MARKS BEST MOVIE SONGS EVER (1955-99) COUNTDOWN ... NO. 77 EYE OF THE TIGER–SURVIVOR (#1, 1982, Rocky III) The second of two Survivor songs in this countdown from Rocky movies is the most recognizable of the tunes. With David Bickler on lead vocal, the Chicago-based band hit No. 1 for the one and only time in their careers with Eye Of The Tiger, from the third Rocky movie, the one in which Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, is overburdened by the responsibilities of life outside boxing and is challenged by an up-and-comer named Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T). Lang dogs Balboa until he finally agrees to a fight ... then gets his ass kicked by Lang, who becomes the new heavyweight champion of the world. Its a voice from the past after the death of his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) who comes in to train Rocky. Yup – Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) agrees to train Rocky, but on HIS terms. And Rocky adopts the monicker from Creed of Eye of the Tiger, to never give up and to keep focused. He earns a rematch with Lang ... and there are different results this time. But believe it or not, the song Eye Of The Tiger, which spent six weeks at No. 1 in July and August 1982, was nearly never written! Stallone, who had creative power in the Rocky movies now, wanted to use Queens 1980 monster smash Another One Bites The Dust for the film, but Queens record company relented. And so Stallone had to come up with Plan B – ask this Chicago band who scored a small Top 40 hit in December 1981 with Poor Mans Son to compose a theme song. The rest, they say, is history. Recently, Survivor, with founding member Frankie Sullivan in charge, reunited the two lead singers of the group, Bickler and Jimi Jamison. The band finished up their 2014 tour in California on August 30 and everyone went their separate ways. Sadly the next day, Jamison, the lead vocalist on the other song from a Rocky move in the countdown (Burning Heart from the fourth film at No. 286) suddenly passed away at 63 years old, eight days after his birthday. Thoughts, memories? Enjoy!
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:26:02 +0000
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