Featuring Frank Sinatra with “That’s Life” (1966) today, from an album of the same name. The track was a top-5 hit during an era otherwise dominated by rock acts. Key change at 2:25.
Author: Mod of the Day
Whitney Houston | All the Man That I Need
Whitney Houston‘s 1990 release “All The Man That I Need” was just another garden-variety hit for the songstress, then at the peak of her powers: #1 on the US pop, adult contemporary, AND R&B/hiphop charts, plus many more high chart positions worldwide. Modulation at 2:41.
Lenny Kravitz | It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over
Lenny Kravitz‘s soulful pop release “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over” (1991) featured the Phenix Horns from Earth, Wind & Fire. According to a 2000 interview with VivaMusic.com, Kravitz said “That song just came out one day, and I knew it had a classic vibe, and still love that song very much today.” There’s a modulation during the bridge (2:02 – 2:30).
The Pretenders | Kid
Transatlantic band Pretenders (frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, an American, founded the band with an all-Brit team of sidemen) released “Kid” in 1979, just as the band began to find its audience. The tune features a direct modulation at 1:35.
Chet Baker | The Song is You
“The Song is You” is a jazz standard covered by everyone from Charlie Parker to Stan Getz to Frank Sinatra — and this 1959 version by trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker. The tune modulates in its middle section and then back to its original key (the first middle section runs from 0:49 to 1:11).
Seals + Crofts | Summer Breeze
Seals and Crofts‘ 1972 release “Summer Breeze” features an aural illusion — an apparent modulation where one doesn’t actually exist. The bridge (2:06 to 2:20) is built exclusively on compound/hybrid chords and a soaring vocal line that is unquestionably the high point of the tune. As we arrive back at the final verse at 2:20, it feels as if the tune modulated — all the cues are there. But we are still in the original key of E minor!
Hear My Song (from “Songs for a New World”)
Closing out the week with the finale from Songs For A New World – The Musical (1995) by Jason Robert Brown, “Hear My Song.” Key changes at 4:16 and 4:38. Enjoy!
Opening Sequence (from “Songs From a New World”)
Here’s the opening number from Songs For a New World by Jason Robert Brown. From The Guide to Musical Theatre‘s synopsis: “The theme is the moment of decision, the point at which you transition from the old to the new. The change may be geographical, emotional, professional or marital but things are different than they were before. The result is neither musical play nor revue; it is closer to a theatrical song cycle, a very theatrical song cycle.”
There are modulations at 2:20, 3:45, 4:12, and 4:39.
James Taylor | On the 4th of July
Happy Fourth! Apologies for the second James Taylor post in as many weeks!
JT somehow seamlessly combines Americana instrumentation with a light Brazilian groove and unmistakably jazz-infused chord voicings for “On the 4th of July” (2002). In the short instrumental section (2:11), the guitar restates the hook and the scene is set for the modulation (2:19).
Rick Springfield | Jessie’s Girl
During the summer of 1981, Rick Springfield‘s power pop hit “Jessie’s Girl” completed its climb up the charts, finally hitting #1 in August — six months after its release and just as MTV hit the airwaves. Song of the summer? An understatement.
The bridge, starting at 1:39, transitions with a direct modulation to an instrumental section at 2:00, changing back to the original key at 2:14.
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