Released May 1984 Recorded 1983 Length 3:46 | Format 7" (45 rpm) Genre Soft rock | |
B-side "Strike Zone" (by Loverboy) | ||
"Almost Paradise... Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet by singers Mike Reno of Loverboy and Heart's frontwoman Ann Wilson. It is one of two major hits written by singer Eric Carmen and co-written by Dean Pitchford, the other being Carmen's hit, "Make Me Lose Control".
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Reno is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Loverboy, while Wilson is the lead singer of the rock band Heart. Both bands achieved a significant amount of success in the 1980s, and Reno and Ann Wilson were approached to record a duet for the film Footloose (1984).
Officially listed as the "Love Theme from Footloose" on the film's soundtrack, "Almost Paradise" was one of three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart found on the soundtrack; it peaked at No. 7 and spent 13 weeks in the top 40. An alternate version of the song with a slightly different musical arrangement, which has never been released, is used in the film. The other hits from this soundtrack include "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, both of which went to No. 1 on the pop chart. "Almost Paradise" was also a hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in the United States, where it spent one week at No. 1. Both singers resumed their respective roles within their bands following this one-off recording.
Cover versions
In popular culture
In Orange Is the New Black season 2, episode 4 ("A Whole Other Hole", air date June 6, 2014), hearing the song on the radio inspires Morello to steal the prison van to visit her supposed fiancé's house; the song also plays over the episode's closing credits. This song is also the theme song for critically acclaimed TV series Bachelor in Paradise hosted by Chris Harrison.