Category: Elise

Elton John | The Ballad of Danny Bailey

Elton John‘s iconic 1973 album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The album featured “The Ballad of Danny Bailey,” a tune which seemed so authoritative that many fans thought it was about a real person. But AllMusic‘s review debunks that myth: the subject of the song was fictional.

The track starts with pivots between B minor and C major, builds to pivots between E minor and F major at 0:25, continues to grow in intensity with pivots between A minor and Bb major at 0:31, all supporting a melody ascending in pitch and intensity. At 0:49, the chorus is based on D major, but only tenuously — the lack of harmonic stability seems to reflect the song’s unsettling story. This complex song qualifies as “filler” between the far better-known hits on this legendary album.

Metallica (arranged + dubbed by Andy Rehfeldt) | Enter Sandman

This labor of love is a hilarious re-make of Metallica‘s iconic 1991 track, “Enter Sandman.” Andy Rehfeldt retained only the lead vocal from the original release while re-recording all of the other tracks. The tune has been pushed from its original key of E minor upwards into its relative major key of G major; the original dark metal sound shifts to lightweight, sunny “smooth” jazz. In addition to the full re-harmonization underneath the lead vocal (which stays in its original range), a section of the instrumental bridge (2:42 – 3:00) modulates up a full step before returning to G major.

Electric Light Orchestra | I’m Alive

The 1980 film Xanadu featured the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) track “I’m Alive.” While the film did poorly at the theaters and with critics, its soundtrack was a double-platinum smash hit, peaking at #4 on the end-of-year charts. The tune, which features Jeff Lynne‘s trademark stacked vocals and plenty of real strings layered in with synths, modulates at 2:03.

Toni Braxton | Unbreak My Heart

“Unbreak My Heart,” released in 1996 by Toni Braxton, is a Grammy-winning track (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. The tune stayed at #1 on the Pop chart for 11 weeks straight. When Billboard celebrated its 40th anniversary, the track was declared as the most successful song by a solo artist in the Billboard Hot 100 history. The verses are in the key of B minor, with modulations to D minor for the choruses and G# minor for the bridge.

An excerpt from SPIN journalist Charles Aaron’s review: “This exquisitely crafted, heart-pumping l-u-v song has been droning in the produce department of my grocery store for about a year now, but I’d just like to go on record as saying that if it ever stops, I’ll really be heartbroken.”

Sting | Shape of My Heart

In 1993, Sting released “Shape of My Heart,” a track from the album Ten Summoner’s Tales. Sting said of his guest soloist: “One of the greatest harmonica players this century, Larry Adler … he’s played with George Gershwin, he’s had symphonies written for him, he’s a classical player. He was blacklisted by the McCarthy people in the late ’40s, left the US to live in London, and he’s been there ever since.” Adler passed away in 2001 at the age of 87.

The track modulates for the instrumental bridge (2:24 – 2:53), then reverts back to its original key.

Kali Uchis (feat. Bootsy Collins) | After the Storm

Colombian-American R&B/Neo-Soul songstress Kali Uchis released “After the Storm” in 2018. This whimsical track features collaborators Tyler the Creator and funk bassist / vocalist / icon William “Bootsy” Collins.

“The saying ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ is a perfect way to describe this new track,” (ListenMag). “A silky smooth bass groove (provided by none other than Bootsy himself) which plays along the bouncing synths, transports you to an era of love, soul, and funk.”

Modulations hit at 1:43, 2:07, as the bridge starts at 2:31, and 3:07.

Aretha Franklin | Til You Come Back to Me

Co-written and recorded by Stevie Wonder but never released until a subsequent retrospective album, “Til You Come Back to Me” (1973) was a huge hit for Aretha Franklin, reaching #1 on the R&B chart and #3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. The tune was later covered by over a dozen other prominent artists, ranging from Johnny Mathis to Cyndi Lauper. The short bridge (1:30 – 1:51) departs from the primary key of D Major.

Kenny Loggins + Stevie Nicks | Whenever I Call You Friend

“Whenever I Call You Friend” by Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks (1978) was released among a slew of late-disco tunes. The track stood out for its kinetic pop sound despite its string-heavy arrangement. There are plenty of modulations, particularly from the instrumental bridge (2:30) onward. The tune, written by Loggins and Melissa Manchester, went top ten in the US and Canada.

Diana Ross | It’s My Turn

“It’s My Turn” (1980), the theme song for the film of the same name, was written by Carole Bayer Sager (lyrics) and Michael Masser (music). The late 70s and early 80s saw Diana Ross‘ continued professional ascent, despite the 1977 breakup of The Supremes, the group which brought her to prominence. A major single for Ross, the tune peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, #14 on the Soul chart, and #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart. There are multiple modulations, with the first at 0:26.

To quote a friend who is definitely a Diana fan: “When has it EVER not been her turn?” 🙂