Rise (instrumental)

"Rise" is an instrumental written by Andy Armer and Randy 'Badazz' Alpert, and first recorded by trumpeter Herb Alpert. The instrumental track was included on Alpert's solo album Rise and released as a single in 1979. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in October of that year and remained in the top position for two weeks. Herb Alpert thus became the first (and only) artist to reach the top of the Hot 100 with a vocal performance ("This Guy's in Love with You", 1968) as well as an instrumental performance. "Rise" was also successful on other charts, peaking at number four on the R&B chart,[1] number seventeen on the disco chart [2] and spending one week atop the adult contemporary chart.[3] The recording also received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.[4] Songwriters Andy Armer and Randy 'Badazz' Alpert were both nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition.[4]

"Rise" was originally recorded as an uptempo dance number; however, while recording the master at A&M studios, the drummer on the session, Steve Schaefer, strongly suggested that Herb and Randy try slowing the tempo down to 100bpm. Upon release, the instrumental received an unexpected burst of promotion: Jill Farren Phelps, musical director of the ABC soap opera General Hospital, decided to use "Rise" as the musical backdrop for the rape of Laura Webber by Luke Spencer. For several weeks afterward, the recording was played on the show to evoke the memory of Luke's act. The added exposure in an extremely popular program boosted sales to the point of selling more than one million copies.

Shortly after "Rise" became a hit in the United States, it became a hit in the United Kingdom when British disc jockeys were playing import copies of the record at the wrong speed.

In October 2016 the "Rise Remix EP" was released on the Herb Alpert Presents label. It has 7 selections with 6 remixes of varying lengths as well as the original track.

In early 2020, London-based French DJ/Producer Nicolas Laugier aka The Reflex added "Rise" to his growing list of remixes using the original master tapes (Stems). His extended 12 minute version uncovers parts of the track never heard before. A work in progress version released to YouTube in October 2019 had already won popular and critical acclaim.