Considered to be one of the most popular songs of the second half of the twentieth century, “Baby Love” was recorded in 1964 by The Supremes for their album Where Did Our Love Go. The track, with Diana Ross on lead vocals, was the second of five consecutive #1 hits for the group, and was nominated for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording at the 1965 Grammy Awards. There is a half-step modulation from C to Db at 1:34.
Tag: 1960s
Sergio Mendes | Lapinha
Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66‘s “smash formula,” according to AllMusic, was “cover versions of pop/rock hits backed by lavish strings, a simplified bossa nova rhythm, and the leader’s piano comping.” The group’s covers of the Beatles’ “Fool on the Hill” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” reached #6 and #16 on the US pop charts, respectively. “Even though he had become thoroughly embedded in the consciousness of mainstream America, Mendes still managed to have it three ways: exposing first-class tunes from little-known Brazilian talent, garnering commercial hits, and also making some fine records.”
The San Diego Union Tribune quotes Mendes speaking about his introduction to the USA: “… the idea was to bring a band from Brazil that represented what Brazilian music is — the vitality, the romance, the rhythms, the sensuality. I was not thinking to put a label on it, but to bring Brazilian music to the world.”
The energetic “Lapinha” (1968) alternates between D major and D minor until the groove drops out for a huge shift to Eb major late in the game (2:27).
The Overtones | Groovin’
“Groovin'” was written and first released in 1967 by the American rock band The Rascals (formerly known as The Young Rascals.) Its Afro-Cuban groove and relaxed vibe quickly led to the tune becoming one of the band’s signature songs, and it has since been covered by numerous other artists. This performance, by the British/Irish boy band The Overtones, was featured on the 2012 album Higher. Key change at 2:16.
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.
modulationoftheday.home.blog 