Nominated for 10 Tony Awards, the 2015 Broadway production Something Rotten is one of few wholly original musical comedies to hit the Great White Way in recent years. Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick collaborated in writing their first Broadway score for the show, receiving Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations for their work, as well as a Grammy Nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. Key change at 3:14.
Tag: 2010s
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul | A World of Our Own
AllMusic calls Little Steven Van Zandt a “renaissance man and champion of the rock & roll underdog … one of rock’s most colorful figures.” In addition to his multiple lengthy stints in Bruce Springsteen’s bands going all the way back to the late 1960s, Van Zandt has worked with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes; written for Gary “U.S.” Bonds; formed Artists United Against Apartheid, which produced the all-star Top 40 1985 single “Sun City”; intermittently fronted his own band, The Disciples of Soul; and was a featured actor on the groundbreaking TV drama The Sopranos.
With a sound that stands somewhere between that of his longtime employer Springsteen and one of the several pop phases of rock chameleon Elvis Costello, Van Zandt’s “A World of Our Own” (2019) starts big — and stays there. Rather than relying on burgeoning dynamics or lyrical arc to build interest, Van Zandt uses modulations to propel the listener through a wall of sound.
Starting in A major, the tune shifts to C major at 1:35, then to G major at 2:02. At 2:35, we’ve arrived back to A major, but by then, it feels like a new chapter rather than a return.
Many thanks to perpetual mod submitter JB for this contribution!
Ariana Grande | Tattooed Heart
“Tattooed Heart” is the fourth track from Ariana Grande’s 2013 debut album, Yours Truly. It was the first song recorded for the album, and Grande claims her inspiration for writing it was a tattoo she got on her right foot. Other notable performances include a 2013 presentation on The Today Show to promote the album, and a feature in the “Women of Soul” concert at the White House in 2014. Key change at 2:16.
The Quad | America The Beautiful
Two-time Grammy Award-winning arranger Ben Bram has been featured on MotD previously for his arrangement of “Smile.” Here, Bram’s quartet, The Quad, performs his arrangement of “America The Beautiful,” featuring three downward modulations. Beginning in Bb, the first key change to G comes at 1:06, followed by shifts to D at 1:58 and C at 3:16.
The contemporary update of the lyrics was co-written by Bram and Jonathan Levine.
Judith Hill | Cry, Cry, Cry
“Cry, Cry, Cry” was the single released from American singer-songwriter Judith Hill‘s 2015 debut album Back in Time. The album, co-produced with Prince, marked Hill’s first foray into solo performing after she appeared as a backup singer with Michael Jackson (including as a featured soloist on his This is It tour) Josh Groban, and John Legend. Hill’s story was also featured in the acclaimed 2013 documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, for which she was awarded a Grammy Award. The tune starts in B major, and modulates to C at 3:38.
Voctave | How Far I’ll Go (from “Moana”)
Featured in Disney’s 2016 animated blockbuster Moana, “How Far I’ll Go” serves as the “I Want” song (a common device used in musical theatre and Disney movies where a character expresses their fundamental ambition) for the title character in the film. Lin Manuel Miranda, who wrote and produced the track, claimed he locked himself in his childhood bedroom for a weekend in order to force his mind back to age 16 (the same age as Moana in the film) — a time when he was facing what seemed like an “impossible distance” between the reality of his pleasant middle-class childhood which had no connection to show business whatsoever, and his dreams of a career in show business. The song was nominated for Best Original Song at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards, but ultimately lost both to La La Land; it was awarded Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards. Performed by MotD favorite Voctave, the key change is at 2:14.
T’aint Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do (from “Bullets Over Broadway”)
On July 5, the Broadway community lost one of its shining lights, 41-year old actor Nick Cordero, due to Coronavirus complications. Most recently, Cordero starred in A Bronx Tale and Waitress on Broadway, and prior to that he originated the role of Cheech in the 2014 production of Bullets Over Broadway, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.
“T’ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” one of the first blues standards from the 1920s and the splashy Act 1 tap number from Bullets, features Cordero and his cadre of gangsters. The show, based on Woody Allen’s 1994 film of the same name, boasts a score of jazz and popular standards from the 20s and 30s selected by Allen to complement the story. Key changes at 2:54 and 3:18.
Say No to This (from “Hamilton”)
In recognition of the live film of the stage production of Lin Manuel Miranda‘s blockbuster 2016 Broadway musical Hamilton dropping on Disney+ earlier this month, today we feature “Say No To This.” Coming in Act 2 of the show, the song outlines Hamilton’s one-year affair with Maria Reynolds, which eventually led to the first major political sex scandal in US history. Beginning in F# minor, the tune glides smoothly into the relative major for the chorus at 1:23 and continues to play back and forth between these two tonal centers. A modulation to B major occurs at 3:03.
Yesterday, the original cast recording for the show became the first cast recording to reach the #2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart since the revolutionary 1969 musical Hair, which spent 13 weeks in the #1 spot the year of its premiere.
My House (from “Matilda”)
After breaking through at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Australian comedian/composer Tim Minchin first made a name for himself as an edgy self-accompanying music satirist/social commentator. His piano style, ranging from raucous to refined, made him at home self-accompanying solo or playing out in front of symphony orchestras in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Describing himself as a “hack pianist,” he was quoted by Interview One as saying “I’m a good musician for a comedian and I’m a good comedian for a musician, but if I had to do any of them in isolation, I dunno.”
In more recent years, he’s branched out into acting (including the TV series Californication; the TV series Upright, which he also wrote; and stage roles as Mozart in Amadeus and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, among many others). More recently, Minchin has composed music and book for the musical Matilda, based on the 1988 Roald Dahl book of the same title. The show had successful runs on Broadway and the West End as well as tours of the US, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, winning myriad awards in the process.
Minchin is not generally known for his use of modulation, instead relying on his gifts for wide-ranging melody and evocative lyrics. But he throws a gorgeous key change into Matilda’s “My House” at 2:52 (the music starts at the 0:30 mark).
Fred Hersch | And So It Goes
“And So It Goes” first appeared on Billy Joel’s 1989 studio album Storm Front. The tune has since been covered by countless artists, ranging from former Yankees centerfielder Bernie Williams to American bagpiper Jori Chisholm on his debut album Bagpipe Revolution. Here, jazz pianist Fred Hersch performs his rendition, which was featured on his solo 2017 album Open Book. Beginning in C major, Hersch hints at Eb Major around the 4:00 mark, and then settles in Ab at 4:51 and stays there through the end.
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