The Heat Is On (Live 1993)

The Zoo Crew, those groovy hippie DJs at THE ZOO radio station, are spinning Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On (Live 1993)” for all the Zoo Freaks out there, and this track’s got some wild stories behind it. Originally recorded for the 1984 Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, Frey didn’t write the song—Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey did—but he made it his own with that gritty vocal and a guitar solo he laid down himself. In a 2013 interview with Tavis Smiley, Frey shared how his manager, Irving Azoff, nudged him to check out an early screening of the film. Two months later, he got a demo, recorded the vocals in one day, and added guitar and backing vocals the next, pocketing $15,000 for the gig. He initially thought auditioning for a movie soundtrack was beneath a rock star, but the song’s success—hitting #2 on the Billboard Hot 100—proved him wrong. The live 1993 version, captured on his Glenn Frey Live album, brings that raw, electric energy from his solo tour, with fans noting on platforms like Reddit how it amps up the original’s vibe with a tighter band groove.

Another cool tidbit comes from the song’s music video, one of the first to mix movie clips with performance footage, a big deal in the MTV era. Frey told Songfacts it was a blast to shoot, blending Eddie Murphy’s high-energy Beverly Hills Cop scenes with his band jamming out. Fans on X still rave about the iconic sax riff—often miscredited to Beverly Dahlke-Smith, who appeared in the video, but actually played by session musician David Woodford. A post from @ThatEricAlper in January 2025 called it a defining ’80s anthem, tying it to Frey’s knack for straightforward rockers compared to Don Henley’s poetic solo work. Oh, and here’s a quirky one: Frey turned down doing another song for Beverly Hills Cop II, passing “Shakedown” to Bob Seger, who scored a #1 hit. Guess $15,000 didn’t feel like enough the second time around!

Glenn Frey’s journey to rock stardom kicked off in Detroit, Michigan, where he was born on November 6, 1948. Growing up in Royal Oak, he dove into the mid-’60s Detroit rock scene, soaking up R&B influences. His first big break came at 19, playing acoustic guitar and singing backup on Bob Seger’s 1968 track “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man,” a gig that sparked a lifelong friendship. Frey’s bio on AllMusic notes how Seger mentored him, urging him to write his own songs. By 1969, Frey headed to Los Angeles, hungry for more. There, he formed Longbranch Pennywhistle with J.D. Souther, releasing an album that didn’t quite hit but got him noticed. His real launchpad came in 1971 when he joined Linda Ronstadt’s backing band alongside Don Henley. That gig led to forming the Eagles, where Frey co-wrote and sang lead on hits like “Take It Easy” and “Lyin’ Eyes,” cementing his legacy before going solo in 1982 with No Fun Aloud.

You can dig deeper into Glenn Frey’s world through his official channels, though some are now memorial pages since his passing in 2016. Check out his official site at glenfrey.com for music and merch. His Facebook page shares throwback photos and fan tributes, while Instagram posts rare live clips. On X, the handle @GlennFreySolo keeps his legacy alive with song anniversaries. Fans gather at sites like Eagles Online Central for deep dives into Frey’s work, and the Eagles Fans Facebook group buzzes with folks swapping stories about his solo and Eagles days. Zoo Freaks, crank up that volume and let “The Heat Is On” keep the party rolling!