"Flashdance... What a Feeling"
Single by Irene Cara
from the album What a Feelin' and Flashdance soundtrack
Released	1983 2001 (re-released)
Format	12" single 7" single
Recorded	1983
Genre	Pop rock, Disco,New Wave
Length	3:55
Label	Casablanca Records
Writer(s)	Giorgio Moroder (music) Keith Forsey (lyrics) Irene Cara (lyrics)
Producer	Giorgio Moroder
Certification	Platinum (US) Gold (UK)
Irene Cara singles chronology
"Anyone Can See" (1981) "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (1983) "Why Me" (1983) Audio sample file info · help Alternative covers 12" single cover 7" single cover

"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is an Academy Award winning song from the 1983 film Flashdance which was performed by Irene Cara.

[edit] Song information

In addition to topping the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a platinum record in 1983, "Flashdance... What a Feeling" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1984. Despite the title, the word "Flashdance" is never used in the lyrics. The instrumental backing tracks of the song make extensive use of synthesizers.

The song has appeared on the original soundtrack album of Flashdance, and Irene Cara's second solo album, What a Feelin'. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in 1984. It was also nominated for Record of the Year.

A variation of the song was used as the basis of an Apple corporate video in 1984. The music was slightly different, and the lyrics were changed from "What a Feeling" to "We are Apple". ^[1]

There are additional lyrics in the 12-inch single version of the song. The lines "If I only could take all the love that you give, and escape to a world crystal clear" precede the lines "Well I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm". There is also a second instrumental break with a guitar solo.

The song ranks at #26 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.[1]

In the UK, the song spent one week at #2 on the chart dated July 5th, 1983, being kept off the top position by the Rod Stewart's song "Baby Jane." The song was the 25th best-selling single of 1983 in the UK.

The song was the number 3 single of the year (1983) on Billboard's year-end chart. American Top 40 ranked it as the number two song of 1983.

[edit] The song's use in the film

The soundtrack album has the version that is usually played by radio stations. The song appears twice in the film, during the opening title sequence and as the backing for Alex's audition routine in the final sequence. Both of these versions were recorded specially for the film, and have different arrangements from the album version.

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Cover versions

• In 1993, ABBA tribute group Björn Again recorded a cover of the song and released it as a single.
• In 2001, Irene Cara recorded a reworked version of "What a Feeling" with Swiss dance music artist DJ BoBo, winner of 10 World Music Awards. The duet featured new lyrics sung by DJ BoBo himself and reached #2 in Switzerland, #3 in Germany and #11 in Austria. The song was also featured on DJ BoBo's album Planet Colors.
• In 2001, Mike Patton's avant-garde metal supergroup Fantômas was set to include a rendition of the song on its covers album The Director's Cut, but was forced to remove it due to legal technicalities. The band is now not even permitted to perform the song live.^[3]
• In 2003, a hi-NRG/eurodance cover by Karen Parry was released as a single.
• Swedish singer Charlotte Perrelli covered the song for her 2004 album Gone Too Long.
• In 2004 Serbian power metal band Alogia recorded a version on their second album Priče o Životu.
• In 2006, a cover of the song by Australian pop group Young Divas was included on their debut album Young Divas.
• In 2008, Serbian punk rock band Six Pack recorded a version on their cover album Discover.
• Japanese pop punk band Nicotine recorded a cover of the song.
• In 2009, Mexican singer María José covered the song for her promotional cover songs tour of 80's songs.

[edit] Sampling

• In 2005, the Austrian dance group Global Deejays sampled the original melody in their single "What a Feeling (Flashdance)".
• In 2006, The Hughes Corporation released a house track which featured samples from the original song. The video for the song was a sequel to the video for Eric Prydz' 2004 song "Call on Me".
• In 2008, J-pop singer Namie Amuro sampled the song for the track WHAT A FEELING on her triple A-Side single "60s 70s 80s", which reached #1 in Japan.

[edit] In popular culture

Irene Cara's song was used in an Australian Beer Commercial. It depicts a man auditioning for a job as a beer brewer and uses a similar dance routine that was used in the film. The advertisement was for Carlton Draught beer.

Since the early 2000's, What a Feeling has been used in advertisements for heartburn relief medicine Gaviscon.

[edit] See also

• Cast and music used in Flashdance
• Flashdance (soundtrack)

[edit] References