I remember seeing this on the first day it came out. In the summer of '77, it was supposed to be the 'next' Jaws. I even bought the soundtrack album--it was BLUE!
Anyway I remember Donna Summer singing the theme over the closing credits. Watching it last night on TCM, the song was gone. I've been told it was removed from all subsequent prints of the film due to "rights issues". Ugh!
I just watched it on tv last night and I noticed too, that the Donna Summer theme song is missing, although she´s mentioned in the closing titles. Now the closing titles have an instrumental theme. Anybody knows more about this?
shareI don't know why it was removed from the ending credits. However, it or something similar to it seems to play during the early restaurant scene where Louis Gossett first meets the couple.
shareIt's also missing from the 2004 Sony/Columbia DVD release - although still listed in the credits along with Disco Calypso by Beckett.
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Ya know, I've always wondered about this. I've only ever seen the movie on TV and DVD, so I never heard the film with the Donna Summer song in it. I always assumed this was a deal where the song got cut from the film, which sometimes happens.
I can't imagine what the rights thing might have been, since Donna Summer was on Casablanca Records, who made The Deep, so there shouldn't have been a problem. The only thing I can imagine is the same thing that happened with the movie Heavy Metal. That is, the original deal to use the song in the movie was only for the original theatrical release.
When they subsequently sought permission to use the song for TV broadcasts and video releases, Donna (or more likely her manager) tried to renegotiate the deal, and the producers refused to go for it. So they were forced to drop the song. But, as I say, that's JUST a theory.
I suspect your theory is right about the song being renegotiated or dropped when this film was released on video and DVD. But more than likely, it was warring subsidiaries of Casablanca that were battling — not Donna or her manager. It has been years since I saw this, but it seems like Donna Summer's "Deep Down Inside" did indeed play over the end credits when this aired on TV in the late '70s. I have this on VHS but haven't watched it yet; I assume her song does not appear in the home video version. Of course, with VHS and later DVD, a lot of films' music was changed.
In this case, at least, the song wasn't a big hit and it's not really associated strongly with this film — at least as I recall. The practice of changing music was particularly jarring when "Love at First Bite" was released on video and Alicia Bridges' "I Love the Nightlife" was replaced with a forgettable disco ditty. Ditto for "Heroes," where Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son" was replaced with a generic ballad. These two songs were heavily associated with their films.
As for "Heavy Metal," I know the songs from the various labels led to some serious issues and delays, and the VHS was removed from circulation because of licensing problems. I believe the DVD restores all the original songs. I haven't compared the film with the soundtrack, but I could swear that some songs do not appear at all in the film. The inclusion of a lot of songs is very subtle, so it's easy to overlook some of them.
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I just watched 'The Deep' on DVD a couple of nights ago and noticed on the end credits that Donna Summer sang the theme song. I thought maybe that I had dozed off during the movie and missed it. I originally saw this in the theater when it came out in '77, but for the life of me I can not recall what the song sounded like. I totally agree with you about the two songs missing from 'Heroes' and 'Love At First Bite'. I actually stopped the DVD when I was watching 'Love At First Bite'. I was looking forward to the dance scene between George Hamilton and Susan St. James. When that awful song started it just ruined the rest of the film for me. If I had never seen these two films in the theater with the original songs, it most likely wouldn't ever matter. Anyhow, I recently bought 'Heroes' and plan on turning down the TV and pausing the film at that ending scene and cranking up 'Carry On' on the computer just to duplicate that experience. It's tough being a movie geek.
It is indeed tough being a movie geek, but someone has to carry the torch when the studios fail us!
I have the VHS versions of "Love at First Bite" and "Heroes," and neither contains the pivotal songs by Alicia Bridges and Kansas, respectively. Even though those songs were hits before the films came out, they are largely responsible for the movies' success and impact, and they are so closely associated with the films that watching them on video seems extremely "off" without their presence.
In the '80s, other films would songs to similar effect: "Risky Business" (with Bob Seger's "Old-Time Rock and Roll") and "An American Werewolf in London" (with Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising"). Fortunately, these songs were preserved for the video releases.
You were lucky to see "The Deep" in the theater when it was released! Any recollections about the crowd and the reception? It seems like a lot of folks saw this when "Star Wars" was sold out, but I'd much rather see this.
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I went to a lot of movies in 1977. That was the summer of 'Smokey and the Bandit', 'The Spy Who Loved Me', 'A Bridge Too Far', 'Rollercoaster', 'The Deep' and of course 'Star Wars'. I was 16 at the time and my girlfriend and I went to the movies 2 or 3 times a week. I remember the theater was pretty packed when we saw 'The Deep' and the crowd seemed to like the film. My girlfriend became infatuated with Nick Nolte after seeing this. I grew up in Los Angeles and went to the movies all my life. People in L.A. are very vocal and will applaud after watching a great film. I was living in San Antonio, Texas in 1977 and 1978. Movie watching in Texas was a whole different experience. The people there just didn't get into the movies like they did in L.A. It was the same thing with 'Star Wars'. I was used to the crowd getting amped up after an awesome movie experience, but they just didn't in Texas. Here's a prime example: I was living back in Los Angeles by the summer of 1978. I'll never forget this; it was spring or summer of 1980 and my girlfriend and I were at the movies. I don't recall what we went to see. The lights went out and the curtains opened and all you heard was Darth Vader's heavy breathing. On the screen the mask of Darth Vader is making a 360 degree turn. Then the words appear on screen "Coming next summer", 'The Empire Strikes Back'. It was more than a year away and the theater crowd went nuts with anticipation. It was great seeing movies in L.A. I get back home to L.A. a couple of times a year and it hasn't changed at all. People are movie fanatics in Los Angeles and I miss it. About a year ago my wife and I went to see a revival of an old Elvis movie, 'Blue Hawaii', at the American Cinemateque and the auditorium was almost sold out. Sorry to ramble on. I can talk about film constantly.
You needn't worry about the rambling. I love hearing about memories like that.
Most of my movie memories from the '70s were based on what I saw on HBO or read in movie magazines. I lived in a small town, and we had only two single-screen theaters, so if a film was a hit it might play there for months. Both theaters are gone now, but the multiplex opened when the mall was built around 1980 with five and later 10 screens. We had a lot more choices, but the filmgoing experience just wasn't the same.
Was too young to see this in the theaters, I was four at the time.
Saw it for the first time a few minutes ago. The older Columbia TriStar Home Video DVD (1998). The later pressing is full screen only, the first was double sided; anamorphic widescreen and full with a folded production insert.
I liked it.
Well, not the first. I've seen snippets from when it aired on television. But hadn't sit though the whole feature until tonight.
Wet t-shirt, yeah. Man, that must've been a sight to see on the big screen. I'm trying to remember the first time I went to the theater. Well, I do know from a story from my mom, my dad, her and I (a wee baby) went to see "Shampoo" (1975). I cried, made a ruckus, both had to leave midway through. Sorry.
I think, it may have been for "E.T." (1982). Man, I should know this. NO. It was "Time Bandits" (1981)!
One of the best theater experiences I've had was for "Critters" (1986). There was this guy in the audience who was talking to the screen. Most times, folks like that are terrible - SHUT UP! But this moment, this screening; magic happened. Don't know who this guy was, but he had all of us laughing. No one told him to stop. I also remember this film as the first time I ever heard the F word used as an exclamation for a messed up situation. I recall reading the subtitle for the Krite saying it. 'What? I don't get it. That's a word used for sex.' I had enough sense to keep that confusion to myself.
As for the main topic, I was puzzled too - reading the end credits. No Donna Summers. I'm gonna listen to that song later on YouTube. Thanks WarpedRecord.
Thanks for your recollections, regularfellow. Too bad you weren't old enough to see this in theaters because that was an era of a lot of great movies (though this one falls a bit short of greatness, in my opinion). And R.I.P. Donna Summer!
share<<It has been years since I saw this, but it seems like Donna Summer's "Deep Down Inside" did indeed play over the end credits when this aired on TV in the late '70s>>
The song may have been present when the film was shown on ABC back in 1980 (I haven't seen that yet, though I know there's a copy floating around on the internet), but at least from the mid 80's onwards, it was absent from TV broadcasts.
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As for "Heavy Metal," I know the songs from the various labels led to some serious issues and delays, and the VHS was removed from circulation because of licensing problems. I believe the DVD restores all the original songs. I haven't compared the film with the soundtrack, but I could swear that some songs do not appear at all in the film. >>
Well, the VHS didn't come out until the mid 90's, but I think it had all the songs intact. That was the problem, there apparently wasn't a home video clause in the contracts for using the songs.
<< I haven't compared the film with the soundtrack, but I could swear that some songs do not appear at all in the film.>>
All the songs that are on the Heavy Metal soundtrack album are in the movie, though some of them there's only about 10 or 20 seconds of the song used. For instance, the Donald Fagen track, True Companion, is used at the beginning of the Harry Canyon sequence, and the Stevie Nicks song can be heard in the police station, when Harry is talking to the hookers. Both the Nazareth and Trust songs are heard during So Beautiful So Dangerous.
In actual fact, there's music in the movie that's not on the soundtrack album. Apart from The Mob Rules, Black Sabbath also contributed E5150, basically a bass solo from Geezer Butler, which is heard as the nomads first encounter the Loc-Nar (just before they're transformed into mutants), and there's a second Devo song, Thru Being Cool, which is the song being played by the band in the saloon where Taarna kills the three mutants. And of course, there's also Elmer Bernstein's orchestral score, which I believe was released on it's own.
Thanks for the details on the "Heavy Metal" soundtrack. That's one of those rare soundtracks that seems larger than the movie to me, and somewhat out of sync with it. I had the soundtrack for years before I finally saw the film. It's a mishmash of musical styles, but I love every song there.
I've never actually taken an inventory of the songs on the soundtrack, but I'm sure they're all in the film, at least as snippets. I remember the inclusion of Stevie Nicks' "Blue Lamp" very well (my favorite song on the soundtrack), as well as Devo's "Through Being Cool," which wasn't on the sountrack.
I need to watch that movie again now that I have the DVD (along with "Heavy Metal 2000"). Thanks again for the information.
I've only ever seen the movie on TV and DVD,
The same for me alas, and I went to the cinema quite a few times in 1977. But when the movie was shown here in the UK, circa 1982, Donna Summer's disco version of the theme was definitely at the end credits. She had a big hit with it reaching #5 in the UK charts.
You were lucky to find the soundtrack. I'm still searching.
I've just played the Goodtimes VHS of this film, and "Down Deep Inside" isn't on the soundtrack despite being listed in the credits – as other posters have said.
Here it is for those needing a Summer fix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RF5PQcymhw
It's a decent song, but honestly I just think it's a bit "off" and far from Donna's top tier. I think it would be better as a stripped-down ballad than with all that waka-waka guitar.