As you know,the 1983 movie 'Stayin Alive' is the sequel to the 1977 blockbuster 'Saturday Night Fever'.John Travolta is back as Tony Manero,and the Bee Gees were brought back to contribute five songs to the soundtrack.Whenever we discuss the Bee Gees,nobody ever mentions these songs.I don't think anybody really expected these songs to top the 'SNF' tracks.I think the songs are decent,if not extraordinary."The Woman In Me" is a catchy rock/pop number,as is "I Love You Too Much".Another great song is "Life Goes On".Interestingly,the album (and the movie) contains the 1977 classic "Stayin Alive",which of course,rivals any of the other songs here.


I hadn't seen this film since it was released in 1983.So the other day,I rented the DVD and I was quickly reminded of what a disaster it is,lol.It's embarassing watching John Travolta engage into that silly Flashdance/Broadway-type dancing...complete with tights and legwarmers! We already had 'Flashdance',did we really need a male version of that film? The scene where Tony walks through his old Brooklyn neighborhood,and even walks past the 2001 Odyssey Disco (from the first movie),is really sad.This film is missing the spirit,the power and the magic of it's predecessor.Much of the blame must go to the director Sylvester Stallone,who sometimes doesn't appear to know what the hell he is doing.

Another disappointment is the way the music was used.In the first film,The Bee Gees' songs were actually a major part of the story.Their music played a prominent role.In the sequel,their new songs are used as incidental background music and nothing more.Meanwhile,the songs by Frank Stallone (the brother of the film's director....hmmmmm) are featured prominently throughout.Every few minutes,one of his vapid rock songs take center stage.He even has a small role in the movie! It's much more fun seeing and listening to Cynthia Rhodes,the film's co-star.She's a good singer,with a few songs on the soundtrack that truly shine.

well anyway...what do y'all think of this soundtrack? The movie?

I love it all except for the Frank Stallone tracks.

'I Love You Too Much' and 'The Woman In Me' have always been songs that I regularly get stuck on my head.

Was it Tommy Farragher or something who did the other ones? I actually liked those

Ellie said:

The Frank Stallone tracks are garbage.I'm not surprised that we never heard from him after this project,lol.

Ellie said:

He sings the songs "Look Out For Number One" and "We Dance So Close To The Fire".

DavidEye said:

Oh don't forget his stupendous role in Hudson Hawk

Ellie said:

oh yeah

Oh DEAR. Frank Stallone has clocked up 44 movies on his belt, a lot in music/singing parts, predictably as background extras in his brother's films

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0821734/

someone belonging to someone is one of my favorite BG's songs

meltwithu said:

In the liner notes to their 4-CD box set,the Bee Gees describe this song "a fair ballad from a silly film"

As far as it goes with the songs in the film, I guess the Bee Gees "polished" up their sound to fit the 80's scene. The difference was in "S.N.F", the songs fit more with what was going on in the movie. Plus the Bee Gees wrote all the tunes for their own LP, and it was turned into the soundtrack for "S.N.F.". In "Stayin Alive", they admitted that they wrote the songs intentionally for the film. And I guess Sly owed his brother a favor, so his tunes ended up on there. (If you look at the scene where his band is playing, the guitarist is Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi).

The movie was a little bit of a letdown. The original idea for "Stayin Alive" (as said by Travolta), the movie was supposed to pick up on Tony Manero moving to Manhattan and being "anti-dance" (if you can believe that). The sequel also was supposed to have Tony doing things for the community and further explore the Tony character and the relationship triangle between Annette and Stephanie. I guess Sly picked it up and did his own thing with it. Whereas "S.N.F" was a great film (like "Purple Rain"), "Stayin Alive" was a not-so-great film (like "Graffitti Bridge..but we'll save that for another thread).

'Cos it's crap.

Cloudbuster said:

on toast?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Not even that good.

Cloudbuster said:

dang, that horrible... i've seen copies of this soundtrack in used record bins but have never even taken the time to listen to it at one of the listening stations just to see what it sounds like. it gives off this aura of "i suck".

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

It does suck. Their two singles The Woman In You & Someone Belonging To Someone were okay, tho'. But still no great shakes. They did much better work after it.

SPYZFAN1 said:

What Spyz said.

Ha. I had no idea my boy stallone directed this? What an odd thing for him to do.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Thanks for the info.The original idea sounds more interesting than the lame story that Sly came up with up.

No problem, David Eye. I know you're a fan of "S.N.F". Here's another interesting tidbit. I recall seeing on MTV News (back in 1997 or 98), Kurt Loder announced that there were plans to make a third (and final) chapter to "S.N.F". Supposedly the "Tony" character is older (of course) and he owns a nightclub, and somehow a "dangerous underworld" group tries to buy the club...uncertain if it was a action or drama flick...Travolta had his big comeback and I guess they wanted him to go back to that..Babyface and his wife's production company somehow put a script together and it was supposed to be released in 2000. I'm glad it didn't happen.

Sounds like a BAD idea. Although if someone ever dared John Travolta to make something worse than Be Cool, that would be the path to take!

lol! I'm with you on that. Somethings are better left in the past.

SPYZFAN1 said:

lol...sounds crazy

a few years ago,I started a thread about a Saturday Night Fever sequel idea that I came up with.It goes like this...


It's now 2005.Let's forget that the 1983 movie 'Staying Alive' ever happened.My sequel idea picks up where the first film left off.In this film,Tony is now living in Manhattan.He never became a professional dancer.Instead,he became a software engineer.But he still longs for the disco beat.He returns to Brooklyn to attend his mother's funeral.While there,he meets up with his old flame Annette,who is newly divorced and still in love with Tony.He also goes to visit Stephanie,who is now a successful dance instructor.She's married now.He visits his old buddies,who are now (unfortunately) connected to the mob.Tony finds that some things will never change.

The old disco from the first film (2001Odyssey) has been re-vived and is having a "Disco Dance Contest",just like in the old days.Grand prize is $5000.Tony is not really interested in the money,but he misses his days as a disco king,and wants to prove that he still "has it".So he decides to enter the contest.This time,his partner will be Annette.It looks like they will finally have a shot at a romance this time.But what about Annette? Is she still over Tony? Is he over her? And what will Tony do when he finds out that his mobster friends are (partly) responsible for his mother's death?!

The movie includes a disco soundtrack from Jamiroquai,who are probably the best modern-day disco band right now.A few old disco classics will also appear in the film


yeah,I know it will never work,but what do you think?

Sounds good. Now if only Travolta would lay off the pies, I might be able to envison it.

Ellie said:

yeah,he would have to lose a few pounds before doing this film

David Eye, you need to call Paramount Pictures becuase I'd go see that! Maybe get Freddie Prinze Jr. to play Tony Manero 2005? (lol)

Just from seeing commercials for the movie back in the day, I said Whitney Houston's famous line many years before she said it this year.....

Hell to the NAW!!!!!

I know exactly what you mean.

same reason no one ever talks about the Grease 2 soundtrack.

Ellie said:

I see you haven't seen Moment By Moment (1978), his romance flick with Lily Tomlin (!) in which they both have the same haircut (!!).