Tag: 1960s

Herb Alpert + The Tijuana Brass | Theme from “Casino Royale”

AllMusic reports on the theme from Casino Royale: “Burt Bacharach appropriately comes up with a rambunctious soundtrack for the 1967 James Bond spoof, Casino Royale. Things get underway with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass‘ performance of the fast-paced main title, which features the usual Bacharach mix of pop phrasing and complex arrangements.”

Jazz.FM adds more detail about the impact of Bacharach’s iconic sound. Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love” was also a cornerstone of the soundtrack: “The story goes something like this: Driving home from ice hockey practice, (comedian) Mike Myers flipped on the radio and heard ‘The Look of Love’ … When it was finished, the comedian said to himself, ‘Where have all the swingers gone?’ He also must have realized that the movie it was from, Casino Royale, was a jape of the James Bond series. Then and there he conceived the Austin Powers character. Enamored by the song’s composer, Myers cast Bacharach in each of his three Austin Powers films — not as a character, but as a performer playing his own music to set the scene.”

A boisterous half-step modulation announces itself at 1:14. Many thanks to the late Chris Larkosh, a faithful supporter of MotD over the years, for this submission!

The Walker Brothers | I Can’t Let It Happen to You

“They weren’t British, they weren’t brothers, and their real names weren’t Walker, but Californians Scott Engel, John Maus, and Gary Leeds were briefly huge stars in England (and small ones in their native land) at the peak of the British Invasion,” reports AllMusic. “…They favored orchestrated ballads that were a studied attempt to emulate the success of another brother act who weren’t really brothers: the Righteous Brothers.”

The tune appeared in the recent TV series Master of None in 2017, part of a soundtrack that was nothing if not eclectic. “I Can’t Let it Happen to You” wasn’t a single for the Walker Brothers, but the album track, released in 1967, fit the quirky series perfectly. Pitchfork quotes the show’s music supervisor, Zach Cowie, speaking about the series’ star and co-writer, Aziz Ansari: “‘We’re both record collectors that are kind of always looking for crate-digging kind of deeper stuff. That sort of becomes a sound that unifies the whole series. A lot of it is just mixed up sort of records, and it does fit well with the character.'”

The Righteous Brothers’ influence is strong on this track, complete with a leisurely, behind-the-beat delivery, the lead vocal’s casual approach to pitch, and the spacious, reverb-soaked production. Starting in E major, the tune shifts to F major at 1:55 at the start of a brief instrumental bridge.

Theme from “Jeopardy!”

Alex Trebek, the beloved host of the game show Jeopardy! for 35 years, announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. He continued to work throughout his treatment, often in excruciating pain. “I’m not afraid of dying,” he said. “I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life. If it happens, why should I be afraid of that?”

Trebek taped his final episode on October 29, 2020, and passed away at age 80 on November 8. In honor of the airing of that episode tonight, we are bringing back our 2012 post of the Jeopardy! theme song. Key change about halfway through. 

Bill Evans | Danny Boy

The New York Festival of Song reviewed jazz pianist Bill Evans‘ “Danny Boy” in 2018. The album on which it appeared, Time Remembered, was recorded in 1963 but not released for two decades — several years after his death in 1980.

“ … It marks Evans’ return to the recording studio after a year spent grieving the death of Scott LaFaro, his trio bassist, who was killed in a car accident. Evans showed up to the studio alone, played four tunes, and walked out – or so the story goes.

I share the notion with many of you that time is money, but the 11-minute price tag on this song seems like nothing if you’re willing to sit with him as he musically figures out how to breathe again. The space, sparseness, and tender hesitation of every note he plays in the beginning unravel the knots of my heart every time, and in doing so, remind me of why I do what I do.”

Unexpected modulations — which seem nothing short of inevitable after they’ve gone by — are all over this tune.

Try To Remember (from “The Fantasticks”)

“Try to Remember” is the opening song from Tom Jones’ and Harvey Schmidt’s 1960 musical The Fantasticks, which holds the record for the world’s longest running musical with 17,162 performances in its initial run. First performed by original cast member Jerry Orbach, the song at its core is about nostalgia for a simpler time:

Deep in December it’s nice to remember although you know the snow will follow
Deep in December it’s nice to remember without the hurt the heart is hollow
Deep in December it’s nice to remember the fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow.

The tune briefly passes through two different keys starting at 1:51 before returning to the tonic F Major.

Dolly Parton (with Willie Nelson) | Pretty Paper

Written by Willie Nelson in 1963, “Pretty Paper” was first recorded by Roy Orbison that same year, and placed on the Billboard Adult Contemporary, Top 100, and Christmas Singles charts. Dolly Parton collaborated with Nelson this year on a cover of the tune that is featured on her new Christmas album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, released this year. Key change at 2:32.

Stevie Wonder | Someday at Christmas

The title track from Stevie Wonder’s first holiday album in 1968, “Someday at Christmas” is infused with Wonder’s signature Motown spirit. The track has stood the test of time, becoming something of a modern holiday classic, and has been covered by artists across the stylistic spectrum, including The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Justin Bieber, and Rascal Flatts. Most recently, Wonder recorded a duet version in 2015 with American singer Andra Day for use in an Apple TV commercial, which is featured here. Key changes at 1:22, 2:22, and 2:43.

The Turtles | She’d Rather Be With Me

“Indebted to the harmony-heavy sound of the British Invasion,” AllMusic summarizes, “The Turtles were the quirkiest mainstream guitar pop group Los Angeles produced in the ’60s.” Of 1967’s “She’d Rather Be With Me,” one of the band’s biggest hits, Songfacts reports that “this bright and brassy pop song was written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, the same songwriting duo that were responsible for The Turtles’ previous hit, ‘Happy Together‘. Joe Wissert’s production features an entire orchestra and a prominent clanging cowbell.”

Songfacts continues: “The band was ‘disappointed with the choice of follow-up to Happy Together,'” according to vocalist Howard Kaylan. “‘We were kind of distraught, because it was such a 1920s razzmatazz kind of a song compared to this mysterious and glorious record we had just bought out. It was like following up Good Vibrations with Barbara Ann. I can’t explain it, but it got higher on the (UK) charts than ‘Happy Together’ did, and on the strength of that record we went over to England.'” The tune title was frequently mistaken as “Some Girls,” including on the cover of a few vinyl releases, as well as this video!

The Turtles’ co-lead vocalists Mark Volman and Kaylan later “joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention for two years, billing themselves as the Phlorescent Leech and Eddie (later Flo and Eddie). Their handiwork is found on the Zappa LPs Chunga’s Revenge, 200 Motels, Live At The Fillmore, and Just Another Band From L.A.“

Starting in B major, a sub-V intrudes for a moment at 1:08, giving the impression of the start of a modulation, but it’s a false alarm. Immediately thereafter, a crazy new instrumental double-time groove takes center stage, punctuated by enough syncopated kicks to provide a “where’s 1?” moment to the casual listener. At 1:17, the tune modulates for real, up a half-step, before a new verse starts at 1:24.

Beatles | Something

American Songwriter features a post on The Beatles’ 1969 release “Something” that can’t be improved upon:

“The only Harrison-written Beatles tune to top the US charts, this song’s simple beauty has earned it a place in the hearts of millions and in the repertoires of countless other artists (‘Something’ is the second most-covered Beatles song after ‘Yesterday’).

Harrison’s three lyrically parallel and sonically even verses are interrupted by a key change, which prompts an up-tempo bridge. A spirited but mellow solo by Harrison shows off his unparalleled chops and brings the song back into its original key, thus leading into a final verse that lends closure to this gorgeous track…For all its initial intricacies and experimentation, a song that once hit the eight minute mark was ultimately whittled down to a three minute number that defied the band’s musical conventions.” The article mentions that Harrison had an aural image of Ray Charles in mind when writing it, but added “I’m not Ray Charles.”

According to BeatlesEBooks.com, the humble Harrison told BBC radio “They blessed me with a couple of B-sides in the past. This is the first time I’ve had an A-side. A big deal, eh? Ha-ha.”