The Heat Is On (Glenn Frey song)

Lore & Background

According to Frey, he was invited to an early screening of the film, and about two months later was sent a demo of a song written by Keith Forsey and Harold Faltermeyer to be used in the film to see if he was interested in singing the song. Frey agreed, and recorded the vocal part in one day. The following day he played the guitar and recorded the backing vocals, and was paid $15,000 for the work. The mid-to-up-tempo recording featured a steady drumbeat, synthesizer, and guitar, with a repeated saxophone riff framing the lyrical message. The guitar solo is played by Frey himself.

Reader's Guide

The Heat Is On is significant as the highest charting solo single by any member of the Eagles in the United States, reaching No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was also popular internationally, reaching No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1985 and gaining peaks of No. 8 on the Canadian Singles Chart and No. 12 on the UK singles chart. The music video for the song received heavy MTV airplay, showing a film editor assembling scenes for Beverly Hills Cop while Frey and a band played the song in the adjacent room. The recording subsequently appeared on Frey's albums Glenn Frey Live (1993) and Solo Collection (1995) as well as on some various-artists 'top hits' collections. Critical reception was positive, with Cashbox calling it 'a hard rocking outing featuring the distinctive vocals of ex-Eagle Frey' and Billboard noting it 'features a bustling rock 'n' roll beat, electric organ (or equivalent) and a wailing sax.'

Did You Know?

• Frey recorded the vocal part in one day and was paid $15,000 for the work.
• The guitar solo on the recording is played by Frey himself.
• The saxophone in the music video was performed by Beverly Dahlke-Smith, but the actual recording was made by session horn player David Woodford.

From Screening Booth to Studio

Glenn Frey's path to recording "The Heat Is On" began not in a studio but in a theater. After being invited to an early screening of the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop, Frey received a surprise a couple of months later: a demo tape of a song composed by Keith Forsey and Harold Faltermeyer, with an implicit question attached—would he be willing to sing it? Frey said yes, and the recording process was remarkably swift. He laid down his lead vocal track in a single day, then returned the following day to play guitar and capture his backing vocals. The entire job, from first take to final mix, was completed within roughly forty-eight hours. For this compact burst of work, Frey was compensated fifteen thousand dollars. The finished track was released both as a standalone single and as the sixth cut on the Beverly Hills Cop: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album, which also came out in 1984. What began as a casual invitation to watch a movie thus became one of the defining solo moments of Frey's career.

A Number Two That Outshone the Eagles

When "The Heat Is On" climbed the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in March 1985, it stalled at number two, kept from the top spot only by REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling." Yet that near-miss proved to be a landmark in its own right: it remains the highest-charting solo single ever recorded by any member of the Eagles, a distinction that underscores just how far the track traveled beyond its bandmates' collective legacy. The song's reach extended well past American borders. In Australia it hit number two on the national singles chart in 1985, while in Canada it peaked at number eight and in the United Kingdom it reached number twelve. This broad international footprint cemented the track as a genuine global hit rather than a domestic novelty. The song also found a lasting home in Frey's own catalog, appearing on his 1993 live album Glenn Frey Live and the 1995 compilation Solo Collection, as well as on various top-hits collections by other artists. For a recording that took just two days to complete, its chart life and shelf life were remarkably long.

Sax Riffs and a Two-Day Session

Musically, "The Heat Is On" sits in a mid-to-up-tempo register, driven by a steady drumbeat, synthesizer textures, and electric guitar. The track's most recognizable element is a repeated saxophone riff that frames the lyrical message, giving the song its unmistakable hook. The guitar solo, notably, was performed by Frey himself rather than a hired session musician, adding a personal touch to an otherwise tightly arranged production. The personnel behind the recording was lean and specific: Forsey handled drums and contributed backing vocals, while Faltermeyer covered keyboards and bass. Guitarist Richie Zito added additional guitar layers, and session horn player David Woodford recorded the saxophone part that defines the song's character. Frey, of course, supplied both the lead and backing vocals as well as his solo. The combination of a punchy rhythm section, layered synth and guitar work, and that signature horn line created a sound that critics would later describe as a bustling, hard-rocking outing with effective dynamic shifts.

MTV's Favorite and the Critics' Verdict

The music video for "The Heat Is On" became a staple of MTV programming, earning heavy rotation on the cable music channel. Its concept was cleverly tied to the source material: it depicted a film editor assembling scenes from Beverly Hills Cop in one room, while Frey and his band performed the song live in an adjacent space. Action sequences from the movie were then cut directly into the footage, blurring the line between the film's narrative and the musical performance. Among the musicians visible in the video were saxophone player Beverly Dahlke-Smith—though the actual recorded sax part was played by David Woodford—and Frey's long-time drummer Michael Huey. Critics responded positively. Cashbox praised the track as a hard-rocking outing showcasing Frey's distinctive vocal style, noting its signature horn riff and effective dynamics. Billboard highlighted the bustling rock-and-roll beat, the electric organ or equivalent, and what it called a wailing sax. Together, these endorsements helped propel the song toward the top of the charts.