20 Things You Didn’t Know About Midnight Express

The late 1970s was a seminal era in synth music. Disco fever was contagious throughout North America and Europe, and musicians began experimenting with new sonic technology. Donna Summer had released the anthem ‘I Feel Love’ in 1977, one year before the release of Midnight Express, and the British public became enamoured with the song. To this day, it is a mainstay on any synth-pop or disco album, and still awakens crowds in sweaty student nightclubs. Not working alone, Summer co-created ‘I Feel Love’ with the Italian producer, Giorgio Moroder.

After the success of ‘I Feel Love,’ Moroder was assigned the score for Midnight Express. Maintaining his signature sound, Moroder created an entirely synth-based soundtrack to accompany the movie. Releasing ‘Chase,’ the first track from the movie’s tie-in album, Moroder achieved more chart success.

While dating the movie in retrospect, the synthesised score was seen as futuristic at the time. Moroder received critical acclaim for his work and became the first person to win the Oscar for Best Original Score using an entirely synth-based sound.