Elton John‘s smash 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, considered by many to be the peak of his career, featured plenty of well-known tunes. “Harmony,” the humble B-side of the hit “Bennie and the Jets,” utilized Elton’s unique wall-of-sound multi-layered background vocals. It modulates back and forth between Eb minor and Eb major. Starting in minor, it modulates to major just before the first chorus (0:33), then back into minor for the next verse at 1:09, and then back to major at 1:31 through the short balance of this distinctive tune.
Tag: ballad
Tower of Power | Just Another Day
The legendary horns of Tower of Power had hits with uptempo tunes and ballads alike — including plenty of modulations. Their 1973 release “Just Another Day” has key changes starting at 0:34, then returning to the original key at 0:57…continuing on from there.
Boz Scaggs | Heart of Mine
Boz Scaggs, probably best known for his huge 1970s hits, often features modulations in his tunes. 1988’s “Heart of Mine” first changes key just before the first chorus (0:50), then returns to the original key as it returns to verse 2 (1:30). Then a few more shifts …
Connie Francis | Where the Boys Are
Here’s Connie Francis singing “Where The Boys Are” (1961), with a key change at 1:23. Written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, the tune was the title track of a movie of the same name in which Francis had a starring role and reached top 5 in both the US and the UK.
Niya Norwood + Nikko Ielasi | Black Girl Magic
Happy February! In honor of Black History Month, here’s a lushly orchestrated, gospel-infused R&B tune, “Black Girl Magic” (2016), co-written by the lead vocalist, Niya Norwood, and performed by Berklee College of Music musicians, led by Nikko Ielasi.
The bridge starts with a sublime modulation at 3:16 and ends with a reversion to the original key at 3:42.
Whitney Houston | I Learned From the Best
Today we feature a classic Whitney Houston hit “I Learned From the Best” (1998). The key change is around 3:20, but listen to the whole song.
Elvis Costello + Burt Bacharach | I Still Have That Other Girl
Today’s modulation is brought to you by Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach’s “I Still Have That Other Girl” (1998). The huge modulation is around the 2:09 mark. Enjoy!
Celine Dion + Barbra Streisand | Tell Him
Welcome to another week of modulations! We kick off with a fantastic duo, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand, singing “Tell Him” (1997). The modulation is around 3:40 — slightly hard to detect, but it is there. Enjoy.
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