Gigolo andFoxes) and was soon hired as composer in his own right—usually composing, performing and producing the completescore as well as a number of pop songs penned for various artists. Early on he created work for 1984'sThief of Hearts, with electronic scoring and songs forMelissa Manchester,Annabella Lwin,Elizabeth Daily and others. Then came his big break with the landmarkhip hop /breakdance-influenced score forBeverly Hills Cop, featuring the worldwide hit, the "Axel F" theme (referred to by Faltermeyer himself as the "banana theme",[6] as it was originally written for a specific scene where Detroit policeman Axel Foley gives a pair of Beverly Hills police officers the slip by shoving bananas up their exhaust pipe, causing their car to stall when they try and tail him).
The year after, theFletch theme expanded on his trademark electronic soundscapes with experimental phase modulated percussion effects woven into the largely analog synth melodies. He also composed the theme song, "Bit by Bit", sung byStephanie Mills.
The full scores of these films were not released on album. Only a handful of additional score tracks complemented these hits on vinyl: "The Discovery" and "Shoot-out" fromBeverly Hills Cop and "Memories" fromTop Gun, and only ever asB-sides on singles. However,The Running Man andKuffs were graced with full score albums and theThief of Hearts andFletch scores also received reasonably good coverage on their respective soundtrack albums. In January 2007, La La Land Records finally released a limited edition soundtrack (3000 CD copies) forTango & Cash. In December 2016, the same label issued albums of his work on theBeverly Hills Cop series.
In 1987, Faltermeyer recorded an album calledHarold F with vocal tracks featuring various guest singers plus "Axel F", which appears as a bonus track. The song "Bad Guys" is based on the (otherwise unavailable) main theme forBeverly Hills Cop II.
In 1989, Faltermeyer composed soundtrack music on theFletch sequelFletch Lives.
In 1990, he co-produced the albumBehaviour withPet Shop Boys at his studio near Munich.[7] The album was released later the same year.
InVienna, Faltermeyer andRainhard Fendrich collaborated on the 2002 musicalWake Up. Faltermeyer also provided the soundtrack for the 2007 computer gameTwo Worlds. He returned to film scoring for Kevin Smith's 2010 action comedyCop Out starring Bruce Willis. Faltermeyer's music is also featured inTop Gun: Maverick.[8]
In May 2022 Faltermeyer published his autobiographyWhere's the Orchestra? My Story as an ebook[9] to coincide with the release ofTop Gun: Maverick.[10]
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [11] | US Adult [11] | US Dance [11] | US R&B [11] | UK [12] | |||
| 1984 | "Axel F" | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | |
| "Final Confrontation" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ||
| 1985 | "Fletch Theme" | ― | ― | ― | ― | 74 | |
| 1986 | "Formula One" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
| 1987 | "The Race Is On" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
| 1988 | "Must Be Paradise" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
| "Prophecy" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||
