JB – Page 7

The Debonaires | Headache In My Heart

“The Debonaires were cousins, Joyce Vincent Wilson and Telma Hopkins … there were other members who remain unknown,” (AllMusic). The group released several smaller singles in the mid-60s, but 1966’s “Headache in My Heart” b/w “Loving You Takes All My Time,” raised the group’s profile by engaging George Clinton as producer (Solid Hit Records). “Solid Hit’s typist blew the spelling and the single is credited as by the Debonairs; she missed the E, but it didn’t matter; it didn’t sell either. They tried one last time with “I’m in Love Again” before closing the book on the Debonaires.

… Wilson and Hopkins later sung with Tony Orlando, a pop group that notched three number one hits” … eventually, they became known collectively, via their work with Orlando, as Dawn. “Tony Orlando and Dawn unite from time to time for brief appearances, but the Debonaires were forgotten almost before they began.”

“Headache in My Heart” comes straight out of central casting: a minor key tune about heartache that clocks in well under three minutes, following a clear recipe for chart success at the time. Unfortunately, this tune didn’t catch fire. The two-and-a-half-minute track shifts upward by half a step at 1:43.

The Brothers Johnson | All About the Heaven

“Light Up the Night was the album that Quincy Jones produced in late 1979 soon after helming Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall,” (BBC). “As a result, it is a sister sound, perfectly arranged by Jones and also partially written by UK songwriter Rod Temperton. It is a perfectly calculated piece of superior, smooth groove, with a zingy, upbeat message.

… So who were these Johnson brothers? Guitarist George and bassist Louis Johnson had been performing together since their teens with brother Tommy and cousin Alex Weir. After supporting various acts, they joined Billy Preston’s band and came to the attention of Quincy Jones when they played on his Mellow Madness album in 1975. From then on, Jones produced a run of their albums, including 1977’s Right On Time, which contained their sweetened, arguably superior version of Shuggie Otis’ ‘Strawberry Letter 23.’ Light Up the Night was a real UK soul radio favourite at the turn of the 80s, as it was another window into bright, shiny Californian sunshine amid the grimness of the early part of that decade.”

After a brief intro in Bb major, “All About the Heaven” shifts into its first G major verse at 0:21. At 1:00, the chorus enters with a return to Bb major. The pattern continues from there. The soft-spoken ballad is a perfect contrast to the album’s hit track, the uptempo dance track “Stomp.”

Spiers + Boden | Bluey Brink

“Spiers + Boden have been at the forefront of the English traditional folk scene for 25 years both as a ground breaking duo and as founder members of folk phenomenon Bellowhead,” (Bristol Beacon). “After a seven-year hiatus to concentrate on their Universal Records-signed big band Bellowhead, Spiers + Boden returned in 2021 with the critically acclaimed album Fallow Ground and have been taking their brand of high octane, no nonsense acoustic folk song and music to packed UK venues ever since.

Spiers + Boden first rocketed onto the music scene in 2001, quickly winning a clutch of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and went on to become one of the best loved duos on the English folk scene and beyond.”

Starting in D major, “Bluey Brink” (2024) transitions to E minor at 0:25 before the first verse starts. 2:26 – 2:36 brings an interlude in G minor, where a return to E minor drops. 4:10 brings a return to D major, with the outro mostly mirroring the intro.

The Beatles | While My Guitar Gently Weeps

“In spring 1968, George Harrison found himself eager to play the guitar,” (Financial Times). “This may not sound like a particularly illuminating observation about the lead guitarist of the world’s biggest rock group, but the recording sessions for what became known as The Beatles’ White Album marked the first time in a while that he had approached his instrument with anything more than grudging professional obligation. For the past three years he had been fixated on mastering the sitar, but now he was finding joy in his six-string again … (it) was one of The Beatles’ best compositions — a perfectly balanced mixture of elegiac vocals and electrified solos; of West Coast dream-rock and eastern philosophy.

Prior to writing the track, Harrison had immersed himself in the teachings of the I-Ching, which posits that there is meaning inherent in ostensibly random events. Putting this idea into practice, he contrived to write a song based around two words plucked arbitrarily from a nearby book: ‘gently weeps.’ But perhaps there was nothing incidental about the choice of this emotive phrase; Harrison was, after all, in a fragile state, alienated from his own band … Things had become so fraught that Harrison asked his close friend Eric Clapton to help out. Not only would his presence cajole the other three into pulling their weight, but he was, handily, one of the best guitarists in the business; his uncredited playing on ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ became one of the greatest moments of individual virtuosity on any Beatles track.”

The tune was later covered by a broad array of artists: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Prince (at Harrison’s posthumous 1988 induction into the Rock + Roll Hall of Fame); Peter Frampton; Jeff Healey; Carlos Santana, India Arie, and Yo-Yo Ma; and Regina Spektor. “For most, the song is unmistakably Harrison’s personal triumph; ‘Only a guitar player could write that,’ Mick Jagger noted.” There is probably not much need to time slate this tune; the verses (in A minor) and choruses (in A major) are about as clearly delineated as any tune we’ve featured!

Judy Collins | The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Judy Collins “has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism,” (JudyCollins.com). “In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 55-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.”

Collins is likely best known for her distinctive cover versions of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” and for inspiring artists including Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen (who highlighted her legacy with the 2008 album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins). But her versatile musicality and flawless soprano have also supported memorable performances of scores of lesser-known songs.

One example of such a song is Jimmy Webb’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.” The legendary “Wichita Lineman” is likely the songwriter’s most prominent creation, but “Moon” features the same level of songcraft. Webb recalls ” … (it) became a standard without ever becoming a hit and was symbiotic of that decade of my life, my struggle, my failure, my angst, my pride and even scorn,” (Songfacts) ” … recorded by Judy Collins, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Shawn Colvin, Pat Metheny, Glen Campbell. A list of people who got it.” Starting in Bb major, the 1975 track transitions upward to Db major via a tiny yet assiduous instrumental bridge (1:41 – 1:45). Once in the new key, the gorgeous melody and haunting lyrics are at center stage.

Manfred Mann | Fox On the Run

The bluegrass standard ‘Fox On the Run’ “… (was) written by Tony Hazzard in 1968,” (Bluegrass Today) ” … Having been raised in the country on the outskirts of Liverpool as a young boy, Tony had a lot of inspiration to draw from for the imagery in the song. ‘The main source was an imagined scene, described in the chorus, of a hot summer’s day, a field of wheat sloping down to a river in the sunshine, and a blonde woman walking through the wheat field towards the river … The second source was really just the feel of the music. I was a fan of The Band in the late 60s, and their style was running through me at the time.’

… Tony played the song for British rockers Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and in 1968, ‘Fox on the Run’ became a hit song for them in the UK … In 1976, Tom T. Hall took ‘Fox On the Run’ to #9 on the US Billboard Charts and to #12 in Canada. The song went on to be recorded many more times by bluegrass and country bands all over the US. You can hardly walk past a festival jam without hearing a version of this beloved chestnut … (Tony adds) ‘I eventually realized it had become a standard, and I’m very proud of that fact; the song will remain long after I’m gone, and if people think it’s an old folk song, that’s fine by me!’”

After a start in C major, a surprising shift to Bb major hits at 0:33, ushered in by an odd time signature. At 0:57, the tune reverts to the original key. These sections alternate until 2:08, when a half-step key change to Db major unfolds and remains in effect for the balance of the tune.

For good measure, here’s an example of the tune’s frequent setting in the Bluegrass genre, as represented by Bolt Hill Band:

Genesis | You Might Recall

“On the one side stood their proggy past; on the other, pop stardom. Even the album itself – released in tandem with a film of the same name on June 1, 1982, it chronicles the tours in support of 1980’s Duke and 1981’s Abacab – seems to be peeking ahead,” (Ultimate Classic Rock). “The fourth side features a handful of sleek tracks left over from the Duke sessions and 1982’s 3×3 EP.

‘The direction we took is very obvious, having started off in a very complex and technical background,’ (guitarist) Mike Rutherford told the Oklahoman in 1982. ‘If you want to progress and change, where do you go? You don’t want to get more technical and complex. You have to go simpler in the sense you get more into feeling … you’ve got to do what you enjoy doing. It’s as simple as that. There’s no other way to do it and be honest with yourself.’ Three Sides Live (is) a recommended entry point for anyone who came to Genesis via the MTV-era hits, and is now curious about what came before. It’s a perfect bridge to the past.”

The “single side of studio tracks from the double album” conceit only worked during the vinyl era, which in 1982 was within five years of its end. “You Might Recall,” one of the tracks from the studio side, starts in C minor with an energetic, arpeggiated keyboard hook, prominently out front in the mix. As the verse begins at 0:19, keyboardist Tony Banks’ marshy comping texture lets the lavish chord progressions and Phil Collins’ rangy vocal melody shine. At 1:01, the three-section chorus arrives with a shift to C major, rich in compound chords, supported by a pedal-point G in the bass throughout. After eight measures (1:21), part two arrives with a shift to Bb major and a pedal-point F. Finally, part three features eight measures of F major with C in the bass (1:43). At 2:04, a C minor interlude mirroring the hook-centric intro returns, and we cycle through the pattern again. As a parting gift, the second interlude (following verse 2 and chorus 2) shifts up to to new territory — G major with D in the bass (3:47 – 4:08) — before the 3-segment chorus returns and fades.

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.

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.

Brian Wilson | Your Imagination

“Few musicians, if any, have contributed as much to the American myth of summer as Beach Boys leader Wilson,” (TheSecondDisc). “Years after galvanizing popular music with albums like 1966’s much-reissued Pet Sounds and singles such as the same year’s psychedelic ‘Good Vibrations,’ Wilson embarked on a solo career in 1988 … the music produced by Wilson between 1988 and 2000 over the course of five albums, one of which remains unreleased to this day, is startlingly ripe for rediscovery.” Imagination was released in 1998.

“… Album opener ‘Your Imagination,’ co-written with Joe Thomas and Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl, shimmers with the buoyant charm of Wilson’s most effervescent compositions … Certainly many fans would like to see Brian’s vocal tracks stripped of Joe Thomas’ glossy production, but it’s difficult to dislike Imagination even in its existing mix. Recently, Wilson has embraced the distinct sound he pioneered so many years ago … his sound refined Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and is instantly identifiable for trademarks such as sleigh bells, clip-clopping percussion, and densely layered harmonies. Imagination represents a final attempt to marry Brian Wilson’s style with (somewhat) modern production … it remains a great and breezy listen for a summer afternoon.”

The track’s varied instrumentation, from classic rock combo to small orchestral groupings, keeps things moving throughout. A textbook whole-step unprepared key change hits at 2:11, followed by a sparkling instrumental break. Unexpectedly, another key change (this one only a half-step) appears at 2:40 after a grand pause.