But, great as it is, I'm not here to talk about that version. In 1976 (oh, the 70's, how I love you), Italian disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder did a cover of it. This would've been a total disaster if not for the fact that Moroder is a supremely talented musician. He pretty much created modern dance music, as echoes of his work in the 70's and 80's are still felt repeatedly today. Over the years he has won three Grammy's, four Golden Globes, and perhaps most impressively, three Academy Awards. He got those last three for his film score work. Chances are, even if you somehow haven't heard iconic songs like I Feel Love, Flashdance... What A Feeling, or Hot Stuff, you've heard his film score work. And he's still working today. He scored the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and worked with Daft Punk on their upcoming album. Anyway, Moroder released a full album based around his cover of the song. Side A contained three tracks all built around the song: the straight up cover, a middle portion called In the Middle of the Knight (this part composed with Pete Bellotte), and a final reprise of sorts also called Knights in White Satin. Although the tracks could be played separately, they were segued so if you played the record without stopping you got a full 14 minutes and 45 seconds of Satiny goodness. Side B contained three additional tracks composed alongside Pete Bellotte.
This being the 70's, the album cover was sufficiently batshit insane.
Although the back cover does give it a run for it's money.
Moroder took on singing duties himself. His interpretation of the vocal removes the agony in the original, replacing it with a husky seediness. Not surprising, really -- this was the 70's, after all. Towards the end of the first track, however, he goes into a whisper as he says, "I want you... I need you... I love you..." repeatedly. Accompanied only by a syncopating chime, he's gone into a sort of desperate plea. Still sexy, but a bit dark as well.
His production work is ace. For a disco tune the pace is rather slow. It's all funk snares and clomping beats. This being disco, an orchestra was in order. Here it soars with smooth, glacial stabs, hitting it's peak after the second chorus, where a cross faded echo effect emphasizes the previous crescendo of Moroder's excited shouts of, "I love you, love you, love you, love you!" Amazing stuff.
Beyond the standard cover, my favorite portion comes in at the six minute mark, and lasts exactly two minutes. Here the beat gets chunky, the atmosphere (even more) funky, and the synths dreamy and ethereal. It's very "Pass me a Pina Colada, I'm heading for the Lucite!" Love it! It's followed by a trademark Moroder synth-cheese portion -- these moments would increase in his music through the 80's. At 9:15 things toughen up again, and we go into the reprise. The chorus is protracted to emphasize it's epicness, the funk comes storming back in, drums cascade around the vocal as lush freestyle piano darts in and out, and the orchestra gets increasingly frenetic. The track eventually fades on Moroder's vocal ad libs.
Here's the standard version, aka track one...
But I highly recommend the full 14:45 suite. It will give you so much more in every way...
All in all, a big, lush, romantic (in that seedy disco way), gift to those who love the dance floor. Break this one out when a friend tells you disco sucks. Chances are they didn't even realize disco could be this, well, artistic. Too many people go straight to the Funky Towns and Le Freaks for disco -- great songs to many, but also a very small representation of what disco really was. Knights in White Satin is a true gem of a song, just as good when chilling with a glass of wine as when you're dancing your cares away out on the floor.
And since it did inspire such a wonderful disco tune (and because I love it a lot, too), here's the original...
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