Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)

For other uses, see Also sprach Zarathustra (disambiguation).

"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" is an instrumental by Brazilian musician Eumir Deodato, from his 1973 album Prelude.^[1][2] It is a heavily jazz-funk styled rendition of the introduction from the 1896 Richard Strauss composition Also sprach Zarathustra. The "(2001)" mentioned is a reference to the soundtrack for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)"
Cover art of the Dutch vinyl single
Single by Deodato
from the album Prelude
B-side	"Spirit of Summer"
Released	1973 [1][2]
Recorded	September 12–14, 1972
Studio	Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Genre	Jazz-funk progressive funk[3]
Length	9:00 (Album version) 5:06 (Single version)
Label	CTI
Songwriter(s)	Richard Strauss
Producer(s)	Creed Taylor
Deodato singles chronology
"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" (1973) "Rhapsody in Blue" (1973)
Official audio
"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" (album version) on YouTube

Released as the album's first single in early 1973, his rendition peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on 31 March 1973 (behind Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song"), number 3 in Canada,^[4] and number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.^[1] It won the 16th Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.^[5][1][2]

The track has appeared on many compilation and re-issue albums since 1973.^[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1973)	Peak position
Canadian RPM 100 Singles Chart[4]	3
Canadian RPM AC Chart[7]	22
UK Singles Chart[8]	7
US Billboard Easy Listening[9]	5
US Billboard Hot 100[10]	2

Year-end charts

Chart (1973)	Position
Canada RPM (magazine)[11]	42
US Billboard Year-End[12]	90

In popular culture

• The track was used in the 1979 film Being There starring Peter Sellers, as his character leaves home for the very first time.^[13]
• Retired professional wrestler and pop culture personality Ric Flair used several versions of the opening fanfare as his entrance theme for the majority of his in-ring career.^[14]
• The band Phish has played a cover of this song over 200 times across their various live shows.^[15]

Lead musicians

• Eumir Deodato – piano, electric piano
• Ron Carter – electric bass, double bass
• Stanley Clarke – electric bass
• Billy Cobham – drums
• John Tropea – electric guitar
• Jay Berliner – guitar
• Airto Moreira – percussion
• Ray Barretto – congas
• Uncredited: string and brass instruments