Mod of the Day

Sam Cooke | This Little Light of Mine

Here’s Sam Cooke’s rendition of the spiritual “This Little Light of Mine” (1964), which played a prominent role throughout the Civil Rights movement. Key changes at 1:09 and 1:43.

The Who | My Generation

#11 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list is “My Generation” by The Who. A short section of AllMusic‘s review of the 1965 release: “An explosive debut, and the hardest mod pop recorded by anyone. Pete Townshend‘s exhilarating chord crunches and guitar distortions threaten to leap off the grooves…” This classic features modulations at 1:19, 1:49 and 2:26.

My Bathroom (from “Bathtubs Over Broadway”)

The documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway included this tune, “My Bathroom,” from a 1969 industrial musical entitled The Bathrooms are Coming. There’s a key change at 1:26. For more on what an industrial musical is, check out https://www.industrialmusicals.com.

Cher | The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore

Many thanks to MotD fan Paul Steckler for this contribution!

Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, writers of many of the Four Seasons’ hits, wrote “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)”, originally sung by Frankie Valli, and a big international hit for the Walker Brothers in 1966. Thirty years later (1995), Cher covered it. Her version starts in F# and then alternates to G# at 1:50; then back, etc.

The Fifth Dimension | Up, Up and Away

MotD fan Ryan Sigurdson has contributed the monster worldwide hit “Up, Up and Away,” written by Jimmy Webb and released by The Fifth Dimension in 1967. The track won six major Grammy Awards and was listed #43 on Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)‘s “100 Songs of the Century.” The modulations are too numerous to list.

Bob Crewe Generation | Music to Watch Girls By

This 1966 tune, “Music to Watch Girls By” by Bob Crewe Generation, went to #15 (Pop) #2 (Easy Listening) positions on the charts. The key change is at 1:10.

Neil Sedaka | Laughter In the Rain

Neil Sedaka‘s 1975 release, “Laughter in the Rain,” is well under three minutes long — but it packs in plenty of harmonic complexity. Sedaka had a long career as a Brill Building-based songwriter (including composing “Where the Boys Are” for Connie Francis) but also found his own success as a performer.

The F major of the intro and verse transitions to Ab major at the chorus (0:36) and then back to F major for the next verse (0:57), etc. The track hit #1 in the US and Canada — and #2 in Yugoslavia!

Mike + the Mechanics | All I Need Is a Miracle

A longtime guitarist and writer for Genesis, Mike Rutherford set out on his own in the mid-80s to form Mike and the Mechanics.

“‘Most musicians make solo albums because they’re frustrated in their main band,” (The Guardian). “I think Genesis were uniquely different: we all loved being in the band but ran solo projects … I’ve never written a song like ‘Miracle’ since. I can’t think of any other song quite like it – it’s uplifting without being sugary, hopeful rather than smug. There’s a bit of sadness in there. But there are some clever key changes and it really lifts the audience.”

The Mechanics’ top 5 US hit, “All I Need is a Miracle” (1987) modulates twice, each time up a whole step, at 1:51 and 2:54.

Jeremy Jordan + Laura Osnes | The Next Ten Minutes Ago (from “R+H Goes Pop!”)

From the Rodgers & Hammerstein Goes Pop! series, Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan sing a mash-up of “Ten Minutes Ago” from R&H’s Cinderella with “The Next Ten Minutes” from Jason Robert Brown‘s The Last Five Years. There are a few key changes, but the big one is at 3:48. The track starts at 0:25.

Beck, Robyn + The Lonely Island | Super Cool (from “Lego Movie 2”)

The closing credit sequence for Lego Movie 2 (2019) has something for everyone, including a smile or two for the parents in the audience for its unapologetic “pro-credits = pro-reading” stance. Beck, Robyn, and The Lonely Island collaborated on this funk/pop/hiphop track. The tune starts in A major, drops a rollercoaster instrumental mini-bridge at 2:28, and lands in B major at 2:32.