“Gary Wright, the spiritually minded singer-songwriter who helped modernize the sound of pop music with his pioneering use of synthesizers while crafting infectious and seemingly inescapable hits of the 1970s …” died last week at the age of 80. “… Along with his work with (George) Harrison, Mr. Wright was a session keyboardist for musicians like Harry Nilsson, B.B. King and Jerry Lee Lewis, and he continued to record solo albums,” (New York Times).
“Because he (was) the co-founder of U.K. progressive rockers Spooky Tooth and a close friend of George Harrison, many assume Gary Wright is English, but the performer was actually born in New Jersey,” (Rhino.com). “The Right Place was the singer-songwriter’s final album for Warner Brothers; the 1981 collection is sure to please ‘Dream Weaver’ fans. Like that iconic earlier hit, the album pairs Wright’s subtly philosophical lyrics with synthesizer-dominant arrangements that follow a strong groove (future Chicago drummer Tris Imboden keeps the beat here).”
“Really Wanna Know You” reached #16 in the US and #14 in Canada. It was his last charting hit in the US and was the 96th most popular tune in the US for the year, according to Billboard. The tune was co-written by Wright and Ali Thompson (who is the brother of Dougie Thompson, a member of the UK band Supertramp).
The tune starts in Db major, sounding at first like garden variety early-80s pop. After two verses and choruses, 1:09 brings a shift upwards to D minor for a more complex section that bears a closer resemblance to the more layered textures of his #2 hit “Dream Weaver” (1976). From 1:32-1:52, a mini-bridge takes us down a meandering path which settles us back into Db major. Going forward, the two keys continue to alternate.
Many thanks to our listener/reader from Brazil, Julianna A., for submitting this intriguing tune — her third contribution to MotD!
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