Melissa Manchester | Don’t Cry Out Loud

Chris with MotD co-curator Elise at the piano in 2011 — probably singing “Don’t Cry Out Loud.”

This post originally appeared on MotD on April 8, 2019. We’re bringing it back in expanded form today in honor of Christopher Larkosh, who contributed the tune to us. Chris passed away from a sudden illness at the age of only 56 on December 24th, 2020. He was a MotD fan who contributed multiple tunes to our collection; others are still in the queue, waiting their turn.

May the memory of Chris’ enduring humanitarian spirit, deep understanding of music’s ability to motivate and heal, and pervasive musicality be a comfort to all who knew him.

Elise

MotD fan Christopher Larkosh contributes today’s tune: “Musical geniuses Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager put ‘Don’t Cry Out Loud’ in good hands with Melissa Manchester. This is probably why it’s one of my all-time karaoke and piano bar favorites to this day.” A 1978 top ten hit in the US and Canada for Manchester, the tune was later covered by Rita Coolidge and Liza Minelli, among others. The modulation kicks in at 2:35.

In an interview with Scott Holleran, Manchester, a songwriter in her own right, said of the tune: “I remember being friends with Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager and hearing (it) as a very quiet song, bringing it to him and saying yes, it’s gorgeous, let’s do it the way Peter did it — as beautiful and quiet. [Then] I showed up in the studio and the cannons blew on this huge version — which turned out beautifully, it turned out as a gift.”

In a 2004 Billboard interview, Manchester expressed uneasiness about the song’s take on grief: “I finally understand what it meant … I [originally] thought it was a brilliant song, but it seemed like the antithesis of everything Carole [Bayer Sager] and I were writing, which was always about self-affirmation and crying out and sharpening your communication skills. But it’s a beautifully crafted song that was all about how in the end you just have to learn to cope — and that’s no easy thing.”

Those of us who knew Chris will remember that he was never one to hide his feelings, either — and we’re all the richer for it.

Christina Aguilera | I Turn To You

Written by songwriter and vocalist Diane Warren, “I Turn To You” didn’t become popular until Christina Aguilera included it on her debut album in 1999. She described the song as being “about that sort of perfect love, which we all dream. This kind of song can make you feel safe and warm anytime of the year.” The track peaked at the #3 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and has been a popular choice for contestants on reality competition series such as American Idol and The Voice. Key change at 3:17.

John Powhida International Airport | Michael 3 o’Clock

The Arts Fuse describes The Bad Pilot, the 2019 album by John Powhida International Airport (winners of the 2011 Rock & Roll Rumble and multiple Boston Music Award nominees), as “clearly rooted in the 1970s — but that decade was nothing if not kaleidoscopic … the sound and feel of everything from Philly soul to new wave, hard rock, funk, and progressive rock.” JPIA’s recent release “Michael 3 O’Clock” continues that trend, incorporating kaleidoscopic effects on the video in addition to the melange of styles on the track.

Powhida relates some of the tune’s backstory: “I saw Michael Quercio and the 3 O’Clock Band open for REM. A direct quote from him to a heckler: ‘REM will be out in a second. Suck on this, honey.’ Trailblazers of the Paisley Underground scene with The Bangles and others … Prince was a fan and held his hand in a meeting, then signed them to Paisley Park.” AllMusic details that The 3 O’Clock “incorporated the chiming guitars of the Byrds and the Beatles into their pop songs with a psychedelic bent, and the clothes to match.” While this track centers the sheen of Philly Soul, it’s appropriately completed by a gilded paisley frame, including the filigree of Peter Moore’s artful backup vocal and string arrangement.

The ballads of the Philly Soul canon certainly never shied away from melancholy. Instead, they stared the emotion down bravely while featuring ecstatically gorgeous arrangements and harmonies — providing incentive for the listener to stick around instead of running back to bubble-gum pop. Meanwhile, Powhida has the guts to stare down his influences and a potentially pivotal missed connection while taking us along for the ride. A capsule review on Powhida’s Bandcamp page lauds the tune’s mix of “admiration, resentment, and a little heartbreak” — not bad for a four-minute narrative.

After the tune opens with a guitar hook over a mysterious suspended chord, the groove starts the track in earnest at 0:09 in an uncomplicated A major. The verse then shifts to a second section in C major at 0:37. The chorus, in E minor, admittedly owes a huge melodic debt to the chorus of The Stylistics’ “You Are Everything,” but mixes in plenty of Powhida’s trademark wit — so clever that Quercio reportedly couldn’t stay mad for long, even after being artfully skewered:

SuperCaliforniaFragileDiva what goes on inside your head? / PsychoRelicDandyLiar Michael 3 o’Clock it’s time for bed

Verse 2 and Chorus 2 continue the pattern, followed by a beautifully contrasting bridge, starting with a surprising palate-cleansing sidebar (C major) at 1:56, then a jump to C# minor at 1:59. At 2:44, JPo delivers one final double-sided homage before his pitch glissandos downward like an anchor falling to the bottom of a pond — making the modulation upward to E minor for the final wall-of-sound choruses all the more massive. After a minor-key echo of The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” at the start of the outro, we somehow end this unlikely travelogue where we began, shifting back to A major and a reprise of the opening hook at 3:51.

Michael McDonald | On Christmas Morning

*We originally featured this song in 2018, and are bringing it back this year.

Michael McDonald’s “On Christmas Morning” was featured on his first Christmas album, In The Spirit, released in 2001. Co-written by David Foster and Kenny Loggins, the track modulates at 2:46.

Meghan Trainor (ft. Earth, Wind & Fire) | Holidays

“Holidays” is included on A Very Trainor Christmas, pop singer Meghan Trainor‘s first holiday album, released earlier this year. All of Trainor’s family members played a part in creating the album, as songwriters, producers, background vocalists and instrumentalists.

“I’m a Christmas baby, it’s always been a dream of mine to release a Christmas Album and to do it with my family makes it that much better,” said Trainor. “Songs featuring my family are like permanent memories that I get to replay all the time. Earth, Wind & Fire and Seth MacFarlane (also featured on the album) are two of my family’s all-time-favorites – we worship the ground they walk on – so to get them to feature on this album still doesn’t feel real. Best Christmas Present Ever!”

The key change is snuck in right at the end at 2:30.

Cyndi Lauper (feat. Alison Krauss) | Hard Candy Christmas

“Hard Candy Christmas” was written by Carol Hall for the 1978 Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and made famous by Dolly Parton, who played Miss Mona in the movie adaptation of the show. The track is featured on singer Cyndi Lauper‘s 2016 album Detour, with Alison Krauss providing additional vocals. Key change at 3:03.

Nightnoise | The Wexford Carol

The Irish chamber ensemble Nightnoise was active from 1984 to 1997, and was known for their fusion of Irish, Celtic, and jazz styles. Their arrangement of this traditional carol is included on the Windham Hill‘s 1993 holiday compilation album Winter Solstice IV. Key change at 2:46.

Voctave | O Come, O Come Emmanuel/The First Noel/I Wonder As I Wander

This Christmas medley is featured on Voctave‘s 2016 album The Spirit of the Season. It includes two key changes: from D minor to D major at 1:09 as the first tune transitions into the second, and then to E minor at 2:36 for the final melody.