FEATURED SONGWRITER
[ BARRY DEVORZON: CO-WRITER ON THE HIT “IN THE CITY” | Eric Dahl ]
He isn’t a household name like the Eagles or Joe chased across New York – they thought of me! I [Barry] The opening theme and score was
Walsh, but you have probably heard many of the think it was my contemporary background in instrumental, but I thought writing a song for
songs that Barry Devorzon played on, wrote, music that attracted them. This was an edgy the end title would be appropriate. At the time,
produced, or published. An accomplished movie about New York street gangs with a Joe Walsh lived here in Montecito, and he was
musician, Barry has won Grammy and Emmy surreal flavor. It was made for Rock and Roll and a good friend of mine. So, I called him and
Awards, an Oscar nomination, and Gold and synthesized sounds. That’s what I presented asked, “Hey Joe how would you like to write
Platinum records for his music. GTR recently to them and they agreed and gave me the job. a song with me for the end title of a movie I’m
caught up with Devorzon to discuss his Other motion pictures had used Rock and Roll doing?” He said “Sure.” He came to the house,
involvement with the song “In the City” and his songs but this was different, the entire score I got on the piano, and he pulled out his guitar
company, MasterWriter software. for “The Warriors” was Rock and Roll and and we started writing what was going to be “In
synthesizers. the City.” We went in the studio and recorded
[Eric Dahl for GTR Magazine] How were
it with Joe, and it became the end title for “The
you chosen to be the composer for the film “The [GTR] It was ahead of it’s time for 1979,
Warriors?” wouldn’t you say?
Warriors.”
[GTR] Had you and Joe played music together
[Barry Devorzon] Larry Gordon is a very [Barry] I think so, films used Rock and Roll
successful producer and he also happened to songs, but scores were still more traditional, and
be a good friend. We did a movie with Charles this was using Rock to score the entire movie.
Bronson and Director Walter Hill called “Hard
before this recording?
[Barry] No, not really. We were friends, but we
hadn’t worked with each other musically until we
Times” about a down and out fighter in New [GTR] How did you write lyrics to support the
Orleans. When Larry and Walter got together to movie?
do “The Warriors,” a movie about a gang being
wrote “In the City.”
[GTR] Did Joe Walsh bring more of a Rock feel
to the track with his James Gang history?
[Barry] He certainly did, no one plays the guitar
like Joe and it was a great experience writing
with him. I had the opportunity to work with a
guy I really admire who also happened to be my
friend, it was a real pleasure. He also sang the
song in the movie.
[GTR] How did “In the City” go from being a Joe
Walsh solo song to part of the Eagles repertoire?
[Barry] “The Warriors” movie came out and
was a box office hit and the soundtrack album
was released and sold well, everything turned
out great. Later that year the Eagles were
working on a new album to follow their highly
successful “Hotel California” album. A follow up
album, the world was waiting for. Joe called me
and said the Eagles were thinking of recording
“In the City” on the album. I was so excited I
didn’t know what to say and then I started to
worry whether it would happen or not. I said,
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Sep Oct 2017
GearTechRec.com