Originally written by Jule Styne (music), Betty Comden and Adolph Green (lyrics) for the 1960 musical Do Re Mi, “Make Someone Happy” subsequently became a jazz standard, and has been recorded by dozens of singers including Perry Como, Aretha Franklin, Judy Garland, and Jamie Cullum among others. Featured here is a live 2009 performance by Barbra Streisand at the Village Vanguard in New York City. Starting in C major, the tune modulates down to B around 3:29 while Streisand is ad-libbing some dialogue and stays there for the final chorus.
Category: Henry
Michael Buble | Everything
The lead single from Buble’s 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible, “Everything” is a departure from Buble’s typical big-band style — driven by the piano and guitar rather than a horn section. The music is co-written by Alan Chang, a frequent Buble collaborator, and songwriter/author Amy Foster-Gilles (also the daughter of mega-producer David Foster.) Buble’s lyrics were written with his then-girlfriend, actress Emily Blunt, in mind, but have a broader reach as well. “I wrote the song about the great happiness of real love,” Buble said, “but at the same time I was making a statement about the world. We’re living in really crazy times, and I wanted to say that no matter what’s happening, this person in my life is what really makes it worthwhile.”
The music video has over 107 million views on YouTube, and features cameos by Whoopi Goldberg and Bono. A whole step modulation from D to E occurs at 2:29.
Andrew Ripp | Jericho
“Jericho” was released in August 2020 by Andrew Ripp, an American singer-songwriter specializing in contemporary Christian music. “The story of Jericho has always been super inspiring to me, which is why I wanted to turn it into a song,” Ripp said. “The part that really draws me in is when God says to Joshua, ‘See, I have given you the city.’ It wasn’t the marching around the walls of Jericho that made them fall, it was the moment Joshua believed God over his circumstance that the city became his. Marching was just an exercise in faith and obedience.”
The track debuted at #32 on the Billboard Hot Christian chart, and eventually broke into the top ten. Key change at 2:38.
The Supremes | Baby Love
Considered to be one of the most popular songs of the second half of the twentieth century, “Baby Love” was recorded in 1964 by The Supremes for their album Where Did Our Love Go. The track, with Diana Ross on lead vocals, was the second of five consecutive #1 hits for the group, and was nominated for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording at the 1965 Grammy Awards. There is a half-step modulation from C to Db at 1:34.
Cat Stevens | Morning Has Broken
A Christian hymn first published in 1931, “Morning Has Broken” was made popular by Cat Stevens, who recorded the song for his 1971 album Teaser and the Firecat. It has since been performed by an array of artists, from Neil Diamond to Judy Collins to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and is frequently programed at wedding and funeral services.
Stevens’ arrangement fluctuates between C major and D major throughout: the first, second, and fourth verses are in C, with the introduction, third verse, and outro in D.
Bee Gees | Too Much Heaven
Originally written to be the Bee Gees‘ contribution to the “Music for UNICEF” concert in 1979, “Too Much Heaven” became one of the band’s most popular songs, the fourth of six consecutive #1 hits for the group in three years. Featuring the distinctive, high falsetto timbre the Bee Gees are known for, the track includes nine layers of three-part harmony, as well as a guest appearance by the horn players of the American rock band Chicago. Key change at 3:30.
Frida Elsa | Sway
“Sway” is a 2018 single by Swedish singer/songwriter Frida Elsa. While Elsa has yet to release a full album, she signed with PRMD Music & Publishing in 2017, and has a clear sense of herself as an artist. “I love being part of the creative process and above all to express myself in text and melody,” she says in her profile on Spotify. “I try, in a world of misery, to focus on all the positive things I get out of life. My lyrics focus on love, passion and hope for a brighter future.”
“Sway” modulates up a half step at 2:09.
Starship | Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
Written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” was recorded by the American rock band Starship for their 1987 album No Protection. The track was the top-selling song of 1987 in the United Kingdom, reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1988 (it was the theme song for the 1987 romantic comedy Mannequin.) Key change at 2:56.
Bruce Hornsby | The Tide Will Rise
“The Tide Will Rise,” co-written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother John, is featured on the 1993 album Harbor Lights. The lyric focuses on the rhythms in particular of a fisherman’s life at sea, but the sentiments are universally applicable to the ups and downs of life. Key changes from F to G at 2:08.
Kelly Clarkson | Don’t Rush
Written for Kelly Clarkson‘s first greatest hits album, released in 2012, “Don’t Rush” also features singer/songwriter Vince Gill and incorporates country and rock influences. “People have been wanting me to release something specifically for Country radio for years, but I didn’t want to just release something that has a steel guitar on it,” Clarkson said in an interview with Billboard magazine. “I wanted to release something I’m proud of, and we finally found that song. It’s my favorite kind of Country music; it’s like ’80s, ’90s Country music, that throwback, two-steppin’ style. And I’m freakin’ stoked I got Vince Gill to sing on it with me, so I win ’cause he’s like one of my favorite people.”
The track reached the #23 slot on the US Hot Country Songs chart and was performed at the Country Music Association awards in 2012 (featured here.) Key change at 2:55.
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