1980s – Page 6

Natalie Cole | I Live for Your Love

“Nine-time Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, and performer Natalie Cole has proven to be one of the most beloved performers of all time,” (The Kennedy Center). “Natalie Cole rocketed to stardom in 1975 with her debut album, Inseparable, earning her a #1 single, ‘This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)’ and two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, as well as Best female R&B Vocal Performance. More hit singles followed, including 1977’s “I’ve Got Love on My Mind,” 1987’s “I Live for Your Love,” and a remake of Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac.”

In 1991, Natalie took a bold leap that would change her life and career forever. Already a highly successful R&B artist, Natalie amazed everyone when she recorded Unforgettable … With Love, an album of standards from the American Songbook that included a duet with her late father — Nat King Cole — on the title track. The album spent five weeks at #1 on the pop charts, earned six Grammy Awards (including Song, Record, and Album of the Year) and sold more than 14 million copies worldwide.” Branching out beyond music, she made more than 300 major television appearances, including Law and Order and Touched by an Angel and talk show episodes with Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Larry King. She went on to release other albums through the 2010s; her final album, En Espanol, was an entirely Spanish language album. Cole died of kidney disease in 2015.

1987’s “I Live for Your Love,” written by Steve Werfel, Pam Reswick, and Allan Rich, reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1988; it was also a big Adult Contemporary (#2) and R&B hit (#4). The track shifts keys even before the first verse starts: the intro is in C# major, while the verse falls down to B major! The chorus returns back to C# major at first (1:11), but then transitions to E major before ending in C# major (1:32). Verse 2 starts at 1:41 in B major; the pattern continues from there, other than the bridge (2:51 – 3:18), which throws a few more changes in just for good measure. The tune wraps up in D# major.

Joan Jett + the Blackhearts | Little Liar

“Joan Jett calls out a duplicitous lover in ‘Little Liar,’ the follow-up to her hit ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You,” (Songfacts). “She wrote both songs with Desmond Child, who was also working with Aerosmith (‘Dude (Looks Like A Lady)’) and Bon Jovi (‘Born to Be My Baby’) around this time.

… ‘Little Liar’ (1988) was a modest hit for Jett, reaching #19 in the US. Her biggest hits came early in the ’80s and were mostly covers, including ‘I Love Rock and Roll,’ originally by The Arrows. Jett had the chops to write her own songs, but there was such a big well of songs by male artists that she could transform, and those went over very well – ‘Crimson And Clover’ (Tommy James and the Shondells) and ‘Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)’ (Gary Glitter) are examples. “Little Liar” is one of the biggest hits she had a hand in writing; others include ‘Bad Reputation’ and ‘Fake Friends.'”

After a start in D minor, the second half of verse 1 shifts up to F minor at 0:34. At 0:44, verse 2 reverts to D minor and then features another jump into F minor at 0:54. The chorus (1:03 – 1:28) remains in F minor. Verse 3 (1:28) and chorus 2 (1:49) follow the same pattern. From 2:09 – 2:28, an instrumental chorus shifts to Ab minor. At 2:28, there’s another verse in D minor, but the last choruses of this raw power ballad jump all the way up to Ab minor again at 2:51 — this time with no intermediate step — to end the track.

Missing Persons | Words

“Notwithstanding singer Dale Bozzio’s outrageous auto-sexploitation and the overall commercial-record-industry-hype packaging that permeated the group, Missing Persons were one positive manifestation of the ’80s accommodation between new and old in rock,” (Trouser Press). “Designed to shift product but retaining high musical standards and an adventurous outlook, Missing Persons fell between genres, simultaneously offending and intriguing intelligent sensibilities.

Originally built on the core of Bozzio, her then husband — drummer/keyboardist Terry (once a Zappa employee and a member of would-be supergroup U.K.) — plus ex-Zappa guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, Missing Persons changed their name from U.S. Drag and were given a boost by producer Ken Scott who recorded and released their debut EP on 7-inch; it became a hit when picked up and reissued as a 12-inch by Capitol (1982). In the latter form, it contained both ‘Words’ and ‘Destination Unknown,’ idiosyncratic songs that also turned up on the first LP.”

After a start in A major for the intro and verse, the chorus shifts up to B major at 0:54 before a return to the original key for the next verse (1:10). The pattern continues from there.

Pretenders | Message of Love

“Over their 44-year career, the Pretenders have never chased trends or followed fashions to stay relevant,” (The Guardian). “But they didn’t need to. Their influential jangling sound – helpfully described on their T-shirts as ‘two guitar, bass and drums’ – has become timeless. It’s also still the perfect vehicle for (Chrissie) Hynde’s voice, an instantly recognisable mix of sand and honey, attitude and yearning … “

Seeing this singular band in its prime reveals what a huge blast they were having. Little wonder that Pretenders benefited — more than most bands — from a nascent MTV, accelerating their career via video.

“Message of Love,” from Pretenders’ sophomore release Pretenders II (1981), is built in an up-tuned A major overall, its gears rotating around clanging syncopated guitar chords. A profoundly different extended bridge starts at 1:22; the bassline has shifted to a smooth walking line and the key shifts to C mixolydian and then D mixolydian at 1:55. At 2:09, we’ve fallen back into line for the next verse in the original key. 2:45 brings a mostly instrumental outro in F major.

The Jam | Beat Surrender

“In May 1977, a three-piece rock group from Woking appeared on Top Of The Pops,” (TheJamOfficial). ” … the energy and sense of purpose that was firing what had been called punk and was now mutating into New Wave, but it had a lot more: a melodic charge … that betrayed its makers’ love of classic British pop, and the clear sense that the band’s main creative force was already thinking like an accomplished songwriter. Between 1977 and 1982, the band released an incredible array of music. In the UK, there were five albums and 17 singles, a stack of number 1s, and a journey which encompassed no end of influences, styles, and textures.

“The final single by The Jam, one of those rare cases where a band really did quit at the top, made its UK chart debut on December 4, 1982.” (UDiscoverMusic). “‘Beat Surrender’ debuted at #1 to give the band their fourth and final bestseller, and within a few days The Jam were effectively no more. The Paul Weller composition had a distinct soul flavor which, with hindsight, can be seen as a preview of the direction he would take with his new band, the Style Council. The horn-filled sound spoke of Weller’s love of classic R&B, on a high-energy swansong to The Jam’s five years of unbroken success.”

After an opening chorus in (approximately!) A major, the first verse starts in D major at 0:17. At 1:27, the groove shifts into a bridge in C# minor, followed by an instrumental verse and then a vocal verse, both in D major, at 1:52. At 2:14, the chorus returns and repeats to the end — this time in a more conventional version of A major.

Someone Else’s Story (from “Chess”)

Chess The Musical is a musical stage production with a very interesting story line that captures the essence of the Cold War … Tim Rice, the legendary British musical theater lyricist, and writer, became hooked on the epic chess match between world chess champions Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. It was during the Cold War that tension between the US and the USSR led to his thinking, “Hey, this would be a great backdrop for a story.”

Tim was a regular collaborator with Andrew Lloyd Webber for a while and he wanted to work with him again. Unfortunately, Andrew was busy with Cats, so Tim (worked with) ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. We can say Chess The Musical is about the rivalry between the American and Russian players with a romantic subplot … Even before it hit the stage, it was clear that the soundtrack for Chess was a total game-changer. Released as a double LP concept album in 1984 by RCA Records, it quickly became a worldwide hit. The show later had its West End debut in 1986 and its Broadway opening in 1988.

The New York Times called the album “a sumptuously recorded…grandiose pastiche that touches half a dozen bases, from Gilbert and Sullivan to late Rodgers and Hammerstein, from Italian opera to trendy synthesizer-based pop, all of it lavishly arranged for the London Symphony Orchestra with splashy electronic embellishments.” The standout single, “One Night in Bangkok,” performed by Murray Head, ranked #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 list.” Other standouts from the soundtrack include “I Know Him So Well,” “Pity the Child,” “The Arbiter,” and “Nobody’s Side.” The ballad “Someone Else’s Story” begins in F major; after a a bridge starting at 2:16, the key shifts up a full step to G for the balance of the tune.

Christopher Cross | Think of Laura

“‘Think of Laura‘ is a popular song by the American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Christopher Cross,” (SessionDays). “Released as a single in late 1983 from Cross’ second studio album, Another Page, ‘Think of Laura’ became the singer’s fourth (and, to date, final) single to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #9 in early 1984. The song spent eleven weeks in the Top 40. In addition, the song became Cross’ third single to hit #1 on the adult contemporary chart, following ‘Never Be the Same’ and ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).’ It remained at #1 on this chart for four weeks. The song was written by Cross and produced by Michael Omartian.

The song became popularized when the American television network ABC began playing ‘Think of Laura’ in reference to a character on the soap opera General Hospital … Cross allowed ABC to use his song in this context; however, he has stated that he wrote ‘Think of Laura’ … to mourn the death of Denison University college student Laura Carter, who was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet during an altercation among four men over a block away. Cross had come to meet Laura through her college roommate Paige, whom Cross was dating at the time … he wrote the song as a way of offering comfort to Paige and honoring Carter’s memory … The lyrics express the sorrow felt by those who knew the woman, but ask that she be remembered with happiness.”

The tune begins with a verse in D major; at 0:29, with the help of a common tone in the vocal melody, the key shifts to B major. The pattern continues from there. The focus throughout is on the heartfelt lyrics and Cross’ instantaneously recognizable (counter?)tenor and distinctive phrasing. Many thanks to regular contributor Rob P. for yet another wonderful addition to MotD!

Marillion | Kayleigh

“Marillion are a rock band formed in Aylesbury, England often categorized as neo-progressive,” (Sputnik Music). “They originally started as ‘Silmarillion’ (from Tolkien’s book) with heavy influences from classic Genesis, but went on to develop their own distinctive sound.” The band released 1983’s Script for a Jester’s Tear, Fugazi (1984), Misplaced Childhood (1985), and Clutching at Straws (1987), as well as the 1984 live album Real to Reel. “All sold respectably, and the band scored a hit single in Britain with ‘Kayleigh’ in 1985.

When Fish left the band in 1988 after four albums, he was replaced by Steve Hogarth. A former member of The Europeans and some-time collaborator with The The and Julian Cope, Hogarth brought a new energy to the band.Across a further ten albums, Hogarth – along with existing members Rothery, Kelly, Trewavas, and Mosley – have reinvigorated and constantly redefined Marillion’s sound. They forged into new musical territories with a succession of inventive, emotional albums, displaying little regard to the vagaries of hit charts or radio playlists.” As Loudersound reports, lead vocalist Fish recalls: “‘Releasing a song like Kayleigh sent our career into hyperdrive – like that moment in Star Trek when the screen goes white. One minute we were playing in France, I think it was in Toulouse, to 100 fans, and the next we had our own private Learjet.'”

Starting in B minor, “Kayleigh” makes the shift to its relative major for its chorus at 1:09. At 1:46, there’s a return to B minor for a guitar solo/interlude, but then a pivot back to D major before a drop into C# minor at 2:13. At 2:58, another chorus in lands in D major. The tune ends directly after the chorus, leaving an oddly unfinished feeling in its wake.

Midnight Oil | Power and the Passion

“Midnight Oil is, in Monty Python’s phrase, ‘more of an autonomous collective,'” (The Guardian). “For that reason, dealing with Midnight Oil can be infuriating. But their staunch solidarity has kept them together in the face of enormous pressure and their crusade has woven them into Australian history unlike any other artist … When the Oils started in the late 1970s, there was no shortage of disaffected, pimply young men with a Fender and a chip on their shoulder. There was also no shortage of songs bewailing the state of the world. But Midnight Oil did it bigger and better. As (frontman) Peter Garrett wrote in his memoir Big Blue Sky: ‘Midnight Oil’s message wasn’t in the songs themselves, which varied … The message was in joining the music with actions that matched what was being sung. Were we earnest and self righteous? Yes, we were.’

It was there in the songs too – lyrics about apathy in the suburbs, the entropy of dead-end jobs and the hollow Australian torpidity. ‘The Power and the Passion,’ a signature song, is about exactly that. Midnight Oil itself, at that point in 1982, was the opposite of apathy.” Perhaps not surprisingly to anyone who’s listened closely to the band’s signature song, “Beds Are Burning,” Garrett went on to champion indigenous peoples’ rights and work for the Australian Conservation Foundation as well as serving as a government representative. He put a stop to whaling in Australia’s Southern Ocean, among other initiatives, while also still fronting the band … “You couldn’t help but reflect how this band … changed the culture in this country. In 1973, Australian artists were rarely played on the radio or signed to a record deal … very few young Australians were concerned about land rights or environmental destruction, but Midnight Oil put all of those issues front and centre.”

Frontman Garrett, 6.5 feet tall and “big in every way,” is made even moreso by his rangy, frenetic stage presence. Other than the lyrics of “Power and the Passion,” which are always at the center of attention, the clash between drum machine and analog percussion might be the track’s most compelling factor. After a start in B minor, there’s a shift to E minor for the pre-chorus (0:32), followed by a chorus in a very improbable Eb minor (0:49). 1:12 returns us to B minor for the next verse; the pattern continues from there.

Marshall Crenshaw | Someday, Someway

“Punk and New Wave was only one way of taking rock back to basics. Marshall Crenshaw took an altogether different approach, stripping back to three-chord songs about girls, delivered by a tight three piece and earning comparisons to Buddy Holly,” (Aphoristic Album Reviews). The Detroit native’s eponymous 1982 debut album “features his brother Robert on drums, while Crenshaw handles all the guitar parts. The simplified arrangements of these songs are invigorating; the songs are snappy and intelligent, and even though the production places the album in the early 1980s, these melodies could have easily come from an earlier era. Crenshaw’s persona is so likeable that he can get away with a song simply about cruising around checking out girls, and make it innocent and laudable rather than seedy and leering. In a just world, half of these songs would be radio staples, and that these accessible songs didn’t make Crenshaw a superstar is almost unfathomable.

The lack of success of this album is magnified by the strong triple punch at the beginning; ‘There She Goes Again’, the power-pop standard ‘Someday, Someway’ and the exuberant ‘Girls…’ … superlative examples of 1980s pop. Any fan of intelligent guitar pop will cherish songs like ‘Someday, Someway’ and ‘Mary Anne’, and play this refreshingly sincere album often.”

After a start in A major for the groove-driven, hook-free intro, two short verses and choruses follow. At 1:02, a bridge in D major follows, differentiated not only by its new key but also a shift into a simpler texture centered by the walking bass. At 1:11, we’re back to an interlude which mirrors the intro, another verse, and another chorus, all in the original key. 1:41 brings another D major bridge, followed by another pass through A major: an echo of the intro, then a final verse and an extended chorus/outro. The outro’s looping lyrics are so relentless it’s a wonder that Crenshaw didn’t keel right over.