Danger Zone

2015-02-13T07:47:49Z

108.195.136.65: Much (TV channel) = MuchMusic

{{About|the Kenny Loggins song|other songs with the same title|Danger Zone (disambiguation)}}
{{lead too short|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox single|
| Name = Danger Zone
| Cover = Loggins - Danger Zone single cover.png
| Artist = [[Kenny Loggins]]
| from Album = [[Top Gun (soundtrack)|''Top Gun'' soundtrack]]
| B-side = "I'm Gonna Do It Right"
| Released = May 13, 1986
| Format = [[7"|7" single]]
| Recorded = 1986
| Genre = [[Hard rock]], [[glam metal]]
| Length = 3:36
| Label = [[Columbia Records]]
| Writer = [[Giorgio Moroder]], [[Tom Whitlock]]
| Producer = Giorgio Moroder
| Certification =
| Last single = "I'll Be There" (1985)
| This single = "'''Danger Zone'''" (1986)
| Next single = "[[Playing with the Boys]]" (1986)
}}
"'''Danger Zone'''" is a song, with music composed by [[Giorgio Moroder]] and lyrics written by [[Tom Whitlock]], which American singer-songwriter [[Kenny Loggins]] recorded and released in 1986. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1986 [[United States|American]] [[motion picture]] ''[[Top Gun]]''.

==Background==
The band [[Toto (band)|Toto]] was originally intended to perform the track, but legal conflicts between the producers of ''Top Gun'' and the band's lawyers prevented this.<ref name="Toto99">{{cite web|url=http://www.toto99.com/blog2010/index.php?/archives/785-TOP-GUN-soundtrack.html |title=Official TOTO Website - Encyclopedia |publisher=www.toto99.com |date=2007-04-29 |accessdate=2012-03-12}}</ref>

[[Bryan Adams]] was approached to allow his song "Only the Strong Survive" on the soundtrack and perform "Danger Zone", but Adams refused any involvement, feeling that the film glorified war and he did not want any of his work linked to it.

[[REO Speedwagon]] were also approached to perform "Danger Zone", but the group declined due to not being allowed to contribute any of their own compositions to the soundtrack.

Eventually, the film producers agreed that "Danger Zone" would be recorded and performed by [[Kenny Loggins]].<ref name="Toto99" />

==Overview==
[[Dann Huff]], [[lead vocals|lead vocalist]] and [[guitarist]] from the [[1980s in music|1980s]] [[hard rock]] group [[Giant (band)|Giant]], performed guitar on the selection. The bass line is a classic 1980s sound composed in the main of a plucked bass sound from the ubiquitous [[Yamaha DX7]] synthesizer, with the drums being provided by the [[LinnDrum]], a drum machine designed by [[Roger Linn]], which also appears on hundreds of other 1980s pop hits. A [[tenor saxophone]] joins in near the end of the song.

==Music video==
A music video was released in May 1986 to promote the single. The video was directed by [[Tony Scott]] and featured footage of Loggins singing, as well as clips from the film ''[[Top Gun]]'', which Scott also directed.

According to the [[Much (TV channel)|MuchMusic]] network's program ''Pop-Up Video'', the U.S. Navy described this video as "the most effective recruiting poster ever produced."

==Cover versions==
* An animated portion of the ''Super Mario Bros. Super Show'' featured a cover of this song sung by a female vocalist.
* [[Alvin and the Chipmunks]] covered the song in 1990 for ''[[Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)|The Chipmunks Go to the Movies]]'' episode "Batmunk" (a spoof of the 1989 ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' film).
* The song was sung on the 2013 episode "[[Girls (and Boys) On Film|Girls (And Boys) On Film]]" from American TV series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', in a mash-up with [[Bob Seger]]'s song "[[Old Time Rock and Roll]]" from the 1983 film ''[[Risky Business]]'', also starring [[Tom Cruise]].
* The animated comedy series ''[[Archer (TV series)|Archer]]'' turned the song into a running joke about any dangerous situation. Loggins would later appear as himself in season 5, episode 6: "Archer Vice: Baby Shower", performing "Danger Zone" as a country duet with [[Cheryl Tunt]].<ref>http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/archer-season-5-kenny-loggins-duet-soundtrack-lanas-baby-and-more.html</ref>
* A Megaman-inspired band known as "The Protomen" released a cover EP that featured a cover of this song.
* Comedy metal band [[Psychostick]] has been covering the song in their live performances, and recorded a studio version on their album ''[[IV: Revenge of the Vengeance]]''.

==In other media==
* The song was featured in a trailer for the 2014 animated film ''[[Penguins of Madagascar]]''.
* The song was also in a domestic trailer for the 2005 animated film ''[[Valiant (film)|Valiant]]''.
* The song is also featured in ''[[Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay]]''; the song is played when the film's main characters get detained a second time.
* The song is played by ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' breakout star [[Barney Stinson]] on the sixth episode of Season 1 "[[Slutty Pumpkin]]".
*A version of the song is sung in the fifth season of ''[[Archer (TV series)|Archer]]'' by Kenny Loggins and the fictional country singer [[Cheryl Tunt|Cherlene]]. In previous episodes, the song was heavily referenced by the lead character, Sterling Archer.
* The song was featured in a trailer for the 2001 animated film ''[[Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius]]''.
* Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger of ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'' sang the song in a drunken karaoke duet in the second season of the show.
* The song appears on the in-game radio station "Los Santos Rock Radio" in the remastered edition of ''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]'' which is presented by Kenny Loggins himself, who lent his voice as the [[Radio Jockey|DJ]].

==Chart positions==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1986)
!Peak position
|-
|Canada ([[RPM (magazine)|RPM]])
|align="center"|7
|-
{{singlechart|Germany|10|artist=Kenny Loggins|song=Danger Zone}}
|-
{{singlechart|New Zealand|12|artist=Kenny Loggins|song=Danger Zone}}
|-
{{singlechart|Swiss|6|artist=Kenny Loggins|song=Danger Zone}}
|-
|United Kingdom ([[The Official Charts Company]])
|align="center"|45
|-
|U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]
|align="center"|2
|-
|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Mainstream Rock Tracks]]
|align="center"|7
|}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1986)
!align="left"|Peak position
|-
|align="left"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|42
|}

==References==
<references/>
{{Top Gun soundtrack}}
{{Kenny Loggins}}

[[Category:1986 singles]]
[[Category:Kenny Loggins songs]]
[[Category:Singles certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan]]
[[Category:Songs about the military]]
[[Category:Songs written by Giorgio Moroder]]
[[Category:Songs written by Tom Whitlock]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs from Top Gun]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Danger Zone