GIORGIO MORODER – Theme from Midnight Express (1978)

Midnight Express is a 1978 prison drama film directed by Alan Parker and adapted by Oliver Stone from Billy Hayes’s 1977 memoir of the same name. The film centers on Hayes (played by Brad Davis), a young American student, who is sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of the country. The film’s title is prison slang for his escape attempt. The cast also features Irene Miracle, John Hurt, Bo Hopkins, Paul L. Smith and Randy Quaid.

Upon release, Midnight Express received generally positive reviews from critics. Many praised Davis’s performance as well as the cast, the writing, the direction, and the musical score by Giorgio Moroder. Hayes and others criticized the film for portraying the Turkish prison men as violent and villainous and for deviating too much from the source material.

Released on October 6, 1978, by Casablanca Records, the soundtrack to Midnight Express was composed by Italian synth-pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The score won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1979.

1. “Chase” – Giorgio Moroder (8:24)

2. “Love’s Theme” – Giorgio Moroder (5:33)

3. “(Theme from) Midnight Express” (Instrumental) – Giorgio Moroder (4:39)

4. “Istanbul Blues” (Vocal) – David Castle (3:17)

5. “The Wheel” – Giorgio Moroder (2:24)

6. “Istanbul Opening” – Giorgio Moroder (4:43)

7. “Cacaphoney” – Giorgio Moroder (2:58)

8. “(Theme from) Midnight Express” (Vocal) – Chris Bennett (4:47)