Elise – Page 27

Love Unlimited | I Belong to You

“The popular worldwide group, Love Unlimited, sold millions of records and performed to sold-out crowds all over the world,” (EurWeb). “The three original members (were) Glodean White (lead singer), Linda James (now Linda Hunziker), and (the late) Diane Taylor. Love Unlimited enjoyed great success with their first single ‘Walking In The Rain With The One I Love,’ their first gold single from the album From a Girl’s Point of View;” the album went Platinum and was produced by Barry White … Barry (worked) with the group and became their manager/writer/producer … ” Glodean later became Barry’s wife.

“Love Unlimited’s second album, Under the Influence of Love (1974), reached #3 on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart; (the trio) became the first female group to reach the top five since Diana Ross and The Supremes. Love Unlimited continued their hot streak with a #1 R&B hit, “I Belong to You” from their gold selling album In Heat.

“I Belong to You,” a classic mid-tempo R+B track in an insistent 6/8, features vocal textures reminiscent of a sidewalk a cappella group. But there’s plenty of instrumental accompaniment, including strings that remind us of the trio’s notable hits with Barry White as the Love Unlimited Orchestra. At 2:49, an unprepared key change shifts up a half-step.

Tatiana Eva-Marie + Avalon Jazz Band | La Mer (Beyond the Sea)

“Accruing around 80 million views on YouTube, Tatiana Eva-Marie was acclaimed as a millennial shaking up the jazz scene by Vanity Fair,” (Old Town School). “Though her interests have led her to explore a wide range of musical styles, Eva-Marie’s craft is always inspired by her own French and Romanian-Gypsy heritage; a love for the Parisian art scene era spanning the 1920s to the 60s; a passion for traditional Gypsy songs; a fascination for New Orleans music; and a deep connection to the Great American Songbook.

Nicknamed the ‘Gypsy-jazz Warbler’ by the New York Times, Tatiana Eva-Marie is a transatlantic bandleader, singer, author, and actress based in Brooklyn. She is known for singing French popular music derived from the Django tradition with Balkan Gypsy and folk influences.”

Written by Jack Lawrence, the tune’s original title was “La Mer” (‘The Sea’), (JonKutner.com) first released in 1945. “Its French lyric was written by Charles Trenet … “It would be three years until Trenet actually recorded the song … he was told that it was ‘not swing enough’ to be a hit; for this reason it sat in a drawer for three years … It was used in the 1948 movie Every Girl Should Be Married, which starred Cary Grant. The song wasn’t quite so imaginative when it was given an English lyric interpretation by Jack Lawrence, but nonetheless it earned Bobby Darin a gold disc.”

Following an AABA form, starting in C major, the tune shifts up for the B section (first to E major from 0:53 – 1:03, then to G major from 1:04 – 1:15) before returning to C major for the final A section.

The Guess Who | No Time

“Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings of The Guess Who were aiming for a rock hit to follow their first gold record, the ballad ‘These Eyes,'” (Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame). “They found it in the contrasting hard-driving rocker ‘No Time.’

They had been impressed by the new country-rock sound of Buffalo Springfield, of which their Winnipeg friend Neil Young was a member. The inspiration for (the) opening guitar riff came from one in Springfield’s ‘Hung Upside Down’; Bachman said he ‘turned it upside down and made my own riff out of it,’ … by early 1970 it was another million-seller.” In February and March 1970, the track was a top 10 hit in the US and Canada alike. “The Guess Who were chosen as the Junos’ top group in 1970 and again in 1971.

… The BMI award-winning No Time is, in essence, a break-up song:

No time for a summer friend / No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I / There’s no time left for you.

The intriguing lyric ‘No time for the killing floor’ is anti-war slang that Cummings and Bachman had heard in San Francisco, equating the Viet Nam war – accurately – with a slaughterhouse.”

The tune’s intro and verse are in D minor; the chorus shifts to G major (heard for the first time from 0:37 – 1:04). Throughout, the track’s energetic feel runs counter to the heartbreaking lyrics.

Julian Cope | World Shut Your Mouth

“Retreating from the collapse of the (band) Teardrop Explodes to his hometown of Tamworth UK, Julian Cope produced his first solo effort,” (World Shut Your Mouth, 1984) … “The result is a surprisingly vibrant, rich album that shows Cope easily moving on from his group days while retaining his unique powerful and natural gifts for singing and songwriting,” (AllMusic). “If there’s something about the sound of World that suggests its early-’80s recording dates … Cope’s own particular, heavily psych-into-pop-inspired goals aren’t lost in it.

Some of his songs are so inspired that one just has to wonder how in the world they didn’t end up as hits somewhere … Throughout World, Cope demonstrates why he’s one of the best, most unaffected singers in rock around, his vocals carrying sweep and passion without sounding like he’s trying to impress himself or others.”

Built in an uptuned B major overall, there’s a brief key-of-the-moment shift (2:28 -2:36) up a whole step to C# after verses and choruses 1 and 2, an instrumental break, and another chorus before a return to the original key. But at 3:06, C# major is back to accompany us through the instrumental outro.

Sugarloaf | I’ve Got a Song

“The end of the 1960s set the stage for Sugarloaf, with its beginning as the Denver band Chocolate Hair. Keyboardist/vocalist Jerry Corbetta and guitarist Bob Webber … plus Bob Raymond on bass and Myron Pollock on drums … (later) took the name of a mountain summit in the foothills above Boulder … transforming the rock quartet into Sugarloaf,” (Colorado Music Hall of Fame).

“… A mix of rock, R&B, and jazz licks became the basis for the debut LP … the band (produced) a major national hit: “Green-Eyed Lady,” which peaked at No. 3 in October 1970. The song resonated with psychedelic rock fans coming down from the high of the Summer of Love and quickly became the group’s biggest hit.” The band later released another hit, “‘Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You.’ An amusing song about the fickle music industry, the dance-friendly track spelled out, touch-tone style, the phone numbers for CBS Records … (it) became a hit, reaching #9 in March 1975.”

The band’s 1975 uptempo release, “I’ve Got a Song,” didn’t fare as well, only reaching #110 on the US pop charts. Starting in A major, the piano-driven tune shifts into D major after the intro (0:39) and ends in Eb major (3:10).

SWV | Weak

“… the ’90s slow jam against which all ‘90s slow jams would be judged … (peaked) at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1993 (Pitchfork) … ‘Weak’ clearly didn’t leap out to its singer as the era-defining ballad it would become, but then, nor did SWV immediately scan as the pop stars they would turn into months after the release of their 1992 debut, It’s About Time … a certain scrappiness was key to their appeal. They were three self-described around-the-way girls from New York … They blended classic girl-group harmonies and church singing … They embodied the ’90s ideal of not trying too hard …

As if guided by destiny, SWV found themselves in a sweet spot, conversant with R&B radio’s contemporary trends and a greater soul tradition, while offering flair distinct enough to make them really pop … Much of the group’s uniqueness can be chalked up to (lead vocalist) Coko’s candied voice: so guilelessly chirpy as to be surreal … A perpetual source of melisma, she renders short words multisyllabic as a matter of course … the union of hip-hop and soul, the allegiance to the remix, the street style, and conscious elegance all contribute to their status as a quintessential ‘90s R&B group, but more than anything, it was their ability to make it all look easy … “

The original version of this classic tune is worth another listen. But the group’s recent appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts shows the extra depth that live performance offers, as well as a more dynamic arrangement than the original. After a start in F major, 17:32 brings a bridge (enhanced with plenty of audience participation on this version!) which leads to a key change to G major at 17:49.

Al Green | Happy Days Ahead

“It starts with the voice. You either get it or you don’t — and though it took too long, by now almost everyone does,” (Robert Christgau). “Al Green’s mid-range generates a mellow burn like good single-malt Scotch and is cut by a rotgut roughness when he growls and a signature falsetto finer than wine. It’s hard to believe the Michigan-raised, Memphis-based Arkansan, born Albert Greene and now 61, was once dissed for being less manly than Otis Redding–women have always adored him. He seemed both vulnerable and passionate, and he minded his subtle touches like a love man should.

Green started in gospel, and after a return to Jesus and a fall from grace on the charts, he reinvented himself as a gospel singer in 1980 and eventually amassed a sacred catalogue to rival (although not equal) his secular one. That catalogue, especially his miraculously consistent Hi (label) albums with producer Willie Mitchell, has replaced macho pleas and pledges as the epitome of soul … Truth ‘n’ Time, the final album before (Green) devoted himself to his ministry (1978), is yet another expression of his mixed feelings about God and Mammon … Mammon just wasn’t doing it for him anymore.”

Starting in E major, “Happy Days Ahead” shifts to C major at 0:37, only to return to first key at 0:57. The pattern continues throughout.

Sergei Prokofiev | Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor

“Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor begins with a lonely, lamenting statement in the solo violin,” (The Listeners Club). “It’s a strangely solitary voice which opens the door to an unsettling drama filled with chilly anxiety and occasional raw terror. In his program notes, the American violinist Stefan Jackiw … provides the following descriptive analysis of this opening:

‘Prokofiev puts the listener ill at ease right from the start. The piece opens with the solo violin alone, playing a foreboding melody in G minor that is based on a 5‐beat motive. We are used to hearing musical ideas that fall neatly into 2, 3, 4, or 6‐beat patterns. Five beats don’t feel comfortable. Furthermore, since the violin is alone, the orchestra gives the listener no additional context to find his bearings. When the orchestra finally comes in several bars later, it enters in a completely different tonality, further throwing the listener off balance and compounding the sense of unease. The movement closes with one of the most nihilistic statements in music I know: two short, dry pizzicati thuds from the entire orchestra, like a falling guillotine.’

Prokofiev wrote this music in 1935 as he was preparing to resettle in his native Russia after years abroad in Paris and the United States. In order to be repatriated, he needed to appease Stalin and his restrictive artistic ideals of ‘Soviet Realism.’ For Prokofiev, this meant abandoning the “decadent formalism” of his earlier enfant terrible years.”

Beginning in G minor, the first movement progresses through several phrases before shifting to C# minor at 0:57. Many other shifts in tonality follow, as this score-based video shows!

Mama’s Gun | Cheap Hotel

“Cheap Hotel (2014) is UK band Mama’s Gun third album,” (Soul&Jazz&Funk). “The Andy Platts-fronted outfit debuted with Routes To Riches and its pleasing, soul-slanted pop won underground acclaim, though the set went to 3 in the Japanese album charts! The band’s second LP, The Life And Soul, was (as the name might imply) a much more soulful affair and one of the tracks, ‘Pots Of Gold’ won the affection of real soul fans worldwide. For Cheap Hotel, the band … have reunited with their first producer – Julian Simmons (who’s recently worked with Ed Sheeran and the Guillemots) and not surprisingly the overall sound of the set reverts back to a poppier flavor, albeit a very classy kind of pop with, yes, a touch of soul still about it.

Group leader Platts, we’re told, has eclectic tastes. He cites Motown and funk as amongst his formative influences, but he admits to a huge passion for ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) — and it’s that Brummie based outfit’s sound that dominates Cheap Hotel … Dip in almost anywhere here and you’ll be reminded of ELO – maybe garnished with a hint of the Beatles or the sounds of a little gentleman called Prince, but it’s almost all that slick, polished ELO pop sound … Cheap Hotel is a great pop album with just a touch of soul about it.”

The title track begins like a particularly funky day on Sesame Street, complete with a hook doubled between whistles and a tinny toy xylophone. But after the verse starts at 0:18, occasional extra beats and a Prince-like high lead vocal on the chorus confirm that this isn’t a theme from a children’s TV show. At 0:53, the second verse brings an upward half-step key change, but at 1:09, the tonality deflates back to the original key. It’s tempting to wait for another key change at some point during the tune, but other than some quick shifts during an instrumental break (1:29 – 1:53), it never arrives!

Kestrel | The Acrobat

“(A Newcastle, UK band,) Kestrel, debuted in 1975 … a symphonic rock quintet that were doing the London college circuit when they caught the attention of producer John Worth, who signed them and released their one album in 1975 (Background Magazine) … The (self-titled) original album was almost 45 minutes long and contained eight tracks.

Right from the start you hear you’re dealing with a progressive rock outfit. Not so strange when you do know that (guitarist/vocalist Dave) Black was influenced at the time by acts such as Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Camel, Yes, and Genesis. However, don’t expect that kind of music on this release. The songs the band recorded for their album were more radio-friendly than most of the bands that had influenced them … They were great in the lead and harmony vocals and could shine on their instruments as well. At the same time, they mixed their complex compositions with rather catchy sounding three-minute songs … which gave them a couple of hits in their own country. Unfortunately, the lack of promotion of by their record company at the time made it impossible that Kestrel would receive the same international success … the band had certainly everything to make it bigger.”

On “The Acrobat,” after a quiet rubato intro, the groove kicks in for the first verse in A major at 0:35. A rangy, often highly syncopated vocal melody, kept front and center in the mix, is very much the focus from there on. The tune touches on C major around the 1:00 mark, A major at 1:06, C minor at 1:11, etc., etc. At that point, we’re more or less harmonically unmoored. 2:58 brings a Fender Rhodes-led jazz interlude which decays into something resembling self-parody before we return to more familiar territory at 3:41. At 4:35, we circle back to a new verse at last. Light in the Attic called the album “(an) unsung prog-rock gem … boasting an abundance of technical musicianship and inhabiting a space somewhere between golden-age prog and AOR.” Whether or not you agree, we hope you packed a lunch!