"Almost Paradise... Love Theme from Footloose"
Single by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
from the album Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture
B-side	"Strike Zone" (by Loverboy)
Released	March 1984 [1]
Recorded	1983
Genre	Soft rock [2] [3]
Length	3:46
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Eric Carmen (music) Dean Pitchford (lyrics)
Producer(s)	Keith Olsen

"Almost Paradise... Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet sung by Mike Reno of Loverboy and Ann Wilson of Heart. It is one of several major hits written by singer Eric Carmen with lyricist Dean Pitchford, another being " Make Me Lose Control".

Because both of their respective bands were successful during the 1980s, Reno and Wilson were approached to record a duet for the film Footloose.

Background

"Almost Paradise" was one of three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart found on the Footloose soundtrack album; it peaked at No. 7 and spent 13 weeks in the top 40. ^[4] An alternate version of the song with a slightly different musical arrangement, which has never been released, is used in the film. Other hits from this soundtrack include the film's title track 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. ^[5] "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. ^[6] Both singers resumed their respective roles within their bands following this one-off recording.

Chart performance

Personnel

Movie Version:

• Mike Reno – vocals
• Ann Wilson – vocals
• Bill Cuomo – keyboards, synthesizers
• Chas Sanford – electric guitars
• Keith Olsen – acoustic guitar, bass
• Jim Keltner – drums
• Jerry Peterson – saxophone

Album Version:

• Mike Reno – vocals
• Ann Wilson – vocals
• Bill Cuomo – keyboards, synthesizers
• Chas Sanford – electric guitars
• Keith Olsen – acoustic guitar, bass
• Jim Keltner – drums

Cover versions

• In 1989, Eric Carmen and Merry Clayton released a cover single, which was performed as part of the Dirty Dancing live tour. ^{[15] [16]}
• In 1998, the Broadway cast of Footloose performed the song, for the 1998 Broadway musical based on the film.
• In 2011, Victoria Justice and Hunter Hayes performed the song, for the 2011 remake of the original film. ^[17] Their cover was released on September 22, 2011. ^{[18] [19]}
• In 2017, Royce da 5'9, Kxng Crooked, Truth Ali, Iliana Eve, Jonathan Hay, Mike Smith and King Graint all collaborated on "Almost Paradise", a hip-hop interpolation of the original. The song is from The Sins of a Father Playlist compilation and it reached #28 on the Canadian Spotify Charts. ^{[20] [21]}
• Around 2018, Mike Reno began performing the song with his band Loverboy with Reno's wife, Cathy St. Germain, taking Ann's place on vocals.

In popular culture

• The use of "Almost Paradise" on the daytime soap opera All My Children was a significant factor in the song's success. ^[22]
• "Almost Paradise" was also used on the daytime serials Guiding Light and Santa Barbara. ^{[23] [24]}
• Beginning with the third season, "Almost Paradise" is used as the opening theme song for the reality television show Bachelor in Paradise.
• Actress Jessica Biel performed an impromptu cover of the song's chorus during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 12, 2007. ^[25]

See also

• List of Hot Adult Contemporary number ones of 1984

References

External links

• Single release info at discogs.com