Tag: ballad

Mike Batt | Better Than a Dream

“Yes … his has been something of an unconventional career. ‘The mystery man who jumps around from lily pad to lily pad without really explaining himself … My career has been like hitting a wall with a rubber hammer a thousand times, rather than just getting a bulldozer and knocking a way through in one go.’ (The Guardian). In the popular imagination, his name is linked with discovering Katie Melua, writing Art Garfunkel’s 1979 smash hit ‘Bright Eyes,'” and the Wombles, a British novelty pop group whose members dressed as fuzzy animal characters from the children’s TV show of the same name. “That barely does justice to his oeuvre, however: four decades of albums, film scores and projects … (that) have never been less than fascinating.”

Indeed, Batt’s career seems to have been nearly uncategorizable: “… One minute he’s knocking out a global soft-rock smash for Garfunkel, the next he’s taken off on a round-the-world yachting trip and is proffering a concept album about it … he protests that he’s not taken seriously as an orchestral conductor. ‘Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between my version of the Planets suite and Simon Rattle’s.'” Had the Wombles’ tunes “not been performed by himself and sundry cohorts in vast, furry costumes made by (Batt’s) mother, it’s hard not to feel they would be widely hailed as classic bubblegum pop – as indeed they were by the late Dee Dee Ramone, who unexpectedly outed himself as a fan of their keep-fit-themed 1974 album track ‘Exercise Is Good for You (Laziness Is Not)‘ in Legs McNeil’s oral history of US punk, Please Kill Me.”

1992’s “Better Than a Dream,” which starts as a piano ballad but evolves into a full orchestral accompaniment, begins in C major. But at 2:20, the dense texture of a brass fanfare shifts the tune to Eb major. Many thanks to our contributor Julianna A. for this submission!

Errol Garner | Misty

“In 1954, the Erroll Garner Trio introduced the instrumental ‘Misty.’ A year later Johnny Burke penned the lyrics, creating the song we know today,” (JazzStandards.com). “‘Misty’ remained relatively unknown until Johnny Mathis popularized the vocal version with his million-selling recording in 1959. Although it was never a number one hit, ‘Misty’ has been performed by hundreds of instrumentalists and vocalists … the melody soars over a range of nearly two octaves with many pitches falling on color tones or chord extensions (mainly the major seventh, the ninth and the eleventh).”

Built with a classic AABA form, the tune’s B section ” … begins with a fairly orthodox harmonic progression- v -I7 -iv, in which the I7 functions as a V7 of the new subdominant key (in the original key, Eb modulating to Ab). But then the IV chord (Ab) is followed by a minor 7th chord a half step higher. Aural experience tells our ears to expect this Am7, which is followed by a D7, to be a ii7 -V7 sequence to G major or G minor. Instead, Garner surprises us once again by a deceptive resolution to Cm, the vi of the original tonic of Eb. From there, it’s an easy modulation back to the tonic (but what a fascinating detour!)”

In this 1961 live performance on TV’s Ed Sullivan Show, Garner presents the tune in a single chorus, which ranges from a staid left-hand stride style to a gently shimmering right hand technique. There are no subsequent choruses to host a formal solo, but Garner’s interpretation of the melody is so whimsically ornamented that the single chorus gets the job done all on its own. The legendary B section’s first few notes begin at 0:47, with the section starting in earnest at 0:50. The closing A section begins at 1:14.

For a more straightforward treatment of the melody, it would be difficult to improve on Johnny Mathis’ 1959 rendition:

Roy Orbison | Dream

“Dream,” written by Johnny Mercer, was a hit for June Hutton and The Pied Pipers in 1945. That version, on Mercer’s label Capitol Records, featured lush multi-part harmonies atop a languid strings-and-celeste backdrop provided by Paul Weston and his orchestra.

Roy Orbison’s cover was recorded for his 1963 Monument album In Dreams. Besides the title song and the current track, the album featured dream-themed songs “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and “Beautiful Dreamer” and one of Orbison’s signature songs, “Blue Bayou.” This version later surfaced in the soundtrack for the 1998 dot-com-era movie You’ve Got Mail.

There’s a half-step upward modulation at 1:27.

Scott McKenzie | San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)

“Rock history rightly celebrates the pioneers but sometimes the bandwagon jumpers get it right too,” (The Guardian). “Whether anybody liked it not – and many in San Francisco didn’t – the song ‘San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)’ by Scott McKenzie … became a huge hit. In the US it vied with the likes of ‘Respect,’ ‘Light My Fire,’ and ‘White Rabbit,’ whereas it became the Summer of Love song in the UK, holding the #1 spot during August 1967. It’s now an indelible part of the folk memory, often used on TV to dismiss hippie culture.

Actually, it’s a really good record. McKenzie might have resembled a hippie straight out of central casting, the lyrics might have verged on advertising copy, but it has a soaring melody and great production – with a light, shimmering atmosphere … ‘There’s a whole generation with a new explanation,’ is a pretty good pop summary of what was going in 1967, and the refrain of ‘people in motion’ has a real charge. If it didn’t reflect the exact feeling or the particular sound of San Francisco at that moment, it still captured what people wanted to think about Haight/Ashbury. And there lies the explanation for its longevity. Full of space and hope, it celebrates an idea.”

At 2:27, a whole-step modulation drops. It’s very late in the game — and so casual that it’s more of a loose restatement of a few lines than a substantial attempt at an additional verse. But it provides a lovely fade-out for the tune.

The Osmonds | Love Me For a Reason

“It’s every bit as cheesy and tinkling as you might expect. It soars, it swoops, it blinds you with the whiteness of its teeth,” (Number1sBlog.com). “Suddenly the UK charts sound(ed) very ‘American’ (in 1974), with three glossy, shining number ones in a row. But while George McCrae and The Three Degrees were pretty cool… this one really ain’t …” The track didn’t do quite as well in the States, hitting #8 on the Pop chart and #8 on the (wow … just wow) Easy Listening chart. “Don’t love me for fun girl, Let me be the one, girl… Love me for a reason, Let the reason be love… If love ever-lasting, Isn’t what you’re asking… I’ll have to pass, girl, And be proud to take a stand… The Osmonds were good ol’ Mormon boys that needed more than just physical attraction (their words). All of which culminates in the spectacular line: My initial reaction is, Honey give me love, Not a facsimile of…

Any song that can crowbar the word ‘facsimile’ into its lyrics cannot be all bad and, to tell the truth, this is a decent pop song with a highly sing-alongable chorus … The band would go on releasing albums until the end of the 70s, before splitting up and moving into different ventures. Donny would be the most successful, with his sister Marie. But this (was) it for them, in terms of topping the charts as a group.”

The track is backed by a strings-drenched orchestral accompaniment with plenty of on-demand harp filigree for the occasional spots where the Osmond lads take brief breaks from singing. The orchestration starts off big, backs off a bit during the verses, then winds up again at the modulation (3:15), which glides up a minor third (from A major to C major) as the tune nears its end. Standout Osmond star Donny seems content to sing backup for a change, letting big brother Merrill cover the lead vocal duties.

Many thanks to regular contributor Rob P. for submitting this track!

Charlie Rich | Behind Closed Doors

“There are many iconic songs in the history of country music,” (SavingCountryMusic.com). “But there are only a small handful that have gone on to define what it means when someone says ‘country music’ to millions of people. The song ‘Behind Closed Doors,’ written by Kenny O’Dell and performed by Charlie Rich, is definitely one of those songs … For years Charlie Rich struggled as a performer since he wasn’t dirty enough for rockabilly or country, and not distinctive enough to make it in the world of pop. But when the Countrypolitan sound became all the rage in country music, it gave Charlie Rich an opening. Where some more hard country artists struggled to perfect the more genteel Countrypolitan approach, Charlie Rich’s balladeer style and smoothness fit the era perfectly.

‘Behind Closed Doors’ wasn’t just Charlie Rich’s breakout single … Songwriter Kenny O’Dell wrote the song specifically for Rich, with Sherrill tinkering with a few lines to get it dialed in perfectly. Released in April of 1973, the lyric was a little racy for the time, and some radio stations refused to play it initially, or outright banned it from playlists … But ‘Behind Closed Doors’ didn’t just hit #1 in country and #15 in pop, the song eventually won both Single of the Year and Song of the Year from both the CMA and ACM Awards. It won the Grammy for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance for a Male. Rich also won Best Male Vocalist from the CMAs in 1973, and the album Behind Closed Doors won for Album of the Year.”

After the first verse and chorus pass, the groove stops entirely for a split second. An unprepared modulation, led by what amounts to a reprise of the intro from the piano, hits at 1:22 before verse 2 starts at 1:32.

kd lang | Love is Everything (Jane Siberry cover)

“The title of Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry’s 1984 breakthrough sophomore LP also still serves as her mission statement: No Borders Here,” (Tone Glow). “As one of Toronto’s most prolific tone poets and troubadours, her work has long ridden the divide between pop form and sonic abstraction, carefully dodging any traps of easy definition through detail and duration.

Erstwhile music critics often compared the ethereal leanings of her stretch of records for Reprise as Canada’s answer to the likes of Kate Bush or Laurie Anderson, but even these ties are somewhat of a slight. Her genre-agnostic innovation is fully drawn from intuition—a record like her retrospectively celebrated 1988’s The Walking merged koan-like lyrical hooks with thick vocal arrangements and impressionistic textures. Over the years, she’s collaborated with Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, k.d. lang, Michael Brook and Mary Margaret O’Hara.”

Under the affectionate care of Siberry’s intermittent collaborator, fellow Canadian kd lang, “Love is Everything” (originally released by Siberry in 1993) is a showcase for lang’s stunning palette of vocal colors. Fully immersed in the lyrical sweep of Siberry’s lyrics, lang’s voice ranges from a soft breeziness to the power of her trademark belt — which for all of its impact, always seems to leave a bit more in reserve. The tune’s intro and verses are in D major; the chorus, first heard at 1:21, is in A major. But the shift to A major, in addition to being closely related to D major, is perhaps further obscured by voicing all of the A chords with D major’s leading tone, C#, in the bass. The next verse returns to D major at 2:11.

Many thanks to Mandy D. for calling our attention to this 2005 performance of the tune — her second contribution to MotD!

Postmodern Jukebox | Criminal

“Imagine wandering into a nightclub somewhere on the outskirts of time. A classic jukebox in the corner plays timeless music with oddly familiar modern lyrics, incongruously marrying the 21st-century party vibe of Miley Cyrus or the minimalist angst of Radiohead with the crackly warmth of a vintage 78 or the plunger-muted barrelhouse howl of a forgotten Kansas City jazzman,” (Concord.com). “The dance floor is full of revelers twerking in poodle skirts, while at the bar, well-heeled hipsters balance a martini in one hand with a smartphone in the other.

If such a place actually exists, no doubt the soundtrack is Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Founded by pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee in 2009, the ensemble reimagines contemporary pop, rock, and R&B hits in the style of various yesteryears, from swing to doo-wop, ragtime to Motown – or, as Bradlee himself puts it, ‘pop music in a time machine.’ The band parlayed a series of YouTube videos shot in Bradlee’s Queens living room into massive success, accruing more than 450 million YouTube views and over 2 million subscribers, an appearance on Good Morning America, and performances at packed houses across the globe.”

On PMJ’s 2016 cover of “Criminal,” according to the tune’s Youtube description, “the sultry Ariana Savalas returns to take Fiona Apple’s 1997 hit … back a half century, to the heyday of the torch song.” The tune is built primarily in A minor with forays into C minor, but there are moments when the bass line moves chromatically, not diatonically — only adding to the slinky feel of the lyrics. The bridge (2:49 – 3:16) shifts to Eb minor, driven by Dixieland filigree. At 3:16, an upward shift leads to a closing chorus, this time in D minor.

Gladys Knight | The Way We Were

For the 1973 film The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand served in the role of leading lady and also a mainstay of the soundtrack. “Marvin Hamlisch came up with the melody; he was asked to write in the minor mode, but instead wrote in the major.” (SuperSeventies.com). “‘If I’d written in a minor mode, it might have told you too much in advance,’ he said, ‘that Streisand and Redford were never going to get together. So, I wrote a melody that was sad, but also had a great deal of hope in it.’ The tune was completed by a husband-and-wife songwriting team, Marilyn and Alan Bergman.

Streisand’s single broke in late November 1973, and reached number one in mid-February 1974. It was her first number one hit, and first single to stay on the charts for more than five months. It earned an Academy Award as the Best Film Song of 1973, Billboard ‘s award as the Top Pop Single of 1974, and a Grammy as Song of the Year.” The powerful ballad served as fodder for covers by a range of performers including Andy Williams, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Beyoncé, and more.

But the tune’s most memorable cover might have been Gladys Knight’s 1974 version from her album I Feel a Song. Mixing in extensive quotes of “Try to Remember” from Broadway’s The Fantastiks before adding a half-step modulation (3:00) not found in Streisand’s original, Knight leaves her distinctive signature on the tune.

The Sweet Inspirations | Unchained Melody

The Sweet Inspirations are a vocal group, formed in the late 1950s, best-known as backup singers for other artists, appearing on recordings for Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Jimi Hendrix, the James Gang, and Yusef Lateef. They toured with Elvis Presley towards the end of his career.

The original members included Doris Troy, who had a hit with “Just One Look” and recorded an album for the Beatles’ Apple label; future superstar Dionne Warwick; and Warwick’s sister Dee Dee. The later lineup on the cut here features lead vocalist Cissy Houston, mother of 1980s superstar Whitney Houston and the aunt of the Warwick sisters. The other members of this classic lineup were Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown, and Myrna Smith. A version of the group continues to tour to this day (Encyclopedia of Popular Music).

Besides their backup work, the group recorded their own singles and albums. [Ed. note: I first became aware of the group from their 1968 single named for the group, “Sweet Inspiration”.] The track here appeared on their third Atlantic album, What The World Needs Now Is Love, and was released as a single. The album, produced by Tom Dowd and arranged by Arif Mardin, bears the unmistakable sonic signature of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (you could ID Roger Hawkins’ snare in a police lineup.)

“Unchained Melody,” with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret, was written for the 1955 movie Unchained. The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 single on Phil Spector’s Phillie Records is probably the most famous recording of the song. That version features a languorous 12/8 rhythm, extracting maximum emotion from Bobby Hatfield’s tenor. The Sweets’ version (1968) is in straight 4/4 and is a bit more up-tempo, but Cissy Houston’s soaring lead is no less emotive.

There’s a half-step modulation at 1:48 as the verse repeats.