"Ghostbusters" is a song written by American musician Ray Parker Jr. as the theme to the 1984 film Ghostbusters, and included on its soundtrack. Debuting at number 68 on June 16, 1984, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, staying there for three weeks (Parker Jr.'s only number one on that chart), and at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart on September 16, staying there for three weeks. The song reentered the UK Top 75 on November 2, 2008 at No. 49 and again on November 5, 2021, at No. 38.
Parker was approached by the film's producers to create a theme song, although he only had a few days to do so and the film's title seemed impossible to include in any lyrics. However, when watching television late at night, Parker saw a cheap commercial for a local service that reminded him that the film had a similar commercial featured for the fictional business.[3] This inspired him to write the song as a pseudo-advertising jingle that the business could have commissioned as a promotion.[citation needed]
Lindsey Buckingham, on his interview disc Words & Music [A Retrospective], stated that he was approached to write the Ghostbusters theme based on his successful contribution to National Lampoon's Vacation, "Holiday Road". He declined the opportunity as he did not want to be known as a soundtrack artist.[citation needed]Glenn Hughes and Pat Thrall also submitted a demo that was ultimately rejected. The Hughes and Thrall version was later rewritten and used as the track "Dance or Die" for the 1987 film Dragnet.
The theme is estimated to have added $20 million to the film's box-office gross.[4]
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by Ivan Reitman, who also directed the Ghostbusters film, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson. It features a young woman played by actress Cindy Harrell[6] who is haunted by a ghost portrayed by Parker, roaming a nearly all-black house interior (with vibrant neon designs outlining the sparse architectural and industrial features) until the woman finally calls the service.[citation needed]
The video concludes with Parker and the stars of the film, in full Ghostbuster costume, dancing down the streets of New York City. Times Square was closed in order to film the scene, although a sizable crowd may still be seen in the background.[3] The Ghostbusters also perform the same dance in the closing credits to The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series, as well as in a trailer for the 2009 Ghostbusters video game.[citation needed]
Lawsuit
Shortly after the film's release, Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. for plagiarism, alleging that Parker had copied the melody (primarily the bassline) from Lewis's 1983 song "I Want a New Drug".[7][9] The case was settled out of court in 1985 for an undisclosed sum and a confidentiality agreement that prohibited discussion of the case. According to Parker, there were several lawsuits at the time, because "when you sell that many records, I think everybody wants to say that they wrote the song."[9][10] Parker later sued Lewis for breaching the confidentiality agreement in a 2001 episode of VH1's Behind the Music by reasserting that Parker stole the song. Regarding his case against Lewis, Parker said, "I got a lot of money out of that."[9] Lewis said it was at least $30,000 in an interview with Dutch television NPO.[11]
In a 2004 article for Premiere magazine, the filmmakers admitted to using the song "I Want a New Drug" as temporary background music in many scenes. They also noted that they had offered to hire Huey Lewis and the News to write the main theme but the band had declined. The filmmakers then gave film footage, with Lewis's song in the background, to Parker to aid him in writing the theme song.[12]
Ray Parker, Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 11, 1984, two months after the film's release, and remained there for three weeks. It spent a total of 21 weeks on the charts.[8][18]
Other versions
Run-D.M.C. version
For the soundtrack of the film's 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II, Run-D.M.C. recorded a hip hop version of "Ghostbusters", featuring new lyrics.[66] It was released on 7-inch vinyl and cassette as a standard single, as well as on 12-inch vinyl and CD as a double A-sidemaxi single with the track "Pause" from Run-D.M.C.'s fifth studio album, Back from Hell.
Music video
The song's music video begins with Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts climbing out of a limousine in front of a large crowd, with Run-D.M.C., dressed in the standard beige Ghostbusters' uniform, accompanying them. The group then performs the song on stage to a packed audience for the remainder of the video, intercut with clips from the film. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson also cameo at the beginning of the video as security personnel.
Track listings
7" single / cassette
"Ghostbusters" – 4:07
"Ghostbusters" (Ghost Power instrumental) – 4:07
12" single
"Ghostbusters" – 6:00
"Ghostbusters" (dub buster) – 4:10
"Pause" – 6:00
"Pause" (dub version) – 3:32
"Pause" (radio version) – 3:46
CD single
"Ghostbusters" – 6:00
"Pause" – 6:00
"Pause" (dub version) – 3:32
"Pause" (radio version) – 3:46
Charts
The Rasmus version
Finnishrock bandThe Rasmus recorded a cover of the song which is included on their debut album Peep and EP album 3rd, both from 1996, as well as their compilation albumHellofacollection by 2001.
Mickael Turtle version
In 2005, the original song was covered by the animated character Mickael Turtle, reaching No. 5 in France on December 3, 2005, and No. 23 in Switzerland on January 15, 2006.[70]
Track listing
"Ghostbusters" (radio edit) – 2:26
"Ghostbusters" (extended club original mix) – 5:07
"Ghostbusters" (who's that remix long voix) – 6:15
"Ghostbusters" (extended club instrumental mix) – 5:07
"Ghostbusters" (who's that remix long dub) – 6:12
Mickael the Turtle – Teaser Video
Charts
Certifications
Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliott version
"Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid)", a version of the song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, featuring hip hop recording artist Missy Elliott, was released on June 23, 2016, from the soundtrack of the 2016 reboot Ghostbusters. The cover received negative reviews from critics, who criticized its musical structure.[78][79][80]
Walk the Moon version
Another cover version of the song appeared on the soundtrack album to the Ghostbusters reboot film. Walk the Moon's version drew comparisons to the original by Ray Parker Jr. and was met with a positive reception.[citation needed]
Charts
Parodies
Over the years, a handful of local and national businesses across North America and around the world have done parodies of the Ghostbusters theme for advertising or promotional purposes, and used an instrumental version of either the original theme or a remake. The most notable parodies were used by CBS station KMOX-TV (now KMOV) in St. Louis, AutoNation, and the Carpet Mart chain of Central, Berks County, and Lehigh ValleyPennsylvania among others.[82][83][84] In the UK, the 118 118 directory assistance telephone service also used the Ghostbusters theme in one of their ads, and featured Ray Parker Jr. performing the parody.[85] In Romania, Automobile Dacia released a television advertisement in 2018 for one of its models, the Duster, accompanied by the song, in an instrumental version, but with people in various costumes singing "Go, Duster!" when in the standard song the chorus says "Ghostbusters!".[86]
American musician and comedian Neil Cicierega uses the song in "Bustin", released on his 2017 mashup album Mouth Moods.[87] It takes Parker Jr.'s vocals and edits them to feature many innuendos, most notably by repeating the titular line "Bustin makes me feel good" to use it as slang for ejaculation.
Streamer Vargskelethor Joel made a parody album, titled Super Ghostbusters, using a MIDI of the song, that has received over 3 million views on YouTube.[88]
^Graff, Gary (June 8, 2014). "'Ghostbusters' At 30: A Soundtrack Appreciation". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
^Breihan, Tom (August 28, 2020). "The Number Ones: Ray Parker, Jr.'s "Ghostbusters". Stereogum. Retrieved July 29, 2023. And underneath all this jubilation, a simple, electric, instantly familiar synth-rock jam pulses away.
^ a b"Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. - Professor of Rock". Professor of Rock. 2018-10-25. Archived from the original on 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
^Austin 1989, p. 78.
^Hunt, Dennis (1984-08-19). "Ray Parker Jr. Going Like Ghostbusters". Los Angeles Times. pp. 72 (Calendar section).
^Ryan, Mike (June 6, 2014). "Who Ya Gonna Call? The Inside Story Of The 'Ghostbusters' Music Video". ScreenCrush.
^ a bLau, Melody (July 14, 2016). "15 Things You Might Not Know about the Ghostbusters Theme Song". CBCMusic.ca. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
^ a b c dPizzo, Mike (July 14, 2016). "The Freaky Legacy of the Ghostbusters Theme Song". Medium. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
^Matloff, Jason (February 24, 2014). "An Oral History of Ghostbusters". Esquire. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^Untold Stories Ray Parker Jr
^"Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghostbusters Exclusive! Inside story of a comedy classic". Premiere Magazine. June 2004.
^"Classic Tracks: Ray Parker Jr.'s 'Ghostbusters'". mixonline.com. September 2006. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
^"All Access: Ray Parker Jr". youtube.com. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
^"Ghostbusters". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
^"Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 4 February 1985. p. 12. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 229. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^Brennan, Collin (July 9, 2016). "Ray Parker Jr. responds to Fall Out Boy's catastrophic Ghostbusters theme song". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
^Busis, Hillary (June 23, 2016). "What Have We Done to Deserve Fall Out Boy's Ghostbusters Theme Song?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
^Roberts, Randall (June 23, 2016). "Exactly how bad is Fall Out Boy's new 'Ghostbusters' theme song?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
^"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
^KMOV "Channel 4 Newsbusters" Promo - YouTube
^Autonation Ghostbusters ad - YouTube
^Carpet Mart Ghostbusters Commercial - YouTube
^118 118 Uk Ghostbusters parody with Ray Parker Jr - YouTube
^Heins, Scott (25 September 2015). "Flashback Friday: Ray Parker Jr's "Ghostbusters" Is Reborn As The Brilliant "Bustin"". okayplayer. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
^Vinesauce Joel - Super Ghostbusters ( Full Album ) - Youtube
Bibliography
Austin, Bruce A. (1989). "Which Show to See?". Immediate Seating: A Look at Movie Audiences. Sydney: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN 0-534-09366-3.
External links
Lyrics of this song
Ray Parker Jr. discusses the making of "Ghostbusters" (archive)