Steck – Page 5

Shelby Flint | Cast Your Fate to the Wind

In 1962, pianist Vince Guaraldi created that rare thing, a hit jazz instrumental, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind”, which reached #22 on the Billboard chart. The recording won a 1963 Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. A few years later, Guaraldi enshrined himself in American popular culture as the composer of the songs for the Peanuts TV specials.

On their first date, lyricist Carel Werber went with her future husband Frank, then manager for the Kingston Trio, to a club in Sausalito, where Guaraldi played the song for her. She loved it, and wrote the lyrics during trips over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Singer Shelby Flint had her own Billboard #22 hit, “Angel on My Shoulder”, which she wrote, in 1962. Her vocal version of Guaraldi’s song was released in 1966, reaching #61 on the Billboard charts.

The song starts in Db major, with a modulation to D in the instrumental section at 0:51, closing with another half-step shift up at 1:14. The verse then resumes in D-flat.

Here’s Guaraldi’s instrumental original:

Connie Stevens | Hey, Good Lookin’

In the early 1960s, Connie Stevens was a superstar, playing
photographer and nightclub singer Cricket Blake on the TV series
“Hawaiian Eye” and scoring on the pop charts with songs like “Sixteen
Reasons.” Later on, she worked as an actual nightclub singer in Las
Vegas, and continued to work in TV and film well into the 2000s. In
the early 1970s, she recorded some sides with famed producer Thom
Bell, making the first version of “Betcha By Golly Wow” (released
under the more sensible title “Keep Growing Strong”), and covering the
Delfonics hit “La La Means I Love You” (which Bell had co-produced).

The country classic “Hey, Good Lookin'”, was the lead track on her 1962 Warner Bros. album, The Hank Williams Songbook. The big band arrangement chugs along merrily in G major until a cute, unexpected, just under-the-wire modulation to Ab major at 1:44 during the end tag/turnaround.

The Street People | Jennifer Tomkins

In 1979, British-American singer-songwriter Rupert Holmes had a hit with “Escape (The Piña Colada song),” a Billboard #1, and a top song of the ’70s. But a decade earlier, he was working as a session musician on a planned release by the Cuff Links, a pop band with sugary hits like 1969’s “Tracy”. The Cuff Links’ singer was Ron Dante, also the voice of The Archies. Due to contractual restrictions, Dante was pulled from the project; Holmes released one of the tracks they’d been working on, 1970’s “Jennifer Tompkins,” under the name “The Street People.” That release made it to #36 on Billboard‘s Hot 100.

The lyrics tell the hard-luck tale of the song’s eponymous subject, offering an odd contrast with the sprightly musical track. Despite a running time of only 1:50, the song packs a satisfying series of modulations. The first half-step mod comes at 0:34. There’s a whole step mod at 1:18, followed by half-steps at 1:26, 1:34, and at 1:42 during the fade out.

The Zombies | This Will Be Our Year

The Zombies were part of the early 1960s British Invasion with top hits like “She’s Not There” (Billboard #2, 1964), and “Tell Her No” (Billboard #6, 1965). Their last hit recording was “Time of the Season” (Billboard #3, 1968), which appeared on the album Odessey and Oracle. The title of the album was an unintentional misspelling by the artist who created the LP cover art. Oh, well. Despite that orthographic sin, AllMusic calls the album “one of the flukiest (and best) albums of the 1960s.”

The song here, “This Will Be Our Year”, is taken from that album. It was written by bassist Chris White, one of two principal songwriters in the group, along with keyboard ace Rod Argent. It’s a neat, concise slice of British pop, featuring Argent’s piano, and the vocals of Colin Blunstone. There’s an half-step modulation from A to Bb at 0:59.

Lesley Gore | Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows

Lesley Gore is best known for the adolescent assertion of independence “It’s My Party” (Billboard #1 in 1963), produced by Quincy Jones, and recorded when she was 16. That song appeared on the album I’ll Cry If I Want To. She recorded her second album in 1963, Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts, which contained another, more grown-up hit, “You Don’t Own Me,” previously featured on MotD.

That same album featured “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows”, written by Marvin Hamlisch, who had yet to achieve the fame that awaited him. It wasn’t until 1965 that the song was released as a single, to accompany its appearance in the movie Ski Party, a trashy beach movie set on the ski slopes — but which still included a beach, somehow. Besides Lesley Gore, there were musical contributions from James Brown and surf band The Hondells. The stars were noted thespians Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, and Deborah Walley.

“Sunshine …” was a favorite of radio DJs at the time of its release, because its running time of just over 90 seconds made it perfect to fill short programming gaps. But there’s no debating its merits — it’s a short, fun blast! There’s a half-step modulation at 0:46.

The Four Seasons | Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me)

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons were a hit-making machine in the 1960s. Beginning with their #1 single “Sherry” in 1962 through 1968, with their version of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” they were never far from the charts. In the 1970s, they had something of a comeback, with the disco-flavored “Who Loves You” in 1975, and another #1, “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” that same year. For more history, go see the musical Jersey Boys, playing in summer stock somewhere near you.

“Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me)” was their 17th single (titled perhaps to confuse fans of Antonio Vivaldi), released in 1966. It was written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, who wrote the other Four Seasons hits “Let’s Hang On!” and “Working My Way Back to You,” as well as the 1977 disco hit “Native New Yorker” by Odyssey.

The first two verses are in F♯. The third verse modulates up to G at 0:45. An instrumental verse, featuring a raunchy-for-1966 sax solo, remains in G. The fourth verse modulates another half-step to A♭ at 1:21; the fifth verse stays in that key. At 1:52, verse six moves up to A. Whew, we’re not done: verse seven modulates to B♭ at 2:08. Finally, verse eight goes up to B at 2:24 as the song fades out.

As this song demonstrates, it’s a mod, mod, mod, mod, mod world!

Louise Cordet | Laisse Le Soleil Sécher Tes Larmes

English singer Louise Cordet had one big UK-charting hit, “I’m Just a Baby,” in 1962. Her parents were both French-born, and she attended a French lycée in London. So she was not only a singer, but also a *chanteuse* — she had Decca releases in both the UK and France.

The song “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” was written for Cordet by Gerry Marsden, and her version was the first released, in February 1964. Nonetheless, the Pacemakers’ version, released in April, became an international hit.

Using the same backing track, she also recorded the version here, with French lyrics. Translated literally, the title means “Let the sun dry your tears”.

The song starts in B, and modulates to C at 1:20.

Timi Yuro | And That Reminds Me

Husky-voiced Timi Yuro scored a big hit in 1959 with “Hurt” (Billboard #4), a tear-jerker ballad replete with a true-to-form spoken recitative. She had another hit in 1962 with “What’s a Matter Baby” (Billboard #12), with a mid-tempo rock arrangement. She continued to record and perform throughout the 1960s, with only modest success. In 1969, she decided to leave the music business. In the early 1980s, she managed a comeback in the Netherlands, with new recordings reaching the top of the Dutch charts.

“And That Reminds Me” qualifies as a standard; it’s been covered many times. Based on an Italian instrumental “Concerto d’autunno,” by Camillo Bargoni, English lyrics were added by Al Stillman and Paul Siegel. The recording here appeared on Timi’s 1961 album Hurt!.

The first verse begins in B♭, continuing in that key through the beginning of an instrumental verse. At 1:27, there’s a modulation up to B. By the second verse, we’ve made it up to C♯, staying put in that key through the end. Regardless of key, Timi’s voice drips with emotion throughout!

Stevie Wonder | If You Really Love Me

You watched the Grammy Awards recently, and wondered how Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, barely out of high school, could be sitting alongside veterans like Lady Gaga and Bonnie Raitt.

But consider Stevie Wonder. When Where I’m Coming From was released in 1971, it was his thirteenth album, dating back to 1962, and he’d already had a string of hits. If you’ve seen the documentary Summer of Soul, you’ll know he appeared at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 along with other A-list acts, like Nina Simone and Gladys Knight. All that — and he’d not yet turned 21 when the album was released.

“Where I’m Coming From” marks a bridge between Stevie’s previous releases, which were imbued with the Motown Sound (you know it when you hear it), and his later “classic” albums of the 1970s, where exercised freedom in songwriting and production. The song here from that album, “If You Really Love Me”, was the last he recorded with the Funk Brothers at Motown’s Hitsville studio in Detroit. Even then, Stevie played drums, synth bass, and piano on the track. Like the other songs on the album, it was written with his then-wife Syreeta Wright, who also sings on the track. The production is by David Van De Pitte, who’d had other hits for Motown. The song reached #8 on the Billboard 100 chart.

The song features distinct A and B sections. The A section is sprightly, uptempo, featuring a contemporary-sounding brass lead-in. Stevie’s vocal is layered with overlapping overdubs. Just when we got going, the slower, almost *rubato* B section begins at 0:36. Besides the vocal, there’s just the synth bass, and a bit of piano. At 1:08, we’re *a tempo* back to the happy A section. Again, it’s a short-lived delight: we’re back to the B section at 1:36. We return to the A section at 2:05 (with hand-claps this time) for the remainder of the song.

Harmonically, the A section is in F major; the B section begins with D
major, and shifts to D minor.

A more complete analysis is here:

Caterina Valente and Danny Kaye | Bossa Nova Medley

Consummate entertainer Caterina Valente debuted her recording career with “The Hi-Fi Nightingale”, which was issued in 1956, with a career that lasted until 2003. That LP contained her version of “Malagueña’, which begins her routine here, which appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969.

Born into a musical family in France, of Italian heritage, Caterina spoke six languages, and sang in eleven. You can find videos online of her interviews in French, Italian, German, and Portuguese (and probably in other languages). Her routine here shows off her choreographed dancing skills; she was also an accomplished tap dancer.

While she sang in many styles, she was especially accomplished in singing bossa nova, accompanying herself on guitar. She recorded an entire LP with bossa innovator Luiz Bonfa in 1963, “Poco e tutto.” On Danny Kaye’s early-1960s variety show, she and Danny performed a whimsical suite of nursery rhymes reimagined as bossa tunes.

The short “Malagueña” segment starts in D; at 0:40, the transition to “The Look of Love” shifts to B♭. For the swingin’-Mozart, breakneck-tempo “Turkish Rondo” segment at 2:40, the key shifts to D♭; with a modulation to E♭ at 4:01. (This piece is also known as “Turkish March,” but one wonders if Turkish (or any other) soldiers could march at this speed!)

For the last segment, Caterina is accompanied on clarinet by her older brother Silvio Francesco, very talented in his own right. He was her musical director on her tours, and appeared on some of her albums. He achieved some fame on his own as a pop singer in Germany.