Category: Steck

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.

Verdelle Smith | (Alone) In My Room

“Verdelle Smith had a minor hit on the US charts in 1966, ‘Tar and Cement’ (not to be confused with ‘Concrete and Clay,’ the hit for Unit 4 + 2 around the same time — a bigger hit in Canada and Australia).

‘(Alone) In My Room’ (distinct from the Beach Boys’ single ‘In My Room’), appeared on her one album for Capitol, produced by Marvin Holtzman. It’s an adaptation of a Spanish song by Joaquin Pieto, with English lyrics by Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance. Several covers of the song have appeared (by the Walker Brothers, Nancy Sinatra, and Marc Almond).

The organ introduction may make you think of Bela Lugosi, or Lon Chaney, Jr., if not J.S. Bach. The song is in 3/4, in B♭ minor. The verse is subdued, building to the chorus featuring a powerful vocal enhanced by strong brass. There’s another softly-sung verse, a break, then a modulation to a B minor at 1:47 with the brass leading the way. Then a wordless vocal line continues to the fadeout — all in a scant two minutes and 20 seconds.”

Many thanks to our regular contributor Paul for this submission!

Rumer | Aretha

A submission from Paul “Steck” S., one of our regulars:

“Rumer is the stage name of Sarah Joyce, a Pakistan-born British singer-songwriter who has been very popular in the UK, but less well-known in the US. Her contralto voice is sometimes redolent of Karen Carpenter; indeed, Richard Carpenter wrote her to praise her first album, Seasons of My Soul, released in 2010. She’s released several albums since then, one as recently as 2020.

Rumer has been extensively involved with the music of Burt Bacharach. In 2010, she released a Christmas EP with a Bacharach song; in 2012, she performed at the White House as part of the tribute to Bacharach and Hal David; and in 2016, she released an entire album of Bacharach/David songs.

The tune here, “Aretha,” is taken from the first album; yes, it’s Aretha Franklin that she’s singing about. It’s a tale of a schoolgirl, attending a school where the kids are mean, while coping with a mentally ill mother. Listening to Aretha on her headphones is a refuge. It was written by Rumer and producer Steve Brown.

The song is a soul ballad in the key of B♭, mostly in 4/4 time (with a 12/8 feel), with measures of 2/4 and 3/4 in the verse. The bridge at 1:56 features the singer lightly harmonizing with herself. At 2:30, there’s a modulation to C for the final verse.”

Thanks, Steck, for this submission!

Claudine Longet | I Don’t Intend to Spend Christmas Without You

Claudine Longet has had a career as a dancer, actress, and singer; born in France, she’s lived in the US since she was a teenager. She recorded several albums, mostly for A&M, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was married to middle-of-the-road singer Andy Williams for several years, appearing on some of his recordings. After they divorced, infamously, she was convicted of negligently shooting and killing her boyfriend, Olympic skier “Spider” Sabich. After that tragedy and its lurid media coverage, she stayed out of public view.

The song here, “I Don’t Intend to Spend Christmas Without You,” was written by Margo Guryan expressly for Longet. Producer Tommy LiPuma asked her to write a Christmas song without the usual trappings of snow, mistletoe, and so on. A&M issued the song as a single in 1968, backed with (wait for it) “Snow,” written by Randy Newman. 

Guryan started her career writing songs and lyrics in the jazz tradition. Her songs were recorded by the likes of Chris Connor, Dizzy Gillespie, and Harry Belafonte; she wrote the lyrics to Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”. After hearing the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds”, the story goes, she decided to write pop songs. She recorded one sunshine pop album, “Take a Picture”, in 1968, for Bell. The album did not do well, but became something of a cult favorite in the 1990s and 2000s, particularly in Japan. After that album, she recorded occasional singles, and wrote “Chopstick Variations”, a piano education book. Margo Guryan died earlier this year (2021) at the age of 84.

The song starts out in G, with a bridge in A. At 1:45, the verse modulates to A-flat. (You can find Margo Guryan’s own version of the song here, recorded as a demo. Her voice is remarkably like Claudine Longet’s. No modulation in her version, though.

Thanks to regular MotD contributor Paul Steckler for this submission!

Emmet Cohen | It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Another solo piano performance, this time from jazz pianist Emmet Cohen. Recognized as a prodigy, the 29-year old Cohen has been hailed by Downbeat magazine for his “nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary.” He has performed with Ron Carter, Kurt Elling, and Christian McBride, among others, and composes as well. Key change at 1:54. Thanks to MotD contributor Paul Steckler for this find.