Mrs. Green Apple is a Japanese rock band, based in Tokyo. In 2016 they released their first full record, Twelve, on the Japanese label EMI records; they have also written music for popular anime series.
“Love Me, Love You” was the sixth single released by the group, and peaked at #19 on the Oricon chart in 2018. The tune modulates from F up to Ab at 3:36.
According to the video description on George Harrison’s Vevo channel, in honor of the 50th anniversary of George Harrison’s classic solo album All Things Must Pass, “a suite of new releases including a stunning new mix of the classic album by Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer Paul Hicks, overseen by executive producer Dhani Harrison,” George’s son.
“…That’s the problem with being a really good songwriter in a band with two great ones,” (American Songwriter). “Since Harrison was only allotted one track per side of a typical Beatles album, his accumulation was substantial as the group disbanded around September of 1969. When he started recording what most consider his first solo project in 1970 … those tunes gushed out of him … The resulting collection is on anyone’s shortlist of finest Beatles solo releases, many placing it near the top.”
After starting in E major, “My Sweet Lord,” considered by many to be the centerpiece of the album, shifts to F# at 2:33. The video, released this month, stars dozens of noted actors, artists, and musicians, including Mark Hamill, Fred Armisen, Jeff Lynne, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Jon Hamm, Shepard Fairey, Olivia and Dhani Harrison (George’s widow and son), and many others. Many thanks to our contributor Ziyad for this submission!
Written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein and Lou Stallman, “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” was first released in 1965 by The Royalettes, a four-girl soul/Motown group. The song describes the desperation of someone who is so heartbroken from a breakup that it will take a miracle for them to fall in love again. R&B and gospel singer Deniece Williams released her cover of the tune in 1982, and it sat at the top of the R&B chart for two weeks. The tune moves through multiple tonalities in the bridge starting at 1:52, and returns to the home key of G for the verse at 2:24.
Lucky Daye established a solid career as a songwriter before trying his hand as a performer, writing for the likes of Keith Sweat, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, and others. “Neither explicitly retro nor overtly commercial, Lucky Daye is a singer/songwriter with a modern, slightly left-of-center approach to R&B with a foundation in classic soul,” (AllMusic).
From Exclaim.ca‘s review of Daye’s 2021 sophomore album, the duets-only Table for Two: “‘How Much Can a Heart Take,’ which features an assist from Arkansan songstress Yebba, is the EP’s crown jewel. It’s a bitter break-up track that plays like whiskey with a honey chaser. The verses are full of fiery attitude but thanks to Yebba’s spotlight-stealing vocals, the song unfolds into something lush and sweet near the chorus. Though the EP is light on ‘I love yous,’ it’s not nearly as depressing as it sounds. The instrumentals are deceptively warm and soulful throughout and Daye’s honeyed voice betrays the biting, sometimes tortured lyrics. It’s that juxtaposition that makes Table for Two so much fun.”
After a start in C# minor, the wordy but relatively harmonically static verse opens up into a new vista with the chorus, which shifts into a G maj – C maj – A/B progression (G major-ish?) and then back to the original key. The pattern continues from there.
In addition to the live performance video below, don’t miss the original video as well, which features the two vocalists swapping roles while miming each other’s vocals.
We conclude this year’s holiday season with the a cappella group Voctave’s rendition of “The Christmas Song,” featured on their new album The Spirit of the Season (Deluxe Edition) released earlier this year. Drew Ochoa is the soloist on the track, which modulates from E up to G at 1:46.
Emmy and Tony-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenowith released her second holiday album, Happiness Is…Christmas, in October. “I hope that they smile, and I hope that they are eating food and opening presents…and I hope they just are happy,” Chenowith said in an interview with The Christophers blog, discussing what she hopes people take away from the album. “And then when they come upon a song like ‘The Stories That You Told,’ I hope they remember somebody that they’ve lost and their smile…There’s been so much to be bummed out about and you have to really look – seek and ye shall find – and you will find happiness. That’s what I want people to find in this album.”
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is the penultimate track on the album, and modulates from G to Ab at 2:54.
Continuing a tradition started last year by featuring a performance of my own during the holiday season. This setting of “The First Noel” was arranged by Sally DeFord. It begins in D, modulates to F at 1:32, and returns to D at 2:05.
Kelly Clarkson released her second Christmas album, When Christmas Comes Around…, last October. “My purpose for choosing this lyric as the title of this project was to bring forth a sense of reality to the fact that we are probably in very different places emotionally When Christmas Comes Around…,” Clarkson said, explaining how she settled on the name. “Some of us are consumed with a new love, some of us reminded of loss, some filled with optimism for the coming new year, others elated for some much deserved time away from the chaos our work lives can sometimes bring us. Wherever you are, and whatever you may be experiencing, I wanted everyone to be able to connect to a message on this album. Each year you may even have a new favorite depending on where you are in your life, but while change can be unpredictable there is no better time of year, in my opinion, to breathe hope into one’s life and let possibility wander.”
This song, co-written by Clarkson and album producers Jason Halbert and Aben Eubanks, is the fourth track on the record; it modulates from F up to Gb at 1:20.
Pistol Annies, an American country group made up of singers Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, released their first Christmas album, Hell of a Holiday, earlier this year. “Make You Blue,” a song about being lonely during the holidays, is the sixth track on the record. It modulates from E up a half step to F at 2:06.
*This is the fifth and final installment of our weeklong series on “Do You Hear What I Hear”
American R&B group Destiny’s Child released their only Christmas album, 8 Days of Christmas, in 2001. The album peaked at 34 on the Billboard 200, and was certified platinum in 2020. “Do You Hear What I Hear” is the sixth track, and modulates from Bb to B at 0:57.
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