Author: Mod of the Day

Talk Talk | It’s My Life

British New Wave band Talk Talk scored a #1 US dance hit in 1985 with ”It‘s My Life,” written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene. The tune was later very successfully covered by No Doubt in 2003, resulting in top-20 chart positions around the world. The intro and verse are based around an Eb to Db/Eb vamp — a deceptively simple progression obscured by the percolating bass line and layered synths. The chorus (starting for the first time at 0:53) is centered around A minor. The instrumental bridge (2:31 – 2:55) is based on Bb minor.

Don Henley | Sunset Grill

1984 saw the release of “Sunset Grill,” a top-10 hit from vocalist / drummer / singwriter Don Henley (best known for his work with The Eagles.) The horn section and Pino Palladino‘s fretless bass lines are standouts on this track, which was written in honor of an actual Los Angeles burger joint — still in business on the legendary Sunset Boulevard despite several ownership turnovers through the years. The direct whole-step modulation is at 4:03.

Orleans | Love Takes Time

Orleans scored a bubbly Top 40 and adult contemporary hit with “Love Takes Time” (1979). “When ‘Love Takes Time’ peaked at #11, right above it was England Dan and John Ford Coley’s ‘Love is the Answer’ at #10, ‘Stumblin’ In’ by Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman at #9, and ‘Just When I Needed You Most’ by Randy Vanwarmer at #8.

That whole sound, known as yacht rock today, blended well together — offsetting the disco hits in the top seven positions during that genre’s peak.” (Goldmine).

Orleans’ trademark multi-vocalist firepower is in evidence throughout the track. Several of the tune’s verses and choruses, as well the bridge, come and go before the modulation finally arrives at 3:01.

Kelly Rowland | Stole

After gaining fame as part of Destiny’s Child, vocalist Kelly Rowland released “Stole” in 2002. The lyrics detail the anguish of multiple young lives lost to violence. The tune was a smash hit in the UK and Australia, but didn’t perform nearly as well in the US.

The form alternates between an intro and verse built around a Cmajor/Asus2 vamp and a chorus with a repeating Gmin/Dmin/Cmin pattern (first appearing at 0:45).

Donald Fagen | Ruby Baby

A decade after he co-founded Steely Dan, vocalist / keyboardist / composer Donald Fagen released 1982’s The Nightfly, an album which featured a distinctively Cold War/1950s vibe and was reportedly inspired by Fagen’s childhood habit of late night jazz radio listening. Not surprisingly given Fagen’s trademark harmonic complexity, “Ruby Baby” modulates at 2:57, but the close harmonies of the backing vocals are so complexly layered that the key change seems almost routine in comparison.