Synopsis
Peter Cetera performs "Glory of Love" inside a Japanese martial arts dojo, surrounded by traditional decor and training imagery. The performance is intercut with scenes from The Karate Kid Part II, connecting the romantic power ballad with Daniel LaRusso's journey in Okinawa, his relationship with Kumiko, and his continuing lessons in courage and discipline. The video uses the film footage as its emotional and narrative backdrop rather than presenting a separate storyline, making Cetera's performance feel like an extension of the movie's closing-theme sequence.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Glory of Love" was released in 1986 as the theme from The Karate Kid Part II and also appeared on Cetera's album Solitude/Solitaire.
- The accompanying video was issued in May 1986, shortly before the film reached theaters in June 1986.
- Its central visual idea is deliberately straightforward: Cetera sings in a dojo while clips from The Karate Kid Part II provide the action, romance, and Okinawan setting.
- Cetera wrote the song with David Foster and Diane Nini. He originally intended it for Rocky IV, but the song was ultimately passed over and became associated with The Karate Kid Part II instead.
- The single became Cetera's first No. 1 hit as a solo artist after his departure from Chicago.
- "Glory of Love" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, helping establish it as one of the defining movie power ballads of the 1980s.
- Because Cetera's vocal style remained closely associated with Chicago, the song was sometimes mistaken for a new recording by his former band.