Tag: 1990s

Duncan Sheik | Barely Breathing

Duncan Sheik‘s tunes are full of quirks — harmonic and otherwise — but fewer full modulations. His best-known hit, 1996’s “Barely Breathing,” sticks to fairly straightforward territory through the first two verses and choruses. But then the bridge (2:40) presents several short but compelling key-of-the-moment segments (I major / V minor pairs) that don’t closely relate to the rest of the tune — but then, that’s often true of a good bridge. By 3:09, we’re ready to dive back into the familiarity (and relative simplicity) of the chorus as it reverts to the original key.

Andrea Bocelli | Because We Believe

Bocelli’s “Because We Belive” has a textbook example of a “common tone” modulation: a single note is sustained through key change, thus transforming its harmonic function. And the second, at 4:20, is the rare downward modulation, moving from E to D. David Foster is at the keys (he co-wrote the song with his daughter Amy for the 2006 Turin Olympics).

Barbra Streisand | Children Will Listen

Today we feature Barbra Streisand’s “Children Will Listen” (1993). Modulation comes early at 1:34, but the whole track is just stunning. As Allmusic.com reports, ” As a singer, Streisand‘s rise was remarkable because her popularity was achieved in the face of a dominant musical trend — rock & roll — which she did not follow.”

Pretenders | I’ll Stand By You

US/UK’s Pretenders, better known for guitar-driven, uptempo rock raveups, released the power ballad “I’ll Stand By You” in 1994. The tune was co-written by Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg.

Songfacts reports on Steinberg’s memory of the songwriting experience: “I remember when we wrote it I felt two things: I felt one, we had written a hit song and I felt two, a little sheepish that we had written something a little soft, a little generic for The Pretenders … I know that Chrissie felt that way too to some extent. I don’t think she really entirely embraced it to begin with, but she certainly does now because when she plays it live, it’s one of the songs that gets the strongest response. It’s done really well for her and for us.”

The anthemic track starts in D major and features a compelling I-vi-v progression in the chorus. We’re then surprised by a rare downwards modulation to C major at 1:13, which reverts back up to the original key at 1:55.