Remember When Glenn Frey Recorded a Hit Specifically for the Hottest Show of the Day in 1985?

Musicians have always used television as a marketing tool, going back to the days of The Ed Sullivan Show and continuing through the dawn of MTV. But Miami Vice represented a different beast, as it was a scripted show that relied heavily on the hottest music of the day to help tell its story.

In most cases, the producers of the show utilized preexisting songs to soundtrack the exploits of their heroes. But Glenn Frey, always a friend of the show, reversed that trend when, in 1985, he wrote a hit specifically for inclusion in an episode.

‘Vice’ Advantage

When Miami Vice debuted on NBC in the autumn of 1984, media experts didn’t think it had much of a chance. Its stars weren’t all that well-known, and cop shows were a dime a dozen. But it had a fashionable setting, flashy clothes, and an auteur’s perspective, the latter thanks to the involvement of talented film director Michael Mann.

And it had the music. These days, we take for granted that every trendy show is going to include needle drops of both classic hits and promising new tunes. But Miami Vice pioneered that trend on network television, right from its opening episodes.

Most famously, the show’s use of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” made the three-year-old song a sensation all over again. Musicians suddenly understood the benefit of having a song on the show. Glenn Frey, however, beat just about everyone to the punch on this trend.

Frey’s Foresight

Frey knew about Miami Vice before most did because he shared a plane with Michael Mann while the show was in development. The show’s producers quickly honed in on a song that Frey had already recorded called “Smuggler’s Blues”. The song dissected the ups and downs in the life of someone in the drug trade.

The show’s higher-ups liked the song so much that they made it the centerpiece of an entire Season 1 episode. And they even corralled Frey to guest-star in the episode, not as himself, but as a drug smuggler. Soon, other rock stars would be lining up to appear on the show.

Miami Vice became an absolute sensation during the 1984-85 television season. Anticipation for the show’s second campaign was through the roof. The big news was that producers planned on taking Detectives Crockett and Tubbs (played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas) to New York City for the first episode of the new season. As it turned out, Glenn Frey would be joining them via a brand-new song.

“City” Living

Frey decided he’d write a song specifically to match the plot of the new episodes, making it a perfect fit. Working with his usual songwriting collaborator Jack Tempchin, Frey came up with “You Belong To The City”.

Lyrically, the song details a character who’s a bit of a loner when it comes to connecting to other people but at least can find comfort in the urban environment. The music, filled with minor keys and a smoky saxophone, plays into the noir vibe.

“You Belong To The City” made its appearance in the second season opener of Miami Vice, as Frey had planned. The quality of the song was enough to make it a hit, but the spotlight it received certainly didn’t hurt either. It ended at No. 2 on the pop charts in 1985, matching “The Heat Is On” as Frey’s highest-charting single.

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images

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