Elise

Luther Vandross + Cheryl Lynn | If This World Were Mine

“Luther Vandross is R&B music’s tragic hero – a soulful soloist who was most popular while singing backup for rockers, a strict disciplinarian who could control everything except his weight, a hopeless romantic who died alone, miserable and far too young,” (The Guardian). “It’s a sad story revisited in a new documentary currently in limited theatrical release that is expected to begin streaming early next year. Directed by the biographical film-maker Dawn Porter, produced by Jamie Foxx and arranged by Robert Glasper, the 160-minute film is a stark reminder of the aversions and prejudices that stalled Vandross’s breakthrough and ultimately broke him.

Stardom should have happened so much earlier for Vandross, who really did have it all: songwriting chops, producing knack and a velveteen vocal clarity and dexterity to rival Whitney Houston. But record execs refused to see past his dark skin and overweight physique. The stigma had Vandross at once determined to succeed and self-conscious about stepping into the spotlight … Decades on, Vandross endures as a timeless crooner whose vulnerability and sincerity set the standard for male R&B vocalists, practically an endangered species now. In the documentary, Vandross gets due credit for his role in breaking the color barrier in the music industry – where, ultimately, he made truer classifications for himself: adult contemporary, quiet storm.”

“‘If This World Were Mine’ was a hit single recorded by Vandross and Lynn for her album Instant Love,” (ThisIsRnB).) “The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart in 1982. The song was a remake of the original 1967 version recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from their album United. The original, written solely by Gaye, was one of the few songs they recorded without Ashford & Simpson writing or producing. The original also hit the charts peaking at No. 68 on the Billboard Pop chart, and No. 27 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.”

Starting in a slightly detuned D major, the ballad is a worthy vocal showcase for both Vandross and Lynn, who at first alternate leisurely verses. At 2:05, the intensity builds with a bridge, followed by a trap door of a key change to E major at 2:43.

I Believe (from “Book of Mormon”)

“The Book of Mormon was developed by Matt Stone, Trey Parker, and Robert Lopez,” (Broadway World). “Trey and Matt infamously created the South Park animated series, and Robert Lopez helped conceive the puppet comedy Avenue Q. They took eight years to develop this one (small workshops that progressively grew larger), which finally opened on Broadway in 2011, launching the careers of Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad. These sublimely brilliant guys crafted an insanely fast-paced book that whips out impressive songs bordering on Sondheim in their narrative complexity and density of words.

But the twist is the lyrics and plot points are peppered with F-Bombs and jokes about Africa, AIDS, gays, Mormons, Christians, and pedophilia. The combination of well-sung songs about inappropriate observations is the genius of the show. And much like their other ventures, the material has smart things to say in an ultimately heartfelt way. That is why we are talking about this show as a ‘legacy musical’ today: at the core, it is a wonderful friendship that is incredible to watch.”

“I Believe,” one of the show’s best known tunes, states a laundry list of tenets of the Mormon faith with even more earnestness than you’d expect — and varying levels of sarcasm. The tonality shifts up from F major to F# major at 3:33.

Maria Rita | Maltratar, Não é Direito

“As the daughter of two Brazilian musical icons – legendary singer Elis Regina and acclaimed pianist Cezar Camargo Mariano – it’s no surprise that Maria Rita has followed in their footsteps to become one of her native land’s best selling artists,” (BBC). “After studying at New York University and working as a journalist, Rita didn’t release her first album until the age of 24, but over a million sales worldwide for her eponymous debut and a host of Latin Grammy awards soon established her at the pinnacle of the MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) scene.

After further success with 2005’s Segundo, Samba Meu (My Samba, 2007) sees the São Paulo-born star paying tribute to the traditional music of Brazil, featuring acoustic reinterpretations of works by some of the country’s great songwriters. Backed by some impeccably tasteful musicianship and arrangements, Rita meanders politely through 13 pleasant, yet distinctly unmemorable, tracks; her note-perfect vocals never threatening to break into anything more taxing than a breezy trill.”

Beginning in D minor, Rita’s “Maltratar, Não é Direito” (which translates approximately to “mistreating others is not right”), shifts to D major at 1:00 for its chorus. At 1:36, it returns to D minor for an interlude centering around a wordless vocal before shifting back to the next verse. The pattern continues from there, propelled by a saturated instrumentation (layered percussion and the small yet mighty cavaquinho, in particular).

Bloodstone | We Go a Long Way Back

“Bloodstone’s history goes back to 1962 when a group of Kansas City teens formed the Sinceres who later became the Soulful Emeralds before settling on Bloodstone,” (SoulandJazzandFunk). “The core lineup was Charles Love on guitar, Melvin Webb on drums, Roger Durham on percussion, McCormick on bass/vocals, Harry Williams on percussion, and Willis Draffen on guitar. Working in and around Los Angeles they became known for their ability to blend soul/funk with doo-wop harmonies and rock guitar.

Their best known song was 1972’s ‘Natural High’ – a sweet ballad that became a top 10 hit. The song was recorded under the auspices of famed UK blues producer/musician Mike Vernon. The band’s other hits included ‘Never Let You Go’, ‘Outside Woman’ and ‘My Little Lady.’ In the 80s, Bloodstone enjoyed success with songs like ‘We Go a Long Way Back’ and ‘Go On and Cry’. The ever-lovely ‘Natural High’ enjoyed further success after being featured on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 movie, Jackie Brown.“

The R+B ballad “We Go a Long Way Back” (1982) features a super-late half-step key change (4:04), but it could hardly be more dramatic. The lead vocalist belts a super-charged note through the key change which gradually adjusts upwards to the new key, but is quite … piquant(?) … in the process. The new key is fully in effect at 4:09.

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James Duncan Mackenzie | Fibhig

“With a superb piping pedigree and an equally fine touch on the wooden flute, this Lewis multi-instrumentalist and composer focuses on his island heritage and his own compositions on Fìbhig,” (Living Tradition).

“Fine new tunes, a dozen musicians and singers, and bewitching production by James himself bring the rugged beauty of (Scotland’s) Hebrides to life. Birthdays and weddings, mountains and sea, and an animal menagerie – there’s no shortage of excitement here. For an island album, especially one from Lewis, Fìbhig is surprisingly cheery and upbeat, enjoyable from start to finish … the charming title track (is) named for a tiny hamlet in the back of beyond … “

The first long section of “Fibhig” walks the line between Ab major and its relative F minor. At 2:19, an unprepared key change jumps us up to Eb major, which similarly shares the spotlight with its relative C minor.

Clannad (feat. Bono) | In a Lifetime

In the mid-1980s, “Clannad, a family output from Donegal … were best known for the startling ‘Theme From Harry’s Game,’ recorded almost entirely in the Irish language itself,” (FarOutMagazine). “Their horizons were widening, and they felt confident enough in their abilities to work with a singer of Bono’s calibre by the time they recorded ‘In a Lifetime’ (1986). They were a family unit, no hollow metaphor, but a signifier of their place as a family of artists … They were a lo-fi pastoral band from the north of Ireland who were determined to bring the mysteries of life into the forefront, by channelling the songs and tapestries of their forefathers.” By contrast, Bono (lead vocalist of the band U2) “came a world away from that, having grown up in Dublin on a diet of The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Who.

Paul Hewson was nicknamed ‘Bono’ on account of his strong vocal prowess, and he was adept at trying out new styles of singing … ‘He just walked in the studio and improvised his vocal in two takes, making up a lot of lyrics on the spot,’ Clannad singer Maire Brennan remembered. ‘The whole thing took about 10 minutes. It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen in a studio,’ … Bono showed that he could work outside of the U2 bandwidth to create compelling vocal demonstrations. His voice melds nicely with Brennan’s, and the two vocals slide in and out of the work to create a more impressive vocal choreography,” In the video, “tellingly, the two vocalists have their backs turned against each other, guided by the power of their partner’s timbre.” Brennan’s death at age 73, after several years of fighting lung disease, was announced today (The Guardian).

After an initial intro of a cappella chant, “In a Lifetime” begins in earnest at the 0:22 point with a more structured intro. Brennan’s vocal is in A minor; Bono’s first feature shifts to D minor starting at the 1:00 mark. The two keys alternate from there.

Franz Schubert | Piano Sonata in B-flat Major (D.960)

Paul Lewis: “I have been concentrating on (studying) the last six years of (Schubert’s) life, basically from the time that he received his diagnosis of syphilis. This perhaps was his death sentence, when he came to the realization that he wouldn’t live long,” (Classical Scene). “There was something that changed in the music at that point, not to say in any way that the music prior to that point was shallow at all, or lacking in emotional depth, but there was a different kind of darkness that came through …

Schubert’s music is full of nostalgia. There’s a lot of looking backwards. When we listen to the way he combines and contrasts major and minor tonalities, often placing a major tonality in the context of a minor one, the major seems sadder in a way because you have the feeling that you’re looking into the distance at something you can’t have anymore. That to me is a sort of overriding feeling there when he contrasts these two tonalities.

But in the slow movement of the b-flat (1828), towards the end when you come out of the c-sharp minor into the c major, there’s something different: it’s not just sadness. Rather it’s like seeing the light somewhere—going towards something different.” That modulation occurs at the 26:22 mark.

Almond Joy + Mounds Jingle | Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

“If a commercial comes up on TV and it involves a candy bar and a tropical island, you can quickly guess that it’s an ad for Almond Joy or Mounds,” (The Daily Meal). “Since 2010, the coconut-filled chocolate candy brand has leaned on the island vacation theme for advertising its products, with commercials featuring the tagline ‘Unwrap Paradise’ and more recently, ‘Almond Joy is Tropi-Calling.’ In the background of these commercials you can also hear calypso music playing, but what some people fail to realize is that it’s actually to the tune of Almond Joy’s original slogan and jingle.

Nowadays the jingle is instrumental, but in commercials pre-dating 2010, the lyrics ‘Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t’ were also sung. In a throwback of sorts, Almond Joy and Mounds released a 2021 commercial featuring the full song, and judging by the comments on YouTube, the older slogan is much more iconic, at least among the candy brand’s older fans.” The pre-2010 ads “would usually showcase different types of ‘nutty’ behavior, such as riding a horse backwards or flying a plane upside down. This concept was first introduced to TV in 1977, but the jingle and slogan was actually written seven years prior when Peter Paul Candy Company, the manufacturer of Almond Joy and Mounds, hired American composer Leon Carr … in 2003, the lyric ‘Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t’ was inducted into the Advertising Slogan Hall of Fame for the success it brought to the company.”

You’d think that a sprightly ad jingle clocking in at only 30 seconds wouldn’t need extra gas in the tank. But the Almond Joy/Mounds spot manages it, with a half-step upward shift in key at the 0:16 mark. Many thanks to our regular contributor Rob P. for sending in this sweet little tune!

Devo | Girl U Want

(In 1980), American art-rock band Devo released their breakthrough record, Freedom of Choice,” (Variety). “The album not only spawned the new wave smash ‘Whip It,’ but the full-length still stands the test of time, with singles such as ‘Girl U Want’ and especially the title track, still resonating today with fans … “

Devo member Gerald Casale: “‘Whip It’ was a fluke. Warner Brothers put all their chips on the first single, ‘Girl U Want.’ They released that first, and it just stiffed. Then suddenly this guy named Kal Rudman [the founder of Friday Morning Quarterback, a noted radio trade publication that covered the radio and broadcast industry] — he was a regional programmer, he had a tip sheet, and this was a guy who had ears — he actually listened to the albums people sent him. And on his own, he decided that he loved “Whip It” and started playing it. Warner Bros. wasn’t sending him money to play it; he just loved it. And it took off down south first, then quickly spread up the east coast and by the time it hit New York, it was over. We had to recalibrate our whole tour that year, and we suddenly were no longer playing 400-seat clubs; instead, we were playing 2000-5000 seat venues.'”

During the verses of “Girl U Want,” the melody is in E minor, particularly outlined by the persistent flatted seventh. But the guitar-centric hook features a natural seventh degree over the tonic chord, resulting in an spiky feeling of non-resolution where the listener would usually expect low drama. 1:16 brings a shift to C major for the bridge. The pattern continues from 1:26 — until the unresolved ending suddenly drops off a cliff.

Eurythmics | There Must Be An Angel

“Released in June 1985, ‘There Must Be An Angel’ it became Eurythmics’ only UK #1 single — a jubilant, gospel-infused track that remains one of their most celebrated works,” (Ultimate Eurythmics). “Written by Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, the song is a euphoric blend of soul, pop, and gospel, with Annie’s vocal soaring above a rich arrangement. But what truly elevates the track is the harmonica solo, performed by none other than Stevie Wonder … The single was the second release from the Be Yourself Tonight album, following the punchy ‘Would I Lie to You?’

… The lush orchestration, gospel choir, and Stevie’s harmonica all contribute to a sound that feels transcendent … Annie has described the song as ‘pure joy,’ a deliberate contrast to some of the darker, more introspective material in Eurythmics’ catalogue. Dave Stewart once recalled that when they were working on the track, Annie said, ‘This could be great for Stevie Wonder,’ and the idea of bringing him in added to the song’s sense of wonder and spontaneity.

The 1985 track is built primarily in C major, but from 2:34 – 3:08, the bridge shifts to Bb major, bringing a temporary change in the groove as well. An instrumental verse follows the bridge (including the harmonica feature).