Tag: 2010s

The Walker Brothers | I Can’t Let It Happen to You

“They weren’t British, they weren’t brothers, and their real names weren’t Walker, but Californians Scott Engel, John Maus, and Gary Leeds were briefly huge stars in England (and small ones in their native land) at the peak of the British Invasion,” reports AllMusic. “…They favored orchestrated ballads that were a studied attempt to emulate the success of another brother act who weren’t really brothers: the Righteous Brothers.”

The tune appeared in the recent TV series Master of None in 2017, part of a soundtrack that was nothing if not eclectic. “I Can’t Let it Happen to You” wasn’t a single for the Walker Brothers, but the album track, released in 1967, fit the quirky series perfectly. Pitchfork quotes the show’s music supervisor, Zach Cowie, speaking about the series’ star and co-writer, Aziz Ansari: “‘We’re both record collectors that are kind of always looking for crate-digging kind of deeper stuff. That sort of becomes a sound that unifies the whole series. A lot of it is just mixed up sort of records, and it does fit well with the character.'”

The Righteous Brothers’ influence is strong on this track, complete with a leisurely, behind-the-beat delivery, the lead vocal’s casual approach to pitch, and the spacious, reverb-soaked production. Starting in E major, the tune shifts to F major at 1:55 at the start of a brief instrumental bridge.

Fresh Prince: Google Translated

In 2013, Mother Jones magazine asked “what happens when highly trained musicians and actors do Broadway and pop culture with a meta twist?” The answer is CDZA, short for Collective Cadenza. CDZA creates “viral videos starring Juilliard-trained musicians, local rock and jazz artists, Broadway singers, and sketch comedians — done in a single Steadicam shot. ‘Our creative process looks like us sitting in an apartment, saying, this would be funny, this would be cool — and then we begin to divide and conquer.’”

The process for 2013’s “Fresh Prince: Google Translated,” according to Joe Sabia, the group’s lead “conceptor”/director: “’One of our main things is producing videos that also serve as a commentary on American culture. Google Translate is something everyone uses, so we put together a song everyone knows and a device everyone knows.’”

This expanded version of the tune is built on the theme from the wildly popular 1990s sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Featuring a much stronger accompaniment than the original, the entire tune centers around a I minor –> bVII major/I vamp. As the lyrics grow progressively more inane with each pass through Google Translate, the key ascends a half-step at 2:02, 2:27, and 3:09.

Lady Gaga | I Wanna Be With You

“Glamorously gaudy, a self-made postmodern diva stitched together from elements of Madonna, David Bowie, and Freddie Mercury, Lady Gaga was the first millennial superstar,” reports AllMusic. “Mastering the constant connection of the Internet era, Gaga generated countless mini-sensations with her style, her videos, and her music … Gaga crossed over into the mainstream, ushering out one pop epoch and kick-starting a new one, quickly making such turn-of-the-century stars as Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears seem old-fashioned … repurposing the past (particularly the ’80s) for present use, creating sustainable pop for a digital world.”

“I Wanna Be With You” was first performed in 2013, but wasn’t released as a studio version until 2019. Referencing her hit “Born This Way” in its lyric, the tune starts in D major, then climbs to Eb major at 3:20 after a proper power-ballad drum break.

Rebecca Luker | Can’t Help Singing

Written by Jerome Kern and E.Y. Harburg for the eponymous 1944 film, “Can’t Help Singing” is performed here by Rebecca Luker, who passed away from ALS late last month at age 59. Luker had an illustrious Broadway career that spanned three decades and was known for her luminous soprano voice. “During her audition Rebecca brought such a freshness to the music, as if I had never heard the score before,” said Susan H. Schulman, who directed Luker as Maria in a 1998 production of The Sound of Music. “Little hairs stood up on the back of my neck. You don’t expect songs that you are so familiar with to take you by surprise that way. She has the most glorious voice. The instrument is so pure.”

Luker is survived by her husband and fellow Broadway actor Danny Burstein. This track is included on Luker’s 2013 album I Got Love, featuring the music of Kern. Key change at 1:53.

Sun Rai | Chase the Clouds

Australian native Rai Thistlethwayte‘s website reports that “his mother was a classical piano teacher, and his father was a language teacher who played bass and guitar in local rock bands. Influenced by his parents, Rai developed an appreciation for a wide variety of music, including classical, rock, pop and jazz.” He served as a keyboards and vocals sideman for multiple acts early in his career. One of his more prominent projects as sideman has been with the band Knower. In an interview with Abstractlogix, Thistlethwaite explains:

“With Knower, I’m playing much more in the ‘synthesizer’ world, lots of rhythmic stabs, a few keyboard solos with lead sounds. I’m using a laptop based setup, so that garners a very different sound in terms of tone color … If it’s not grooving, it’s not happening. I don’t overthink an ‘approach’ to playing, I just try and do what seems musically sound for the task at hand!”

From our regular contributor Carlo Migliaccio comes a tune by Thistlethwayte’s own project, Sun Rai: 2013’s “Chase the Clouds.” Sun Rai’s spare funk-tinged duo sound features Rai on vocals, keys, and keyboard bass, with only the support of kit drums, recorded live in the studio. Starting in Bb minor, there’s a jump to Bb major at the chorus (1:05.) The Bb major/minor line is straddled some more until 4:22, where there’s a key change to B major.

Cyndi Lauper (feat. Alison Krauss) | Hard Candy Christmas

“Hard Candy Christmas” was written by Carol Hall for the 1978 Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and made famous by Dolly Parton, who played Miss Mona in the movie adaptation of the show. The track is featured on singer Cyndi Lauper‘s 2016 album Detour, with Alison Krauss providing additional vocals. Key change at 3:03.

Voctave | O Come, O Come Emmanuel/The First Noel/I Wonder As I Wander

This Christmas medley is featured on Voctave‘s 2016 album The Spirit of the Season. It includes two key changes: from D minor to D major at 1:09 as the first tune transitions into the second, and then to E minor at 2:36 for the final melody.

Mary J Blige | The First Noel

Legendary R&B artist Mary J Blige released her first Christmas album, A Mary Christmas, in 2013. Produced by David Foster, the record features guest appearances by Barbra Streisand, Chris Botti and others. It peaked at #10 on the US Billboard Top 200, and was certified Gold after selling over 500,000 copies. “The First Noel” features the American gospel vocal group The Clark Sisters, and has a series of modulations, all by half step. Starting in Gb, the tune modulates to G at 0:51, Ab at 2:00, A at 3:18, and Bb at 3:38, where it remains until the end.