Giorgio by Moroder

Last updated
"Giorgio by Moroder"
Song by Daft Punk
from the album Random Access Memories
Released17 May 2013
RecordedNovember 23rd, 2011 - May 2012
Genre
Length9:04
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Daft Punk
Official audio
"Giorgio by Moroder" on YouTube

"Giorgio by Moroder" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories (2013). It is the third track on the album. The song features a monologue by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, who speaks about his early life and musical career. "Giorgio by Moroder" charted in France and Sweden due to downloads of the album.

Contents

Background

"Giorgio by Moroder" features the voice and story of Giorgio Moroder. Giorgio Moroder (2).jpg
"Giorgio by Moroder" features the voice and story of Giorgio Moroder.

Giorgio Moroder first publicly mentioned his collaboration with Daft Punk in May 2012; he revealed that he had recorded a monologue about his life for a track on the album. [1] Daft Punk's pitch to Moroder was to conduct an extensive interview with him, and to edit excerpts of the resulting monologue into a documentary song. [2] "Giorgio by Moroder" was created to serve as a metaphor about musical freedom, as Daft Punk believed that a monologue by Moroder about his career would serve as an analogy for music's history regarding exploration of genres and tastes. [3] The duo had been in contact with Moroder in relation to a possible contribution for the Tron: Legacy (2010) film score, but this never occurred. [4]

Moroder clarified that he was not involved in the composition of the track: "They did not let me get involved at all. Thomas asked me if I wanted to tell the story of my life. Then they would know what to do with it." [5] Moroder further explained that he was unaware of how the duo would incorporate his monologue, at one point thinking the duo "might cut it up into a rap". [6] Daft Punk based the composition on a demo the duo had made years earlier, specifically because they felt that the piece resembled Moroder's style. [7] Among the topics Moroder spoke of in his monologue was his creative process behind Donna Summer's album I Remember Yesterday (1977) and its closing track "I Feel Love". [8] Upon hearing "Giorgio by Moroder" in complete form, he felt that it had been inspired by his own recordings, particularly "I Feel Love". [5]

Production

Peter Franco, who served as an audio engineer on the album, recalled that Daft Punk had wanted to conduct some tests at Henson Recording Studios early in the production process. The arpeggio heard throughout "Giorgio by Moroder" was captured in these initial sessions, "with layers of that arpeggio played via MIDI through different synths to create that great sound." Franco described the tests as "very fun and loose sessions", and was pleasantly surprised that some of the parts ended up in the final product. [9]

When Moroder arrived in the studio to record his monologue, he was initially perplexed that the booth contained multiple microphones; he wondered if the extra equipment was a precaution in case one of the microphones broke. The recording engineer explained that the microphones varied with origin dates that ranged from the 1960s to the 21st century, and that each microphone would be used to represent the different decades in Moroder's life. [1] The engineer added that although most listeners would not be able to distinguish between each microphone, Bangalter would know the difference. [10] Nile Rodgers was also present during the voice recording sessions, [1] which took place over the course of two days. [2]

Moroder did not receive an update on the progress of the song until six months prior to the release of the album; Moroder happened to be in the same studio in Paris where Daft Punk had been working at that point. He was told by the engineer there that "Giorgio by Moroder" was coming along well, but that the engineer was not at liberty to discuss the track further. [5] Moroder later expressed that he could have been more precise when the duo had interviewed him, as he felt his recording had faltering grammar in a few places. He also noted that if he ever decided to write an autobiography, he would ask Daft Punk for the complete session tapes of "Giorgio by Moroder" to use as a basis. [6] A 10" vinyl disc containing an extended interview from the sessions is included in a deluxe box set release of Random Access Memories. [11]

Much like the rest of the album, "Giorgio by Moroder" makes use of studio musicians for most of the instrumentation. Daft Punk conveyed their ideas to the musicians via sheet music and in some instances by humming melodies. [12] Bangalter recalled an example in which he hummed a complex drum and bass line to Omar Hakim, who replicated and improved upon it for "Giorgio by Moroder". [13] As the duo sought to avoid using stock audio samples, Daft Punk recorded new sound effects with the help of professional foley artists from Warner Bros. They produced the sounds of a busy restaurant by placing microphones in front of a group of people using forks. [14]

Composition

The song is played in the key of A minor, in common time and at a tempo of 113 beats per minute. [15] Zach Baron of GQ referred to the piece as "Moroder haltingly talk[ing] about his early days as a German club warrior over a click track." [16] Mixmag analyses elaborated that the narration is complemented with changes in instrumentation for dramatic effect: As one review pointed out, "Moroder explains how he 'knew he needed a click' and a click track duly starts a basic percussion line". [17] Another noted that, "he informs us that his 'friends call him Giorgio' before the track explodes into an arpeggiated synth dream". [18] Q magazine detailed that the composition transitions from "electro [...] into pure disco into vast orchestral beauty into a blizzard of syndrums" and builds until it reaches a conventional house music beat. [19] Matthew Horton of NME remarked that the song concludes with "the bass bounc[ing] down comically to nothing." [20] Critics have also noted the similarities between the structure of "Giorgio by Moroder" and that of Cerrone's song "Supernature". [21] [22]

Personnel

Charts

Internet meme

The song's phrase "My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio", followed by several subsequent seconds of the song, became an internet meme due to the phrase’s rhythmic cadence and distinctive delivery. The meme usually appears in short videos showing feats of physical prowess and endurance. The interview clip of Moroder featuring the phrase was also highlighted in the documentary Daft Punk Unchained . [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daft Punk</span> French electronic music duo

Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved early popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop. The duo garnered further acclaim and commercial success and are now regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgio Moroder</span> Italian composer and music producer (born 1940)

Giovanni Giorgio Moroder is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance music. His work with synthesizers had a large influence on several music genres such as hi-NRG, Italo disco, synth-pop, new wave, house and techno music.

<i>Homework</i> (Daft Punk album) 1997 studio album by Daft Punk

Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings. It was later released in the United States on 25 March 1997. As the duo's first project on a major label, they produced the album's tracks without plans to release them, but after initially considering releasing them as separate singles, they considered the material good enough for an album.

<i>Discovery</i> (Daft Punk album) 2001 studio album by Daft Punk

Discovery is the second studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 12 March 2001 by Virgin Records. It marked a shift from the Chicago house of their first album, Homework (1997), to a house style more heavily inspired by disco, post-disco, garage house, and R&B. Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk described Discovery as an exploration of song structures, musical forms and childhood nostalgia, compared to the "raw" electronic music of Homework.

<i>Human After All</i> 2005 studio album by Daft Punk

Human After All is the third studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released on 14 March 2005 through Virgin Records. Unlike their previous studio album Discovery (2001), whose sound was inspired by disco and garage house and produced over the period of two years, Human After All was more minimalistic and improvisational with a mixture of heavier guitars and electronics, and was produced in six weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Bangalter</span> French musician (born 1975)

Thomas Bangalter is a French musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, DJ and composer. He is best known as one half of the former French house music duo Daft Punk, alongside Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. He has recorded and released music as a member of the trio Stardust, the duo Together, as well as a solo artist. Bangalter's work has influenced a wide range of artists in various genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Da Funk</span> 1995 single by Daft Punk

"Da Funk" is an instrumental track by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, initially released as a 12-inch single in May 1995 by Soma and Virgin and later included on their debut album, Homework (1997). Prior to its inclusion on the album, "Da Funk" received little attention and was limited to 2,000 copies. The song and its accompanying music video directed by Spike Jonze are considered classics of 1990s house music. It went on to sell 30,000 copies in 1997. A reversed clip of "Da Funk" was also released on Homework as "Funk Ad", which is the final track on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Together (French duo)</span> 2000–2003 French house duo

Together was a French house duo consisting of DJ Falcon and one member of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter. The duo released two songs, one each in 2000 and 2002, on Bangalter's own record label, Roulé: "Together" and "So Much Love to Give".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Falcon</span> French DJ, record producer, and photographer

Stéphane Quême, known as DJ Falcon, is a French DJ, record producer and photographer. He is the brother of Delphine Quême (Quartet) and a cousin of Alan Braxe.

<i>Random Access Memories</i> 2013 studio album by Daft Punk

Random Access Memories is the fourth and final studio album by the French electronic duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. It pays tribute to late 1970s and early 1980s American music, particularly from Los Angeles. This theme is reflected in the album's packaging, as well as its promotional campaign, which included billboards, television advertisements and a web series. Recording sessions took place from 2008 to 2012 at Henson, Conway and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doin' It Right</span> 2013 single by Daft Punk featuring Panda Bear

"Doin' It Right" is a song written and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American musician Panda Bear of the band Animal Collective. It is a track on Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013), and was the last to be recorded for the album. The song was distributed to American alternative radio stations on 3 September 2013 as the third single from Random Access Memories. Prior to this, it appeared on record charts in France, the United States and the United Kingdom due to digital downloads of the album. "Doin' It Right" received a positive critical reception, with some reviewers opining it as the group's best work out of the entire LP.

"Contact" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It is the thirteenth and final track from the duo's fourth studio album Random Access Memories, released on 17 May 2013. The track was written and produced by the duo, with additional writing and co-production by DJ Falcon. Daryl Braithwaite, Tony Mitchell, and Garth Porter are also credited as writers due to the song containing a sample of "We Ride Tonight" by Australian rock band The Sherbs. The song includes audio from the Apollo 17 mission, courtesy of NASA and Captain Eugene Cernan. Due to digital downloads of Random Access Memories, the song charted at number 46 on the French Singles Chart and at number 24 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lose Yourself to Dance</span> 2013 single by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams

"Lose Yourself to Dance" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American musician Pharrell Williams. Like their previous collaboration with fellow American musician Nile Rodgers, "Get Lucky", the song was written for Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Life Back to Music</span> 2014 single by Daft Punk

"Give Life Back to Music" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories. It is the opening track on the album. The song features lyrics performed by Daft Punk using vocoders. "Give Life Back to Music" also features album collaborators Nile Rodgers on guitar and Chilly Gonzales on keyboards. The song includes guitar work by Paul Jackson, Jr. and additional keyboards by Chris Caswell, with drums by John "J.R." Robinson and bass by Nathan East. The song was distributed to radio stations on 31 January 2014 as the album's fifth overall single and the final single from the album in 2014. Before this, it charted in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darkside (band)</span> American electronica band

Darkside is an American band based in New York City. The band was formed in Providence, Rhode Island in 2011 by electronic musician Nicolás Jaar and multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington, both of whom were students at Brown University at the time. Their debut studio album, Psychic, was released in 2013 and was followed up by Spiral, released in 2021 after a lengthy hiatus.

"Fragments of Time" is a song by written, produced, and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American musician Todd Edwards. It is included in the duo's 2013 album Random Access Memories. "Fragments of Time" charted in France and the United States due to digital downloads of the album.

<i>Daft Punk Unchained</i> 2015 Anglo-French documentary film

Daft Punk Unchained is an Anglo-French documentary film that was televised on 24 June 2015 in France and on 9 February 2016 in the United Kingdom. It documents the rise to fame and personal lives of Daft Punk members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter and their pioneering influence on electronic music. The film runs chronologically through the artists' early years before their foundation of Daft Punk, up to the release of their 2013 album Random Access Memories and the subsequent Grammy Award that the duo received for it.

"Touch" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American singer-songwriter Paul Williams. "Touch" serves as the seventh track from the group's fourth studio album, Random Access Memories (2013). The song was featured in the American thriller TV series, Mr. Robot, and Daft Punk's farewell video, "Epilogue".

<i>Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition)</i> 2023 compilation album by Daft Punk

Random Access Memories is the third compilation album by French electronic duo Daft Punk. It is an anniversary reissue of the duo's final studio album Random Access Memories containing an extra disc with 35 minutes of bonus content, including unreleased demos and outtakes. The reissue was released on 12 May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Giorgio Moroder Recorded With Daft Punk". URB Magazine. May 25, 2012. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Les Inrockuptibles n. 910 May 9–14, 2013.
  3. ↑ Ghosn, Joseph, and Wicker, Olivier (April 18, 2013). "Daft Punk Revient Avec Random Access Memories". Obsession (in French). Retrieved April 18, 2013. Exclu: Les morceaux de Random Access Memories commentés par Daft Punk.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Azoury, Philippe (April 27, 2013). "Daft Punk Héritiers very disco". Obsession (in French). Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 "Giorgio Moroder Discusses His Contribution to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories". exclaim.ca. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Noakes, Tim (June 7, 2013). "Cover Feature: Giorgio Moroder vs. Daft Punk". Dazed & Confused . dazeddigital.com. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ Daft Punk Interview on NRJ (French).
  8. ↑ Faruqi, Osman (3 August 2022). "How a chart-topping hit from 1977 helps unlock Beyonce's latest album". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  9. ↑ Tingen, Paul (July 2013). "SOS Interview: Recording Random Access Memories". Sound on Sound (USA). 28 (9).
  10. ↑ Lachman, Ed (April 3, 2013). "Daft Punk |Random Access Memories|The Collaborators, Episode 1: Giorgio Moroder". The Creators Project. YouTube . Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ Jenn Pelly (24 October 2013). "Daft Punk Detail Random Access Memories Deluxe Box Set: Robot Design Schematics, Extended Giorgio Moroder Track, Film Strips, More". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (May 14, 2013). "Cover Story: Daft Punk". Pitchfork Media . Pitchfork.com. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  13. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (May 15, 2013). "Daft Punk: Cover Story Outtakes". Pitchfork . pitchfork.com. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  14. ↑ Perron, Erwan, and Gancel, Alice (April 7, 2013). "Daft Punk, interview-fleuve pour la sortie de Random Access Memories". Telerama (in French). telerama.fr. Retrieved April 7, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ "Key & BPM for Giorgio by Moroder by Daft Punk | Tunebat". tunebat.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  16. ↑ Baron, Zach (May 2013). "Daft Punk Is (Finally!) Playing at Our House". GQ . 83 (5): 76–82. Archived from the original on 2013-07-26. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
  17. ↑ Decosimo, Nick (May 1, 2013). "Album Review: Daft Punk - Random Access Memories". mixmag.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  18. ↑ Abbott, Jeremy (April 30, 2013). "Jeremy Abbott: Random Access Memories Review". Mixmag. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  19. ↑ Harrison, Andrew (June 2013). "Total Recall". Q Magazine (323): 88–89.
  20. ↑ Horton, Matthew (30 April 2013). "First Listen – Daft Punk, Random Access Memories". NME. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  21. ↑ "Mixmag | PHIL DUDMAN: 'RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES' REVIEW". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
  22. ↑ Handwritten Notes from My First Listen to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories Archived 2013-05-06 at the Wayback Machine . Tumblr. Retrieved on 25 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "Daft Punk – Giorgio by Moroder" (in French). Les classement single.
  24. ↑ "Daft Punk – Giorgio by Moroder". Singles Top 100.
  25. ↑ "2013-05-26 Top 40 Official Streaming Chart Archive". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  26. ↑ "Daft Punk Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  28. ↑ "**Unmasking the Legendary Meme: "My Name is Giovanni Giorgio"**". Medium. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.