Tag: 1980s

Nik Kershaw | Wild Horses

“Rushed to market to capitalise on the white-hot momentum of his debut, Kershaw had just two weeks to write and record the demos for Human Racing’s follow-up (The Riddle, 1984). While The Riddle has its flaws, it’s a tribute to the songwriter that he managed to get this over the line at all,” (Classic Pop Magazine). “The fact that album two is amongst the most consistent of his career is even more noteworthy.

The success of Human Racing had spread across the Atlantic, too, with its jazz-pop-prog stew turning the heads of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock … However, Nik’s jazzy background remained at odds with the marketing department’s teen heart-throb vision of him at MCA – Smash Hits called him ‘the thinking man’s Limahl’ and that’s Kershaw looking all moody at Chesil Beach in Dorset on the cover, a cut-price The Joshua Tree (U2) if you like.”

After a verse built in C major, the chorus shifts up to D major at 0:57. But between the two is some unsettled key-of-the-moment territory (0:41 – 0:57). The patterns continue from there until 3:17, when the a late half-step key change closes the tune.

Patti Labelle | If Only You Knew

“Written by Dexter Wansel, Cynthia Biggs, and Kenneth Gamble, ‘If Only You Knew’ became the Patti Labelle’s first #1 R&B hit as a solo artist,” (Songfacts). “Wansel – who also collaborated with Biggs on the track ‘Shoot Him On Sight’ from LaBelle’s previous album, The Spirit’s In It – didn’t think the mid-tempo ballad was that great, but LaBelle disagreed. ‘She loved it from the very beginning and saw the potential, that there were a lot of lonely people out there who loved other people and didn’t really know how to say it,’ he recalled in The Billboard Book Of Number One R&B Hits. ‘She felt like she could say it for them.’

LaBelle found fame as the leader of the progressive soul trio Labelle, who had a big hit with ‘Lady Marmalade’ in 1974. Following their split a couple years later, she worked hard to build a solo career that earned her critical acclaim, but she struggled to make the charts. After releasing her first four albums with Epic, LaBelle signed with Philadelphia International Records, pinning her hopes for a hit on the label’s founders, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. The songwriting and production duo was behind many of the hottest soul singles of the ’70s, including ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now,’ ‘Love Train,’ and ‘Me and Mrs. Jones.’ Her first album with PIR didn’t yield any hits, but she finally scored on I’m In Love Again (1983). Aside from being her first R&B chart-topper, “If Only You Knew” was her first solo crossover hit, peaking at #46 on the Hot 100.” The track also climbed all the way to #1 on the Cash Box US Black Contemporary Singles chart.

The intro is in E major, but there’s an early shift to C# major when the verse starts at 0:29. The chorus (0:58) returns to E major; the alternating pattern continues throughout.

Propaganda | The Murder of Love

“Alongside house orchestra Art of Noise and … Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the German confection (Propaganda) added a pitch-black seductiveness to Trevor Horn and Paul Morley’s label ZTT,” (BBC). “Their debut album, A Secret Wish … (1985) remains a fascinating addition to the clumsy, clattering canon of 80s electronica. Powered by the vocal mystery of Claudia Brücken, the sweetness of Susanne Freytag and the engine room of Michael Mertens and Ralf Dörper, the group was able to sate the European fantasies of the label. Here, it had its Kraftwerk, its Boney M. and its ABBA.

Employing about every Weimar Republic and Wagnerian reference in the book, ZTT created something as grand and illusory as anything they had put together. The concept was so high, the music they assembled could have been almost incidental were it not so inventive, and at times brilliant.”

“The Murder of Love,” a track from the German band’s album A Secret Wish, begins with an F minor verse (1:24) after an initially percussion-only intro. From 1:58 – 2:14, a chorus alternates between Bb minor and Bb major, the tonality obscured at times by angular tensions in the vocal melody. At 2:15, a brief interlude falls back into F minor with a huge crash, featuring the sole lyric “plead for mercy.” None is forthcoming just yet: the entire cycle starts again with another verse at 2:23. But surprisingly, 3:23 brings a jazz-infused guitar solo, followed by some new keyboard patterns leading into the chorus-based outro — all of them lighter in feel than anything up to that point.

If I Sing (from “Closer Than Ever”)

“The angst of American middle-age – when many of us question the paths we’ve taken and the ones we’re moving toward – has never been as tuneful as in the (1989) show Closer Than Ever,” (WHYY). “The smart, sophisticated musical revue opened Off-Broadway (35) years ago, when we had yet to know the real power of a pixel and only the birds sent a tweet. But Closer Than Ever is as current today as it was then … It consists of 24 songs – a dozen in each act – that reflect the cycles running through most (and maybe all) of our lives: staying in love or not, parenting, parenting your parents, figuring out what the right thing is and doing it, doing the wrong thing and paying for it.

… We have the power couple trying to figure out who can take the baby for an afternoon in the absence of a nanny, and the divorcees who now date and hate it. (“Churning out the small talk with someone who is all talk.”) One character later sings that “the visions seep in my head of the life I could have led.” Why, sings Deirdre Finnegan, “are patterns haunting every move I make?” … If this appears to come down on the side of dreariness, it doesn’t … these ultimately come across as songs about connection and new experiences. The music is by David Shire (Baby, the film Saturday Night Fever) and Richard Maltby Jr. (Baby, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Miss Saigon).”

Beginning in F# minor, “If I Sing” transitions to A major at 1:04, among other harmonic shifts. This tribute to familial love, shared tradition, and humbleness in the face of the passage of time is — ultimately — about connection.

Pet Shop Boys | In Suburbia

Reviewing a 2022 Pet Shop Boys concert, The Guardian described the distinctive culture surrounding the band: “Judging from the demographic here, the audience stretches from 18-year-old girls to middle aged men in suits, hen parties to arty intellectuals. Their vast constituency reflects the electro-pop pair’s status as British pop’s biggest-selling duo, and a musical reach that stretches from Italian house to Tchaikovsky samples.

… Their songs are like miniature kitchen sink dramas – the couple struggling with fidelity in ‘It’s Hard,’ the painful reminders of a break-up in ‘Losing My Mind,’ or the power imbalances in ‘Rent.’ Tennant, unfeasibly now 67, brings delicate thespian touches – a shrug of the shoulder or wagging finger (in ‘It’s a Sin’) – and is one of our most unmistakable vocalists, his inimitable tones somehow capable of expressing excitement and yearning at the same time.”

Tennant viewed the 1986 track “In Suburbia” as a pivotal moment for the UK band (Classic Pop): “I thought Pet Shop Boys were very likely going to be one-hit wonders… We were on a classic trajectory. Our first single: No. 1 everywhere around the world. Next single: No. 19 in the UK. Now, the logical trajectory is that the next record goes to No. 29, the one after doesn’t make the Top 50, and then you’re dropped … “ The intro and choruses are in C major; the verses (first heard between 1:31 – 2:03) are in C minor.

Many thanks to one of our veterans, mod-spotter Rob P., for this wonderful submission!

Go West | Goodbye Girl

“Peter Cox first met Richard Drummie in 1974,” (artist website). “Peter played a demo tape for Richard. He liked what he heard and so began the friendship and collaboration. In 1982 Peter and Richard signed a publishing deal under the names of ‘Cox and Drummie’. ‘We Close Our Eyes’ was released in the Spring of 1985. It reached #5 in the UK charts and became a top 10 hit in the USA. This success was followed by a further three UK top 10 hits – ‘Call Me,’ ‘Goodbye Girl’ and ‘Don’t Look Down’. The album Go West sold 1.5 million copies worldwide and remained on the UK chart for 83 weeks, establishing them as one of the greatest songwriting duos to emerge in the 80s. In 1986 they won the BRIT Award for ‘Best British Newcomer’ – the one BRIT which is decided by the listening public.”

The ballad “Goodbye Girl” was something of an anomaly within the band’s early output, particularly compared to the first two singles from the album. Co-songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Richard Drummie says of “Call Me,” the album’s second single, ” … you can tell it’s commercial, but you should have heard the demo – it sounded like seven ice cream vans coming round the corner,” (ClassicPopMag). “It was just so poppy. But it got us signed,” after many years of effort. 

After verses, choruses, and a bridge built in F minor, 3:29 brings a shift up a whole step to G minor after a grand pause.

Christopher Cross | I Really Don’t Know Anymore

“Quick! What do Christopher Cross and Billie Eilish have in common?

Answer: They are the only artists who have won the four major Grammy Awards (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist) in the same year,” (BestClassicBands). “They achieved this feat in 1981 and 2020, respectively: Eilish is 50 years younger than the man born Christopher Charles Geppert in San Antonio, Texas. Only time will tell if she endures the kind of backlash that, after a spectacular start with hits ‘Ride Like the Wind’ and ‘Sailing,’ cast Cross into music business purgatory and back to fame again. Good luck to her.”

“I Really Don’t Know Anymore” wasn’t one of the three initial singles which propelled Cross’ eponymous debut album (released in the closing days of 1979) into the multi-platinum sales stratosphere in 1980 (“Sailing,” “Ride Like the Wind,” and “Never Be the Same”), but the album was such a smash hit that it received plenty of airplay nonetheless. The tune benefits from an assist by Michael McDonald, who intermittently joins Cross for vocal counter lines. The energetic, syncopated groove lends some much-needed life to the inert lyrics: “What do you think about love? … I really don’t know anymore / I really can’t say / I really don’t know anymore / I’m just that way.”

Starting with a verse in C# minor, the tonality flips over into the relative E major for the choruses (first heard from 0:46 – 1:05). Although they share similar vocal ranges, it’s always a treat to hear these two voices side by side: Cross’s clipped, nearly vibrato-free delivery couldn’t be more different from McDonald’s instantly recognizable vowel-centric and foggy timbre.

Helen Reddy | The Way I Feel

“The feminist anthem that put Helen Reddy (1941 – 2020) over the edge is the rousing ‘I Am Woman,'” (SheilaOMalley.com). The Australian-born performer “could sing very softly, gently even … so that when she opens up into that belt, it’s a surprise … The pushback Reddy experienced was severe. She wasn’t glamorous. She wore pantsuits. She wore her hair short. Such silly things, but people found it hugely threatening … Her voice – the instrument itself – is so unique. She’s got a jazzy sense of rhythm and phrasing. She’s HIP. So contemporary. She was representative of the sea change in the culture, the 1970s breaking-down of expected gender roles.”

“It is interesting how the pop divas of the ’70s and ’80s took some risks, Olivia Newton-John with Soul Kiss; Linda Ronstadt singing in Spanish or performing with Nelson Riddle; and Helen Reddy’s 1983 project, Imagination … ‘Looks Like Love’ and ‘The Way I Feel’ are among the best work Helen Reddy has ever created,” (JoeViglione.com). “Both songs should have been huge hits, and the entire album is more sophisticated in idea and execution than any that came before except, perhaps, Live in London … With superb songwriting, crisp production, and her best rock performance on record, Imagination is one of Helen Reddy’s finest albums. Not as popular as those which contained her chart hits … it’s a sleeper that deserves another shot at success.

The tune makes its start in C# minor, with its emphasis flipping over into the relative E major for the chorus (0:54 – 1:20). After a second verse, second chorus, and an instrumental verse, 2:41 brings an unprepared upward shift to F major. Each chorus features a section in its second half built around a key-of-the-moment upward leap of a whole step, as well (first heard between 1:02 – 1:11). The updated, polished pop sheen of the track certainly left little trace of her 1970s sound, but The Way I Feel” wasn’t a hit for Reddy.

Theme from “A View to a Kill”

“The gold standard of poppier James Bond songs … is Duran Duran’s title track for A View To A Kill. Band and film were a perfect match for the Roger Moore era— playboy lifestyle, playboy attitudes,” (Aidan Curran). “Duran Duran’s stock-in-trade of cinematic videos, supermodel consorts and gibberishly portentous lyrics meant the thing virtually wrote itself, shouting ‘DANCE! INTO THE FI-YER!’ right out of the womb. Each stab of brass is the delivery mechanism for a cheesy grin. Plus, ‘the name’s Bon … Simon Le Bon!’ was a pun too good not to happen … “

Released in May 1985, the track peaked in Duran Duran’s native UK at #2. In the US, it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remains the only Bond theme to achieve that distinction. “The song was the last track recorded by the most famous five-member lineup of Duran Duran until their reunion in 2001. It was performed by the band at Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985, their final performance together before their first split,” (Wikipedia).

The tune begins in C minor and transitions from 0:54 -1:09, when the chorus starts in Ab minor. At 1:47, the next verse begins in C minor after some electronic flourishes that scream “1985” — there are plenty of cheesy grins on offer, for sure. The pattern continues from there.

Styx | Too Much Time On My Hands

“Styx’s co-lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Tommy Shaw wrote ‘Too Much Time On My Hands’ from the image of a pub patron ‘sitting on this barstool, talking like a damn fool,’ and detailing the lack of any more attractive options,” (UDiscoverMusic). “The song turned out to be a good thematic fit for (1981’s) Paradise Theatre concept, which used the opening and closing of a classic Chicago theater to symbolize the rise and fall of the American dream, chronicling the lives of underdogs struggling for a better life.

Musically, ‘Too Much Time on My Hands’ was probably the most au courant track Styx had yet recorded. A Kraftwerk-worthy synth locks in with the bass line and lends the track a distinct synth-pop/New Wave vibe. And the fraternal rhythm section of Chuck and John Panozzo puts a dab of disco into the groove, making this the closest thing to a dance tune in the band’s repertoire at the time. All of the above helped ‘Too Much Time; climb into the Top 10, which didn’t hurt the album’s rise to triple-Platinum status. The endearingly goofy video boosted the cause too, alternating performance shots with images of the band camping it up at a funky gin joint.”

After starting in a slightly up-tuned A mixolydian for the intro, the first verse settles in at 0:36 in D mixolydian. At 1:39, the emphasis flips over into the relative B minor for the chorus, guitar solo, etc. There’s a return to D major for the next verse at 2:53; the pattern continues from there. And yes — as they rode the crest of the early-80s pop/rock wave that corresponded to the advent of MTV — the band consistently maintained a shamelessly hammy stage presence, as documented here …