There is next to no information available on the web about the late-1960s Philadelphia-based vocal group called The Fidelics. A few comments on this video from the Youtube account @funkadelphiarecords might be as close as we can get:
“An underground Philadelphia classic, the Fidelics recorded ‘Lovers In the Park’ in 1967 at Frank Virtue’s Virtue Studios, where so many Philadelphia based groups recorded one-offs … the fact that this rare Philadelphia TV footage of the Fidelics even exists is a true miracle … Notice how all four members take a bow at the very end, as if they all knew this would be their one and only TV appearance … a class act.”
Starting in Ab major, the tune then features a dramatic multi-key interlude, starting at Bb minor, at 1:06. At 1:30, we land in A major for another verse, continuing through to the end of the track.
“Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco, but had a number of hits well into the ’80s, including ‘She Works Hard For The Money’ in 1983,” (Songfacts). “She hit #21 with a cover of ‘There Goes My Baby’ in 1984, but that was her last US Top 40 until ‘This Time I Know It’s for Real’ five years later.
To find the contemporary dance sound, she enlisted Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, the UK team responsible for some of the biggest upbeat hits of the era, including ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ by Rick Astley and ‘Venus’ by Bananarama. The trio wrote the song with Summer and produced the track along with the rest of her Another Place and Time album, giving her a solid comeback song and her last big hit. The video was done by the Swiss director Dee Trattmann, whose other clients included Cliff Richard and the Thompson Twins.”
After an intro in G major, there’s a shift to E major just before the first verse starts (0:24). At 0:53, the chorus shifts back to G major, then back to E major at 1:09 at the tail end of the section. The pattern continues from there. Sure enough, once you know about the tune’s shared origins with Rick Astley’s sound, you’ll hear it around every corner!
American composer Frank Ticheli on his 2004 work, Earth Song: “‘ … the music … first appeared in a work called Sanctuary, for wind ensemble,'” (FredBock.com). “‘As I worked on that piece, I just kept thinking this music is just begging to be sung by a chorus. The music is so vocal in and of itself. It was also written during a time when we were sort of stuck in the Iraq War when everyone – regardless of what political side they were on – was tired of that war, and so Earth Song was written to be very pro-peace. I guess you could also say anti-war and anti-violence. It was a cry and a prayer for peace.
Earth Song means different things to different people. I know for me, it sprang out of an intense weariness of war and a wish for peace. The second half of the poem talks about music as a comforting force and a refuge. When I was bullied as a kid, music was my refuge. I often thought about bullies in relation to this piece as well, because that’s where violence starts. But music is a place where people can find acceptance and love – and it can often be their saving grace. And it’s not just choir that people can find that comfort – it’s band, it’s orchestra… it’s just people coming together to make music.'”
This 2025 performance by the Young New Yorkers Chorus was conducted by Justin Duckworth. Earth Song is built primarily in F major. But at 2:50, a soft-spoken but profound G major chord breaks the spell; a repeated E major chord then upends the tonality yet again as the piece draws to an end.
Many thanks to longtime contributor Mark B. for this beautiful piece — his fourth submission to MotD!
Sing, Be, Live, See. This dark stormy hour, The wind, it stirs. The scorched earth Cries out in vain: O war and power, You blind and blur, The torn heart Cries out in pain. But music and singing Have been my refuge, And music and singing Shall be my light. A light of song Shining Strong: Alleluia! Through darkness, pain, and strife, I’ll Sing, Be, Live, See… Peace.
“There are very few records whose influence can be so strongly felt after 45 years as the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me.’ It is the song that has been widely touted as the blueprint for hard rock and heavy metal, long before the likes of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin came along,” (SoundOnSound). ” … the jarring, distorted two‑chord riff that opens the track and continues behind the lead vocal, and the fierce, deliberately sloppy guitar solo … paved the way for punk rock.
A UK chart‑topper in September 1964, and a number seven hit in America at the height of the so‑called British Invasion, ‘You Really Got Me’ was not only the breakthrough number for North London outfit the Kinks, but also a landmark recording that inspired the Who’s Pete Townshend to compose ‘I Can’t Explain’, and whose influence resonates to this day. All of which was quite an achievement for a group of teenagers who had only formed the previous year, and their innovative producer, who hadn’t been around a whole lot longer.
… In his 1984 book The Kinks: The Official Biography, author Jon Savage wrote, ‘What (producer) Shel Talmy and the Kinks did … was to concoct the perfect medium for expression of the adolescent white aggression that has been at the heart of white popular music …’ Those involved in its creation apparently agree. ‘When I left the studio I felt great,’ recalled Ray Davies, whose fruitful efforts on behalf of the song established him as the chief composer and — at least in his eyes — the leader of the Kinks. ‘It may sound conceited, but I knew it was a great record… I said I’d never write another song like it, and I haven’t.'”
The colorless guitar power chords don’t give any indication of the track’s tonality, but at 0:21 the slightly uptuned G-based two-chord riff shifts to a riff centering around A. It’s the vocal melody, using a major third degree of each chord, which gives away both the G and A chords as major. At that point, it’s spelled out that the A chord isn’t actually a ii chord within the context of G major, but rather a new tonic chord (a key change from G major to A major). More changes continue from there.
“Gabriel Kahane is a singer/songwriter, pianist, composer, and musical polymath equally at home in classical, theater, jazz, and adult pop settings,” (Qobuz). “He has written large-scale orchestral works, piano sonatas, string quartets, and song cycles as well as intimate singer/songwriter fare, and has collaborated with everyone from Elvis Costello and Rufus Wainwright to the Kronos Quartet and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He first came to national attention in 2006 for his playful Craigslistlieder, which set personal ads to theatrical piano accompaniment (he would later take on celebrity tweets.)”
Kahane has gone on to work with artists such as Pekka Kuusisto, Andrew Bird, Chris Thile, his father pianist Jeffrey Kahane, Sufjan Stevens, Sam Amidon, Aiofe O’Donovan, and ensembles including the American Composers Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, and the Aspen Music Festival. He’s served as the Oregon Symphony’s Creative Chair.
According to the notes he includes with this Instagram post from earlier today, Kahane’s “Limping Waltz” has yet to be formally released. It begins with a verse with a subtly but constantly shifting harmonic backdrop. Instagram doesn’t provide timeslates, but the tune’s chorus, starting with the lyric “But hey kid,” and running through “listen, it’s urgent,” provides a comparatively peaceful respite in a straightforward B major before the unsettled verse returns.
NOTE:we’re getting reports that this post won’t play predictably on mobile, although desktop should be fine. If not, please click through to Instagram. Our apologies!
“Astral Drive, aka (the UK’s) Phil Thornalley, is a lot of things. Producer (The Cure, Prefab Sprout, Pixie Lott), one-time member of aforementioned Cure, and co-writer of Natalie Imbruglia’s mega hit ‘Torn,’ with loads of other credits under his belt,” (PickingUpRocks). “He is also completely infatuated and crushing hard on Todd Rundgren. On his self-titled album (2018), the Todd influence is so overt, so brazen, so unabashed in its love and reverence that it’s nearly impossible to cast a critical eye … delivered so earnestly, so heart-on-the-sleeve, that complaining about them seems nonsensical.
… The entire LP is just melodic to the core, full of pretty glorious, un-cynical piano pop-soul, and hooks, hooks, hooks (of course). Want to mention that things get even more meta on tracks like ‘No One Escapes’ and the fab lead single ‘Summer of ’76,’ where the respective choruses brush shoulders with those of another wondrous artist who himself was openly influenced by Todd, namely New Radicals’ Gregg Alexander…and so if you dig that stuff at all, you will very likely be susceptible to the charms on display here.”
“Parallel Universe” is set in a fast but gentle 6/8, accompanied by a soft yet insistent clock-like ticking on the weak beats. Replete with a poignant hook and dense textures, the track seems like it might have fallen from the sky millennia ago, fully formed. Built in F# minor overall, the tune moves through two verses and two choruses before an unprepared shift up to A minor (2:08) for an extended hook-driven instrumental outro.
“William Bell was born in Memphis in 1939, and began singing as a child in church,” (ArtsATL). “By the time he was 14, he was performing in clubs and soon joined the blues band helmed by Phineas Newborn Sr. that included future jazz and R&B legends Phineas Newborn Jr. (piano) and saxophonists Charles Lloyd and Hank Crawford … Bell was one of the first artists signed to the Memphis label Stax Records and his debut single, ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ in 1961, became a soul classic. He never reached the heights of other Stax artists — namely Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and The Staple Singers — but he was one of the label’s foundational figures as a vocalist and songwriter and guiding light.
Bell co-wrote ‘Born Under a Bad Sign,’ the signature tune of blues guitarist Albert King and one of the greatest blues songs in history. There is irony in the lines, ‘I can’t read, didn’t learn how to write’ because King could neither read nor write. In the studio for the recording, Bell stood behind King as he sang the vocals and whispered each lyric to him. ‘He just nailed it,’ says Bell. ‘And it came to life when he put his guitar on it. I was going, Wow! It became Albert’s song instead of mine.’ Bell’s songs have also been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Warren Haynes, Bruce Springsteen and The Byrds. And his music has been sampled in recent years by Ludacris, Jaheim and Kanye West.
Bell moved to Atlanta in 1969 and continued to record, including the #1 R&B single ‘Tryin’ To Love Two’ in 1976.” The tune unexpectedly shifts up a half-step toward the end of a phrase, rather than between sections of the tune, at 1:51.
“… Even if you aren’t a fan of musicals, please don’t instantly dismiss Little Shop. There’s so much more to it than people describing the minutia of their lives through song,” (The Guardian). “With nods to sci-fi and B-movies, as well as its effective self-mockery, it’s an easy way to get acquainted with the musical comedy genre. Directed by Frank Oz, the 1986 film is based on the 1982 off-Broadway stage show of the same name, which in turn is based on a 1960 Roger Corman film, which it largely honours in terms of story.
… Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are to be thanked for the lyrics and music respectively, with Ashman also writing the screenplay – though their names are probably more associated with late 80s and early 90s Disney films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin … (the show) draws on 60s rock’n’roll, doo-wop and swing, and I think there might even be a bit of calypso in there. Little Shop is a love story. It’s also a story about conquering your demons and discovering the best you can be – even if it takes a blood-guzzling talking plant to get you there.”
The uptempo tune “Dentist!” is immortalized in the film version of the musical by comedian Steve Martin, whose strong musicality has never gotten enough notice — perhaps because his comedic skills are even better. A textbook whole-step key change hits exactly where you’re hoping to hear it — about 60% of the way through the tune (1:34).
“Fans were expecting more upbeat new-wave hits on The Cars’ 1980 LP Panorama. What they got was something far darker and more exciting,” (Goldmine). “After achieving commercial success with their first two albums, The Cars (1978) and Candy-O (1979), American new wave/pop combo The Cars decided to take a left turn when it came time to begin work on their third album, 1980’s Panorama … while the music still had its inherent pop-iness, it was much darker in sound and lyrical matter … the band won the ears of both fans and critics alike with their first two albums … but fans and critics were left scratching their heads, particularly with the more avant-garde sounds on Panorama that were unlike anything heard on the band’s previous outings.
… Around the same time as the band began working on the album … synth pop was in its infancy and would soon come to dominate the early 1980s climate, with bands such as Ultravox, Devo, and Gary Numan all leading the charge in experimenting with the new sounds of synthesizers. The Cars were tapping into the zeitgeist; Panorama would see Easton’s previously upfront guitar take a back seat to the keyboard and synthesizer sounds of The Cars’ Greg Hawkes … Panorama was released August 15, 1980 … and reached #5 on the Billboard chart in September of that year … it was systematically panned by critics … (But as guitarist) Elliot Easton affirmed, ‘I look at it as our third album. Honestly, we just made this stuff up as we went along. There was no grand plan beyond making the best music we could.'”
Right out of the gate, the title track’s harmonies teeter between Bb major (with an emphasis on the flatted seventh degree of the chord, Ab, in the guitar line) and a colorless G chord during the intro — with no clues as to which chord should predominate. The verse then falls down into F# minor at 0:27. The brief chorus arrives at 1:11 in B mixolydian, followed by the next verse (1:22) in F# minor. The pattern continues from there. A long outro starts at 3:24 with a few shifts back and forth between B major and Bb major. The track ends by dropping off a cliff with a colorless E chord at 5:39. But these key changes, low in traditional harmonic progressions, speed by without much impact. Instead, the relentless groove, angular melody, and uniquely American slice of New Wave’s sonic palette and visual style were clearly the stars of this show.
“In October (2019), Aldous Harding’s song ‘The Barrel’ claimed the 2019 APRA Silver Scroll Award. It’s a groovy little folk number, containing whimsical imagery through its lyrics and video, each of which are ambiguous enough to support multiple interpretations.
In a recent NPR interview, Bob Boilen quizzes Harding on the meaning of both the video and music. Boilen reminds us that Harding is not known for talking about the meaning of her songs, but states that in this case, the video (described by Boilen as having Amish/futuristic/sci-fi tendencies), is not intended to be any visual representation of the content of the song – it is intended to keep it loose. Furthermore, Harding then rejected the notion of expectation and purpose with regards to songwriting in general. (Boilen, 2019).”
“The Barrel” starts with a verse in B major, while the chorus (1:10 – 1:26) is in C# mixolydian. Adding to the feeling of running-on-fumes life force from this New Zealand-based artist are Harding’s clipped syllables, her relaxed enunciation, and the nicely performed but barely-there bassline played with EQ levels better suited to a soprano guitar. Finally showing a faint proof of life at at the 5:00 mark, the band executes a tiny but precise ritardando as the tune ends.
If you thought the live video was interesting, check out the “studio” version, also posted below. But please do not operate any heavy machinery for at least two hours after viewing.
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