Los Angeles 1984 - Bill Conti - Power (Unreleased Orchestral) | Broadcast Theme Music

Copyright (c) 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and American Broadcasting Company
Taking place at Los Angeles for the second time following 1932, the Summer Olympics of 1984 are widely considered to be the most financially successful modern Olympics ever, and these were perhaps the first games of a new era to make a profit.
The low level of interest among potential host cities for the 1984 Games had been viewed as a major threat to the Olympics' future. But after the financial success of the LA Games, cities began to show a renewed interest in bidding to become host again. The Los Angeles Games and Montreal Games in 1976 are seen as examples of best and worst practices in organizing an Olympics, and serve as valuable lessons to prospective host cities.
In its legacy, the Games' organizing committee, led by Peter Ueberroth, used these profits to create the LA84 Foundation for promoting youth sports in Southern California, educating coaches and maintaining a sports library.
The 1984 Games, however, were boycotted by a total of 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union and East Germany, in response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet's invasion of Afghanistan; Romania and Yugoslavia were the only Socialist European states that opted to attend the Games. Albania, Iran and Libya also chose to boycott the Games for unrelated reasons. Nonetheless, despite the field being depleted in certain sports due to the USSR-led boycott, 140 countries had took part, and it was a record number at the time.
Bill Conti has composed some of the most recognizable themes for film and TV, and he also wrote something special for the LA Olympics. Entitled "Power" to pay tribute to weightlifting athletes, it was one of the tracks featured in the Games' official album, which also included John William's beloved and perennial piece, "Olympic Fanfare and Theme".
As you've heard, this here was an orchestral version that was heard as background music during ABC's TV coverage of the 1984 LA Games (it was used too in the Games' international transmissions, as ABC also provided the footages to other networks), but somehow, it was never released.

[@DonDonP1]

Hello. Nice. I thought that piece was an inspiration for another piece Bill Conti composed: the theme from the "American Gladiators."

[@ceddycedchin]

It would be wonderful if you could find the longer orchestral version heard at the beginning of ABC's 1984 Pre-Olympic Special, which aired the night before the Opening Ceremony. It is a classic that should be restored & released again. Here is a link to my VHS recording:
ruclips.net/video/u2rrYva8_Kw/видео.html

[@BrockLee77]

A 40 year old mystery for me was solved. I remember this music being played for ABC’s 84 Olympic coverage and didn’t know it was a Bill Conti composed masterpiece until I saw your video. And it was included as part of the official soundtrack of those games.

[@ceddycedchin]

@@BrockLee77 Just hope someone can unearth the extended version of this. The cut on the album has a faster, disco tempo similar to Conti's "Runaway" in "For Your Eyes Only" (the great James Bond ski chase scene).

[@BrockLee77]

@@ceddycedchinThe version on the video you posted is the one I like. A more composed orchestrated piece…John Williams like. ABC/Disney probably has it buried somewhere in its archives.