Tag: 1960s

Elmer Bernstein | Theme from “The Magnificent Seven”

Elmer Bernstein’s score for The Magnificent Seven (1960) was nominated for Best Score, Dramatic or Comedy at the 33rd Academy Awards, but was bested by the score for the film Exodus. The score was later ranked at #8 on the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 25 American Film Scores.

According to The Muse by Clio, the original review of the film in The Hollywood Reporter was ambivalent — although not about the film’s music: “The Magnificent Seven has the stars and the production values to open big, and probably will. But it is not a success, as a story or as entertainment…Elmer Bernstein’s music is truly memorable; the theme will stick.” The Muse continues: “Glenn Lovell’s 2008 book about the Magnificent Seven’s director, “Escape Artist: The Life and Films of John Sturges,” describes the film’s theme music as ‘arguably, after John Williams’ Jaws and Star Wars themes, the most recognizable overture in the history of the medium.’ Bernstein’s theme took on a life of its own after the film’s release, having its place confirmed as the soundtrack to American masculinity in the iconic Marlboro Man ad campaign, and even appearing in a shot of James Bond riding across a desert in Moonraker.“

The modulation hits right around 1:10. Many thanks to MotD regular Carlo Migliaccio for submitting this track!

The Association | Cherish

The Association, AllMusic reports, “was one of the more underrated groups to come out of the mid-to-late ’60s. Creators of an enviable string of hits from 1966 through 1969 … the group’s smooth harmonies and pop-oriented sound … made them regular occupants of the highest reaches of the pop charts for two years. Their biggest hits became instant staples of AM radio play lists, which was a respectable achievement for most musicians at the time. That same sound, along with their AM radio popularity, however, proved a liability as the music environment around them changed at the end of the decade.”

“Cherish” reached #22 on BMI’s list of the 100 Most Played Songs on Television and Radio of the 20th century. Written by Terry Kirkman, the track reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, holding that position for three weeks. Billboard reported it as the #7 song of 1966. According to reporting by the Myrtle Beach Sun News, the band’s record label originally claimed that the tune sounded “too old and archaic.” But original band member Jim Yester retorted that the band “showed we can have archaic and eat it, too.”

Regular mod scout JB adds a few words about this submission: “It truly is an iconic song; the modulation at 2:18 — with its bridge build-up starting at 1:50 — has enough wattage to power LA for a day. Truly a piece of pop perfection!”

The Temptations + The Supremes | I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

Released by Motown when the label was in full swing, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” had been previously released twice by other artists in 1966 and 1968 before The Supremes and The Temptations released it in 1969. This version of the Kenny Gamble/Jerry Ross tune reached #2 on the US Hot 100 chart; it might have gone to #1 if it hadn’t been in competition with Marvin Gaye’s hit “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Nonetheless, the single went platinum.

Detroit’s legendary Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra combined forces to produce a lush backdrop for the vocalists. G major is in effect for the intro and the verse, but the chorus shifts to Bb major (for the first time at 0:50). At 1:09, the next verse reverts to G major and the pattern continues.

Berklee and Boston Conservatory Ensembles | What the World Needs Now

We’ve featured this 1965 Bacharach/David tune before, but this 2020 cover, performed and produced by students at Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, really speaks to our current moment. It’s certainly one of the most successful virtual choir/orchestra endeavors I have seen. Key change at 2:00.

Tommy James + The Shondells | Crimson + Clover

Tommy James + The Shondell’s “Crimson and Clover” had an unexpectedly quick release in 1968 after it was leaked by a radio station. The track went to #1 in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, and South Africa. Pitchfork named it the 57th best song of the 1960s.

According to Wikipedia, the tune has been covered by many artists, including Joan Jett and Prince. However, the tune’s cultural impact goes far beyond cover versions: it’s mentioned in the movie Less than Zero and dozens of other films and TV shows. Its distinctive title has been dropped into lyrics by artists and bands including The Dandy Warhols, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Eat World, Kings of Leon, Elliott Smith, Liz Phair, Green Day, and Lana Del Rey.

As the tune builds in intensity near its end, the modulation hits (4:19) and the extreme tremolo used by the guitars throughout the tune spreads to the vocals. Many thanks to expert mod stringer JB for this contribution.

Rolling Stones | Dear Doctor

Not a band normally known for modulations, the Stones produced a tune with a key change in “Dear Doctor” from 1968’s Beggar’s Banquet. The tune is a country/blues waltz — a classic story song about an ill-fated romantic pairing.

According to AllMusic, “Jagger may be poking fun a little, but he could not nail the parlance of the characters so precisely if he had not studied it closely as a fan of the music…in a sense, they have been musicologists, interpreting musical forms that were in danger of dying out.”

At 1:38, there’s a big key change (up a major fourth). Many thanks to mod scout Rob Penttinen for this contribution!

Tom Lehrer | We Will All Go Together When We Go

Today we feature a guest post from frequent MotD contributor Jonathan Jharms Harms — Tom Lehrer’s “We Will All Go Together When We Go” (1967).

“Lots of unprepared modulations to communicate the unhinged nature of the song, while still keeping the ‘high propriety’ style intact to mask the insanity. Guess I’m specifically referencing verses 3 and 6. Those two have unnatural unprepared modulations that both evoke military marches and unstable harmonic shifts, but they’re mixed in with more natural 1/2 step increases from verse to verse, a much more normal form of modulation.”

Glen Campbell | By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Glen Campbell’s breakthrough single, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (1967) reached #2 on the US Country charts, #1 on the Canadian Country charts, and #26 on the US pop charts. The tune was written by Jimmy Webb, perhaps best known for writing “MacArthur Park.” The Philadelphia Daily News reported that Frank Sinatra called it “the best torch song ever written.” BMI ranked the tune #20 on its list of Best Songs of the Century. An example of the “Nashville Sound,” also known as “Countrypolitan,” the tune garnered Grammy awards for Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal Performance.

The list of artists who’ve covered the track is nothing short of staggering. A partial list: Isaac Hayes, Anne Murray, Dionne Warwick, Engelbert Humperdinck, Reba McEntire, Nick Cave + the Bad Seeds, and … Sinatra.

F major is in effect until 2:22, when the tune modulates to D Major at the very end, just as Campbell sings the last few words of the lyric.

A Quiet Thing (from “Flora, the Red Menace”)

John Kander & Fred Ebb‘s musical Flora, The Red Menace opened on Broadway in 1965, featuring Liza Minnelli, making her debut on the Great White Way in the title role. While the score overall is not particularly memorable, “A Quiet Thing” stands out as one of Kander & Ebb’s best ballads. Performed here by the late Marin Mazzie. Key change at 1:05.

My Favorite Things (from “The Sound of Music”)

“My Favorite Things” is from the beloved (and last) Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music, which premiered on Broadway in 1959. Starring Mary Martin, the musical theatre production was followed by the classic film adaptation in 1965, starring Julie Andrews. The song passes seamlessly between E minor, and the parallel and relative major, E and G respectively, throughout the song. I hope this classic tune brings a smile to your face, a warmth to your heart, and a reminder of your favorite things.