Bill Conti turns 84 today. He has composed some of the most memorable movie music in history. His most famous was featured in Rocky.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that “Gonna Fly Now” is perhaps the most inspirational, motivational song ever recorded. Fans of the film can picture every scene that was accompanying the song on screen. It soundtracks the training montage in the first Rocky movie as Sylvester Stallone runs through the streets of Philadelphia, does one-armed pushups, pounds a slab of beef, and does some impressive sit-ups. It ends with a classic shot of him running up the steps to the Philadelphia Art Museum and raising his arms in celebration. It’s a classic scene, and it’s inextricably entwined with the music.

As songfacts.com says, “Rocky is an underdog story that itself overcame long odds to succeed. Stallone was scraping by as an actor when he wrote the screenplay, which he insisted on starring in himself. It was made for less than one million dollars but made over $200 million. It’s also one of the most celebrated works in film history, an example of a movie with heart that succeeds on every level. The song quickly became iconic and grew its own roots outside of the film. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you know what the song represents.”

Bill Conti, was only paid $25,000 to score the entire film. John Avildsen, who directed the film, asked him to provide about 90 seconds of music so he could edit the training scene together. Montages rely almost exclusively on music, so they serve as a guide for the visuals. After he started editing, Avildsen asked for another 30 seconds… and then another. The final scene ended up running 2:45, the equivalent of a full-length song.

Conti recorded it, along with the rest of the score, in one three-hour session – he was being thrifty because he had to pay for the musicians and studio time out of his $25,000. Conti says he grossed $15,000, which was a huge payday for him. He went to Germany to work on his next project, and when he got back, the movie, which was released on December 3, 1976, was a hit. Conti worked out a deal to release “Gonna Fly Now” as a single and include it on a soundtrack album for the film. The song quickly climbed the charts and rose to #1 in the US on July 2, 1977, eight months after the movie hit theaters.

The lyrics (what little there are) were written by Conti’s collaborators Carol Conners (of the Teddy Bears) and Ayn Robbins. As Conners tells it, she was taking a shower when the words “gonna fly now” came into her head. She called Conti from the shower and said she knew what the words should be.

Fun fact: Conti’s wife, Shelby Conti, and two of her friends: DeEtta West and Nelson Pigford, are the ones singing the lyrics. All three were working at the Los Angeles radio station KHJ when Bill called Shelby and asked if she could round up some co-workers and come by the studio to sing. She, West and Pigford came by on their lunch break and put down their vocals.

In a documentary, Conti said, “When I think of heroic music, I hear brass, and I hear loud when it’s time to go into battle.” He came up with the famous fanfare that starts the song, then made it loud and brassy the rest of the way, capturing the essence of Rocky as he pushes through the pain.

It truly is one of the greatest sports anthems of all time.

Source: songfacts.com