CHARIOTS OF FIRE
(Evanghelos Papathanassiou [Vangelis])
Shadows: September 1982 LP Life In The Jungle (UK No.24)
Ventures: August 1991 CD (Japan) Play Major Motion Picture Themes
Many of The Ventures’ theme tunes are awesome, including such gems as a superbly uplifting ‘St Elmo’s Fire’ which does more than justice to the John Parr original and a high-powered ‘Never Ending Story’ on this very same set. Yet their Gerry McGee-fronted version of this particular piece lacks sparkle. Its accompaniment, too ponderous by half, lends it a strangely dragging, lethargic air (picking up to some degree admittedly in the later stages), in marked contrast to The Shadows’ beautifully paced and radiantly lit recording, serene and thrusting by turns – one of their best such covers from the Polydor period.
The Ventures’ track is also conveniently available on:
1997 CD The Ventures Play Screen Themes
