Author: Mod of the Day

Emmylou Harris | Bluebird Wine

A guest contribution from our Twitter follower Richard Alan Searle (@richardalansear):

“‘Bluebird Wine’ kicks off Emmylou Harris’s 1975 album Pieces of the Sky. The song was written by Rodney Crowell, who went on to become a member of Harris’s band and a long-time collaborator.

The tune’s harmony could hardly be simpler. The verse chugs along over C major, then breaks out in a chorus which alternates F major and C. The magic happens at the end of the second chorus: Emmylou and her backing singers extend and embellish the final line ‘drunk on bluebird wine,’ and the last syllable lands on a Bb major chord over a held C in the bass (2:11). Immediately, the voices begin to slide the whole Bb chord up to the home key of C for a satisfying ending…

…except they don’t stop when they hit C. They pass though it and keep going up until they hit D, at which point the band joins them for a coda in the new key of D (2:15). For added surprise value, the modulation takes place over the course of three bars, breaking the song’s pattern of four-bar phrases.”

Shishamo | Ashita Mo (明日も)

Guest contributor Alejandro Espinosa (@wolfman1405) has submitted a song called “Ashita Mo (明日も)” by the Japanese indie rock band Shishamo. The band’s members met during high school and made their debut in 2011.

Alejandro reports that the tune “begins in Db major. At 1:15, the chord progression goes V7/vi -> vi (also related ii) -> V7/V -> IV -> bVI -> V7). The V7 (Ab) resolves deceptively as a sub V into G major. The transition back happens at 2:09; it’s just kind of sudden and unprepared and it feels great. G into F, and now we’re on a Db again.”

The Eagles | New Kid In Town

Boston-based pianist and music professor Mark Shilansky has submitted “New Kid In Town,” a textbook example of The Eagles’ country-tinged rock sound. The lead single from the smash hit album Hotel California (1976), the track went to #1 in the US and #20 in the UK.

Rolling Stone‘s “Eagles: The Ultimate Guide” quotes vocalist/drummer Don Henley’s description of the tune: “It’s about the fleeting, fickle nature of love and romance. It’s also about the fleeting nature of fame, especially in the music business. We were basically saying, ‘Look, we know we’re red hot right now, but we also know that somebody’s going to come along and replace us — both in music and in love.'” The version featured here is from the band’s 2004 “Farewell” tour.

Mark reports: “The modulation is SO killer: From E major to G major during the bridge, then back down to E after the final chorus — but it feels like a lift! Amazing. I’m going to start using it in my Ear Training 4 class.”

The Raspberries | Go All the Way

AllMusic’s bio of The Raspberries describes the Cleveland, OH-based band as running counter to the “epic pretensions and pomposity of ’70s-era rock to proudly reclaim the spirit and simplicity of classic pop, recalling the heyday of the British Invasion with their exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies.” The vocalist and songwriter, Eric Carmen, also pursued a prominent solo career.

The 1972 single “Go All the Way” has a rich harmonic vocabulary from top to bottom. The first modulation hits after the guitar-driven intro as the verse starts (0:29), shifting from A major to C major. Many thanks to inveterate contributor JB for this submission.

Brenda Lee | Danke Schön

“Danke Schön” is originally a pop song of German origin, written in 1959 by Bert Kaempfert and Kurt Schwabach. The track gained international fame when it was recorded by Wayne Newton in 1963. The version featured here, performed by Brenda Lee, was included on her 1964 album By Request. Key changes at 0:34, 1:01, 1:28, and 1:55.

Max Embers | For Once In My Life

Max Embers, an LA-based singer/songwriter originally from Germany, has produced many original tunes, including “Lookin’ Up,” featured on the TV series Songland in 2019. On the series, Embers competed with several other songwriters to have a song chosen for a performance setlist by John Legend.

Here, Embers covers a 1967 classic by one of his musical heroes, Stevie Wonder: “For Once In My Life” (2019). The modulation is at 2:05.

Let’s Give Up (from “Portlandia”)

As its final season reached its end, the music-packed TV comedy Portlandia featured the tune “Let’s Give Up” (2017). The lightweight pop feel of the track is completely out of character for the personal musical style of vocalist Carrie Brownstein, who’s spent much of the past 25 years as a vocalist and guitarist for the punk-tinged indie rock band Sleater-Kinney. But it’s 100% on-brand for the series, which saw both Brownstein and her vocalist/multi-instrumentalist co-star Fred Armisen lightheartedly hop from genre to genre throughout.

From Stereogum‘s review: “The song flips through a series of major topics, like global warming and trying to tune out the news, before taking on the numbing convenience of social media and binge-watching TV.” Portlandia’s final seasons weren’t among its best overall, but you’d never know it from this glittery, cutting satire.

Starting in F# minor (the track starts at the 0:28 mark), the kicky funk/pop tune modulates up to G# minor for the chorus at 1:02, reverting to F# minor for verse 2 at 1:19.

Jamiroquai | Time Won’t Wait

An overdue MotD debut today for British “acid” funk band Jamiroquai, submitted by frequent contributor JB. According to AllMusic.com, the band has “amassed a steady stream of hits in the U.K. and experienced chart success in just about every other area of the world, with an irresistible blend of house rhythms and ’70s-era soul/funk…” The band explores themes of “rising technology and the deterioration of human interaction,” perhaps best demonstrated in its initial 1996 worldwide hit, “Virtual Insanity.”

Released on the album Dynamite in 2005, “Time Won’t Wait” is a dynamic dance blowout — reminiscent of some of the best 70s disco/funk jams, but with better chords! After an intro in D minor and a jump to F minor at 0:36, the tune alternates between these two keys. After the chorus starts with a familiar Fmin/Cmin/Bbmin/Gbmaj progression from 1:21 – 1:28, we’re treated to a cascade of new syncopated chords hitting every two beats, starting with a very prominent F major. At 1:51, the cycle starts again.