Tag: 1960s

Arturo Sandoval | Emily

The all-too-often overlooked jazz standard “Emily” (Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer) has been covered by many greats, from Sinatra to Tony Bennett — and here by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. The tune was the title song for the 1964 movie The Americanization of Emily. This arrangement features a lovely intro through 0:19; the form begins in earnest in C major before briefly touching on a key-of-the-moment (A major) for a few bars (0:39 – 0:48), then reverting to C.

Spanky + Our Gang | Sunday Will Never Be the Same

Intrepid MotD fan Paul Steckler points out the single modulation at 2:19 in the middle of a section of Bach-inspired vocalese in “Sunday Will Never Be the Same” by Spanky and Our Gang (1967). The tune, which reached #9 in the US and was another example of Sunshine Pop, scored the biggest hit for this short-lived band from the late 60s.

The Association | Time for Livin’

Today we feature The Association’s 1968 release “Time for Livin’,” suggested by one of our mod scouts, JB. Known as a “sunshine pop” band from Southern California, the band is better known for its iconic hits such as ”Cherish” and ”Never My Love.” This track, which reached only #39 on the US pop charts, modulates all over the place — starting at the 0:52 mark and continuing all the way to the end.

The Guess Who | These Eyes

From MotD regular Rob P.: Canadian band The Guess Who released their breakthrough US hit, “These Eyes,” in 1969. It peaked at #6 on the US Billboard chart.

After a few verses, a string of direct modulations builds during the chorus (starting at 1:42); the tune reverts to the original key for the next verse at 2:40. 3:00 marks the start of chorus/outro, stacking yet more modulations until the fadeout, augmented by boffo amounts of strings and brass.