Harold Faltermeyer

Biography

Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer (born 5 October 1952) is a German musician, composer and record producer.
He has received numerous accolades and is internationally known for film scores of Hollywood blockbusters such as Beverly Hills Cop (which includes the influential synth-pop hit "Axel F×Axel F1984 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAAxel F3:00BShoot Out2:44"), Top Gun, The Running Man, and the Chevy Chase films Fletch and Fletch Lives. The Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun projects earned him two Grammy Awards: the first in 1986 for Best Album of original score written for a motion picture or television special, as a co-writer of the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack; and the second in 1987 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance with guitarist Steve Stevens for "Top Gun Anthem" from the Top Gun soundtrack.
As a session musician, arranger and producer, Faltermeyer has worked with numerous international pop stars including Donna Summer, Amanda Lear, Patti LaBelle, Barbra Streisand, Glenn Frey, Blondie, Laura Branigan, La Toya Jackson, Billy Idol, Jennifer Rush, Bonnie Tyler and Pet Shop Boys.

Early life

Faltermeyer was born in Munich, Bavaria, the son of Anneliese (née Schmidt), a homemaker, and Hugo Faltermeier, a construction businessman. Encouraged by his parents (the owners of a civil engineering firm), he started playing piano at the age of six. At 11, a Nuremberg music professor discovered that Faltermeyer had absolute pitch. His boyhood years combined training in classical music with a developing interest in rock 'n' roll. He played organ in a rock combo and studied trumpet and piano at the University 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 prestigious Deutsche 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 film Midnight Express. Moroder and Faltermeyer continued their collaboration in the next decade, 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.

Soundtrack work

Alongside a busy schedule as a record producer, he became increasingly involved in soundtrack work on Moroder's scores (Midnight Express, American Gigolo and Foxes) and was soon hired as composer in his own right—usually composing, performing and producing the complete score as well as a number of pop songs penned for various artists. Early on he created work for 1984's Thief of Hearts, with electronic scoring and songs for Melissa Manchester, Annabella Lwin, Elizabeth Daily and others. Then came his big break with the landmark hip hop / breakdance-influenced score for Beverly Hills Cop, featuring the worldwide hit, the "Axel F×Axel F1984 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAAxel F3:00BShoot Out2:44" theme (referred to by Faltermeyer himself as the "banana theme", 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, the Fletch 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 by Stephanie 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" from Beverly Hills Cop and "Memories" from Top Gun, and only ever as B-sides on singles. However, The Running Man and Kuffs were graced with full score albums and the Thief of Hearts and Fletch 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) for Tango & Cash×Tango & Cash3 January 2007 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 23 tracks1Bus Chase / Cocaine2:512Cash Intro / Chinese Assassin2:503Tango at the Office0:234Cash’s Gun / Chinese Toilet1:425Bad Guys Plot3:336Stake Out / Set Up / Switching Tapes4:507News at Eleven1:508Perret Gloats / No Golf Course1:309Chaos0:4510Slinky’s Cell0:5511Laundry Chute2:1512Fubar / Shock Therapy2:4913Cash in the Tunnel / Guards Come / Conan Fries9:4514Most Disturbing1:0615Dog Explodes / Tape Doctor1:1016Love Theme2:1517Brother and Sister1:2718Ponytail’s Apt. / Plan “A”1:1719Hi Five / Owen’s Toy1:0720Rv From Hell2:1221Off Road Battle5:0322Final Assault / The Bomb6:4123Love Theme2:13. In December 2016, the same label issued albums of his work on the Beverly Hills Cop×Beverly Hills Cop25 November 2016 · Album · Compilation,SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 29 tracks1Foley Finds Mikey1:202Bad Guys1:233Flowers0:234Foley Busted1:295Cops Follow Merc0:436Late Dinner / Warehouse2:487Shoot Out1:448Customs1:319The New Team0:4010Chase to Harrow’s2:4211Rosewood / Foley to Gallery0:5712The Discovery2:1513Rosewood Saves Foley / Rosewood / Foley to Mansion3:1014Good Guys on Grounds3:1415Foley Shoots a Bad Guy1:2216Zack Shoots1:0617Zack Shot0:5418Maitland Shot0:5119Shoot Out (alternate ending)1:4220The Discovery (alternate)2:1821The Discovery (Theme Suite)2:5122Zack Shot (alternate)0:5423Axel F (album version)3:0024Shoot Out (album version)2:4425The Heat Is On3:4526Neutron Dance4:1227New Attitude4:3628Do You Really (Want My Love?)3:4129Stir It Up3:36 series.
In 1987, Faltermeyer recorded an album called Harold F×Harold F1988 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Prophecy4:342Appassionata3:183Them Changes4:124Must Be Paradise4:305Bad Guys4:406(To Live) The Pop Life5:207Hunger of Love4:418Stop Before You Break My Heart Again4:349Wicked Wind4:4610Axel F3:01 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 for Beverly Hills Cop II.
In 1989, Faltermeyer composed soundtrack music on the Fletch sequel Fletch Lives×Fletch Lives1989 · Album · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks1Main Title (From the Motion Picture "Fletch Lives")2:172Fletch Out the Window1:093The Drive Home / Amanda Gets Killed1:034Fletch Walks2:085Sneaking Into Amanda's / Following Shadow2:126The Morgue / Belle Island on Fire1:407Coon Hunt4:068Smelly Shoes / Bibleland Model1:059The Stakeout1:0810Morgue Chase0:5911The Kiss1:2612Toxic Dump Walk / Drive to Ham's0:5313Chase to Bibleland3:0414Another Kiss0:4115Jimmy Lee Intro / Fletch Healed0:3716Over the Waves1:0617TV Source1:4918Jimmy Lee Intro II0:5719Claude Henry (intro)0:1520Party Source2:3321Kings of the Road3:12.
In 1990, he co-produced the album Behaviour with Pet Shop Boys at his studio near Munich. The album was released later the same year.

Later career

In Vienna, Faltermeyer and Rainhard Fendrich collaborated on the 2002 musical Wake Up. Faltermeyer also provided the soundtrack for the 2007 computer game Two Worlds×Two Worlds30 August 2007 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Two Worlds5:232Play the Game4:443Siege of Cathalon6:454Ashos3:025Cathalon3:466Bot Moss Forest2:257Desert Attack3:428Grom Town4:389Magta Lahjar4:3910Gor Gammar2:4211Opala4:0112Love Conquers5:1013Magta Lahjar (remix)3:2114Tharbakin2:4415Maasarah4:0616Purgatory5:4417Hades3:15. He returned to film scoring for Kevin Smith's 2010 action comedy Cop Out starring Bruce Willis. Faltermeyer's music is also featured in Top Gun: Maverick.
In May 2022 Faltermeyer published his autobiography Where's the Orchestra? My Story as an ebook to coincide with the release of Top Gun: Maverick.

Selected singles

As songwriter / arranger / producer
Camino De Lobo: "Carmen Disco Suite" (1983)
Glenn Frey: "The Heat Is On" (1984)
Patti LaBelle: "Stir It Up" (1984)
Valerie Claire: "I'm a Model (Tonight's the Night)" (1984)
Valerie Claire: "Shoot Me Gino" (1985)
Marietta: "Fire and Ice" (1986)
John Parr: "Restless Heart (Running Away with You)" (1988) (not available on the Running Man soundtrack album)
Chris Thompson: "The Challenge (Face It)" (Wimbledon 1989 theme, 7" & CD including instrumental version)
Artists United for Nature: "Yes We Can" (1989) (7" & CD including instrumental version)
Kathy Joe Daylor: "With Every Beat of My Heart" (1990)

Solo albums

Worldhits (1987) (Instrumental disco arrangements of various well-known songs)
Harold F (1988)
Harold Faltermeyer featuring Joe Pizzulo: "Olympic Dreams" (1992) (CD single)

Collections

Portrait of Harold Faltermeyer: His Greatest Hits (2003 double CD)