Simply 80's pays tribute to the classics! The 80's were an amazing decade with tons of great artists. However, all of them, every single one of them owe their greatness to these classics, assembled, in medley form from July of 1981.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra led by Louis Clark hit it big with this amazing compilation of some of the GREATEST classics of all time.
Hooked on Classics, produced by Jeff Jarratt and Don Reedman, is a multi-million selling album recorded by Louis Clark and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, published in 1981 by K-tel and distributed by RCA Records, part of the Hooked On Classics series.
The opening track was called "Hooked On Classics (Parts 1 & 2)". A unique arrangement of this track, simply called "Hooked on Classics", was released as a single in October 1981, and was the version predominately played by radio. With a listed time of 3'48", it contained the first five pieces of the album cut, skipping the next five (Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5, 1st Movement" through Rossini's "William Tell Overture"), followed by the remaining pieces. Though not listed as such on the single's label or in the Performance Rights Organization's database, it is implied this portion is "Part 1". The B-side of the single, also called "Hooked On Classics" and lasting 2'13", begins with the fifth piece from "Part 1" (Sibelius' "Karelia Suite, Intermezzo"), contains the missing five pieces found on the album cut, and concludes with the remaining pieces through "March of the Toreadors" which fades out, as opposed to the album cut and "Part 1"'s cold ending of the "1812 Overture". Presumably this is "Part 2". The label of the single incorrectly omits the "1812 Overture" from the list of pieces in the "Part 1" medley.
The single peaked at number 2 in the UK and later in the US at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1982.[ It was the 56th biggest hit of that year. The song also reached number 10 on the Cash Box Top 100.
In Canada, the single peaked at number 21, and spent four weeks at that position. "Hooked on Classics" also reached number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.
This great compilation includes:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ Minor, Op. 23, I: Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Flight of the Bumblebee / Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, I: Allegro molto / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rhapsody in Blue / George Gershwin
Karelia Suite, Op. 11, I: Intermezzo / Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67, I: Allegro con brio / Ludwig van Beethoven
Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, Toccata / J.S. Bach
Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”, I: Allegro / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125, IV: Presto- Allegro assai / Ludwig van Beethoven
William Tell Overture / Giacchino Rossini
The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, Act 2: "Voi Che Sapete" / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Prince of Denmark's March / Jeremiah Clarke
Messiah, HWV 56, Part 2, No. 44: Hallelujah Chorus / George Frederic Handel
Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 I: Allegro molto moderato / Edvard Grieg
Carmen Suite No. 1, V: Les Toréadors / Georges Bizet
1812 Overture, Op. 49 / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
