‘Flying Machine (The Chase)’ is considered by many to be War’s finest moment. Taken from the soundtrack to Youngblood, a film about an L.A. street kid starring Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, it has since been proven to be the LA’s street band’s most diverse recording to date.

Released in 1978, War’s first soundtrack is reminiscent of Isaac Hayes’ score to the 1974 Blaxploitation classic Truck Turner (check out the sumptuous ‘The Pursuit of the Pimpmobile’), thus making it an essential 70’s funk “chase” scene theme, if you know what I mean. Ahem.

The fast and quirky breaks are skillfully intertwined with Charles Miller’s sublime flute flashes, resulting in an urgent and energetic funk explosion. Due to the up-tempo nature of the song, it quickly became a cult favourite amongst legendary disco DJs such as David Mancuso and Nicky Siano. Still sounding ‘right-on’, this fantastic track  has lost none of it’s appeal and marks the moment when War bolstered their credentials as serious but eclectic purveyors of funk and soul.

War – Flying Machine (The Chase)

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Tags 1978 chase scene david mancuso Disco flying machine (the chase) funk isaac hayes LA lawrence-hilton jacobs nicky siano pursuit of the pimpmobile Single of the Day soul soundtrack truck turner war youngblood