Author: Mod of the Day

Van McCoy | The Hustle

“The Hustle” (1975) by Van McCoy was one of the biggest early disco hits. The tune was a global smash, going top 10 in the US, the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, and most of Europe, then later appearing on the soundtracks of well over a dozen movies and TV shows.

The tune alternates between F major and Ab major (at 1:11 and 1:32, then again at 2:52 and 3:13.) After an intro featuring backup-style vocals but no lead vocal, most of the remainder of the tune is instrumental, featuring some of the most well-known flute and piccolo work in pop music. Happy weekend to all!

Say the Word (feat. Laura Johnson, from “The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown”)

“Say The Word” is from Kerrigan-Lowdermilk‘s 2009 musical The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, performed here by Laura Osnes. Key changes are at 1:25, 2:02, 2:25, and 3:20.

Mike Stern | What Might Have Been

Genre-hopping guitarist Mike Stern has worked with Miles Davis, Brecker Brothers, and Blood Sweat And Tears. He delivers a beautiful contemporary jazz fusion ballad in “What Might Have Been” (2002). Stern takes one of the guitar’s few weak links (the ability to strongly sustain a note without effects) and augments it by doubling it with the human voice, employing the enigmatic wordless vocals of Elisabeth Kontomanou.

The modulation is at 1:30, with a return to the original key at 2:05; after the guitar solo, the pattern repeats at 3:54 and 4:29.

Cathy Dennis | Too Many Walls

British pop singer and songwriter Cathy Dennis released “Too Many Walls” in 1991. The tune was co-written by Anne Dudley, best known for her work with Art Of Noise. The track reached chart positions of US Adult Contemporary #1, US Hot 100 #8, and top 20 in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.

After establishing her own performance career, Dennis went on to write songs for Clay Aiken, Kylie Minogue, and Kelly Clarkson, as well as the chart-toppers “Toxic” by Britney Spears and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.”

After an instrumental bridge (2:54 – 3:14), the tune modulates up a whole step.

The Friends of Distinction | Love Or Let Me Be Lonely

Saturday bonus mod: Our frequent contributor JB sends this mod from Friends Of Distinction, a soul, R&B, and Sunshine Pop hybrid group from Los Angeles which made its mark during the late 60s and early 70s. The group’s 1970 hit “Love Or Let Me Be Lonely” reached chart positions of #2 US Pop, #13 US R&B, and #6 Canadian Pop. Between 1969 and 1971 alone, the Friends released five albums!

Starting in Db major for the verse, the tune transitions to A major during the choruses (for the first time at 0:24), then reverts to Db at 0:44, etc. Starting at 2:19, an extended outro is built around a simple but compelling 2-chord vamp featuring everything but the kitchen sink: layers of brass, strings, and backing vocals.

The Cat Empire | Who’s That?

From mod fan Daniel Stackhouse comes this first-time contribution: “Who’s That?” by the Australian band The Cat Empire (2019). AllMusic calls the band’s sound a mix of “ska, rocksteady, Latin jazz, funk, Afrobeat, and hip-hop.”

Daniel’s review: “The modulations at the end of this are so satisfying with the horn line carrying through.” Modulations at 2:21, 2:41, and 2:59.

Jonatha Brooke | New Dress

After co-founding The Story in the early 1990s, singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke struck out on a solo career. From AllMusic: “She has always penned tunes that danced just outside the box with poetic lyrics, creative arrangements, and complex chord progressions.”

“New Dress” (2001) jumps back and forth between both A major and A minor throughout the verses and choruses. A short, string-drenched bridge (2:07 – 2:27) presents a few more harmonic pivots. Neil Finn of Crowded House provides wonderful support in covering the quirky backing vocal lines, which frequently include chromatic motion and outline the chord color; 1:05 – 1:15 is a clear illustration.

Ralph M. Johnson | This House of Peace | St. Olaf College Choir

Here’s a performance of Ralph M. Johnson’s “This House of Peace” (2011) by The St. Olaf Choir, the top choral ensemble at St. Olaf College. Johnson is a Minnesota-based composer who has written works for choir, solo voice, and the theater. A chill-inducing modulation comes out of nowhere at 5:43.