Tag: dance

Teena Marie | I Need Your Lovin’

“No white artist sang R&B more convincingly than Teena Marie,” notes AllMusic. “Marie grew up in west Los Angeles in a neighborhood that was nicknamed ‘Venice Harlem’ because of its heavy black population. The singer/songwriter/producer was in her early twenties when, around 1977, she landed a job at Motown Records.”

Pitchfork notes that “despite earning (Motown boss) Berry Gordy’s approval, she worked with an assortment of songwriters over nearly three years with no luck. While rehearsing at the label’s L.A. studio one day, Marie finally got the right person’s attention: Rick James, fresh off 1978’s Come Get It!, his debut Top-10 R&B album that would launch his outrageous, sequin-studded ‘Super Freak’ era. The funk-rock svengali took an instant shine to Marie. ‘I expected to see a writer-producer … and instead I found this short, tiny white body sitting at the piano, singing like the gods had come into her spirit.’ Her production and songwriting prowess has been instructive for generations of musicians Marie has influenced over the years … Mary J. Blige, another powerhouse of R&B, cites her as a formative influence constantly. ‘It bugs me out that only 1 out of 20 people knows about Teena Marie.'”

Released in 1980 in a post-Disco era when roller rinks thrived (and, unlike dance clubs, were open to all ages on some nights of the week), “I Need Your Lovin'” clearly bears Rick James’ signature percolating bassline style. The tune’s saturated instrumentation is in high gear from its first measures, but reaches a pinnacle as it transitions from B minor to C minor at 4:11. The strings, horns, and backing vocals duel it out thereafter — both before and after a false ending at 6:11. The track reached #37 (US Pop), #9 (US R&B), and #2 (US Dance). Many thanks to MotD regular Rob Penttinen for this submission!

Swing Out Sister | Break Out

“… Swing Out Sister‘s music is unashamedly commercial pop,” AllMusic notes. The UK group’s “jazz-tinged arrangements and knack for clever hooks move them closer to the indie dance territory of St. Etienne or late period Everything But the Girl than to the cookie-cutter dance-pop of Kylie Minogue or Paula Abdul.” “Breakout” was the stand-out single from the band’s 1987 debut album, It’s Better to Travel, which AllMusic calls “a dreamy collection of mostly electronic pop songs that manages to sound warmly organic through the judicious use of real strings and horns and Corinne Drewery’s lovely voice, which recalls the throaty purr of vintage Dusty Springfield … ‘Breakout’ (was) one of the finest U.K. pop singles of the late ’80s.”

This unapologetically bouncy pop tune somehow seemed to know upfront that it would become an international smash hit, scoring top 5 chart positions in the UK, US, Canada, and New Zealand as well as prominent chart performance throughout Europe. The track swung for the fences and succeeded in nearly single-handedly establishing the band as late-80s sophistipop royalty. A whole-step modulation at 3:02 is announced by the boisterous horn section.

Many thanks to not one but two of our regular contributors, Chris L. and JB, who suggested this tune completely independently of one another!

The Cheetah Girls | Strut

“Strut” was originally featured in the 2006 film The Cheetah Girls 2, a sequel to the 2003 Disney Channel original movie The Cheetah Girls. The story traces a talented teen quartet who take a whirlwind tour of Spain to pursue their dreams of pop superstardom; it is the eighth highest-rated Disney original movie ever. Key change at 2:30.

The Pointer Sisters | Jump (For My Love)

“Jump (For My Love)” was released by the American R&B singing group The Pointer Sisters in 1984 on Break Out, their tenth studio album. The track charted in the top ten in numerous countries and was awarded the Grammy Award in 1985 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The verses and chorus alternate between G major and A major, and a final modulation to F at 3:21.

Chaka Khan | This Is My Night

Chaka Khan built her career as frontwoman for the band Rufus (starting as “Rufus featuring Chaka Khan” and later billed as simply “Rufus + Chaka”). AllMusic calls Chaka “one of the most dynamic and accomplished artists to debut during the early ’70s … Khan launched her solo career with “I’m Every Woman” (1978), an anthemic crossover disco smash that led to eight additional Top Ten R&B hits.”

Her 1984 album, I Feel for You, was likely the peak of her crossover pop success. The release was fueled by a single of the same name, written by Prince and featuring Stevie Wonder’s unmistakable harmonica riffs, ultimately becoming one of the most iconic tunes of the 80s. The heavy-hitting Turkish-American producer Arif Mardin left a strong imprint on the entire album; his dense wall-of-sound approach to up-tempo tunes can be heard his on earlier productions as well, including the Bee Gees’ 1975 track “Nights on Broadway.” Other than Quincy Jones, Mardin was one of the first producers in pop music to routinely garner prominent mentions alongside the music artists they supported. “This Is My Night” enjoyed a more modest success as a follow-up single, but still reached #1 for one week on the Billboard dance chart, #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #11 on the R&B chart.

Featuring a full showbiz mini-plot, Busby Berkeley-style dance sequences, and appearances by noted actors Wallace Shawn and Carol Kane, this story video doesn’t introduce the tune until 1:35. There’s a mammoth whole-step key change at 4:16 as the scrappy understudy becomes the toast of the town.

The B-52s | Summer of Love

“Among the first American new wave acts to break through to mainstream visibility, the B-52s became one of the biggest success stories to emerge from the American underground in the late ’70s,” reports AllMusic. “Making music that was full of quirks but also sounded friendly and fun to dance to, the B-52s filtered surf music, ’60s pop, vintage soul, and low-budget sci-fi soundtracks through a pop culture kaleidoscope … with their eager embrace of kitschy fashion and oddball humor, the B-52s made party music for the skinny tie crowd, and also brought a queer sensibility to their music when punk rock was turning increasingly macho and misogynistic. Four of the five founding members were on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and they were outspoken in their support of AIDS research and marriage equality.”

“Summer of Love,” a single from the band’s 1986 album Bouncing Off the Satellites, was co-written by several members of the band, including founding member Ricky Wilson, who lost a battle with HIV before the album was recorded. Wilson’s death nearly derailed the band, but they went on to more hits in the early 90s, including the quirky yet iconic dance hit “Love Shack.”

“Summer of Love” marks a sunny MotD debut for the B-52s. The tune starts in Eb minor with a minute-long(!) multi-layered synth-driven intro. The verse starts at 1:00, featuring the band’s usual straightforward melodies, dual lead vocalists, and percussion-driven accompaniment. At 1:36, the verse blooms into Eb major, heralded by a very prominent G natural as the title pops into the lyric right out of the gate. The chorus is fueled by an even more relentless groove built around a Rube Goldberg-esque number of synth/percussion parts. The chorus tools along with an irrepressible I major/ v minor progression; at 1:58, we transition back to Eb minor in advance of verse 2’s arrival at 2:13.

Earth Wind + Fire feat. The Emotions | Boogie Wonderland

From stalwart MotD fan Carlo Migliaccio: “I was listening to Earth Wind and Fire, when I remembered that ‘Boogie Wonderland’ modulates briefly to the relative major, twice: once at 1:38 and again at 3:38.”

The 1979 single, the caboose-that-could at the end of Disco’s multi-year train, achieved a #14 ranking on the Dance chart, #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It also garnered Grammy nominations for Best R&B Instrumental Performance and Best Disco Recording.

According to AllMusic.com, “One of the few records that paired two full-fledged groups successfully, the combination of EWF and the Emotions worked wonders here and it remains a classic of the period. A virtual call to arms of the disco scene, the lyrics relate the power of the extinct musical form, and although loaded with clichés, it still retains a certain period charm. The fantasy life of disco patrons is celebrated here, and in this way, it was a sort of theme song to the Studio 54 crowd. Musically, it’s a straight four-on-the-floor rhythm with a funk melody, and despite its simplicity — or because of it — it was a huge and accessible record that is still played regularly on oldies R&B radio.”

Milli Vanilli | Blame It On the Rain

The misrepresentation which surrounded late-80s Munich-based pop artists Milli Vanilli has become legend. In a nutshell, the studio personnel didn’t match the stage personnel … In 1990, the band won a Grammy for Best New Artist. Later, it became the only musical group to ever have the award rescinded; the frontmen were dancers and lipsyncers who’d played no role whatsoever in the creation of the hit album, Girl You Know It’s True (1989).

The album’s title track was the best-known single from the outfit. But another standout single, “Blame It On the Rain,” written by American songwriter Diane Warren, is packed with unprepared, off-kilter modulations:

0:00 | B major intro
0:38 | Bb major verse
1:05 | B major pre-chorus, chorus
1:44 | Bb major verse
2:11 | B major pre-chorus, chorus
2:49 | Ab major bridge
2:57 | C major chorus

With just as much oddness as the key changes, the tune ends suddenly, mid-phrase, on a IV chord. From AllMusic: “It’s hard to imagine why there was such a fuss about an album so transparent, lightweight, and intentionally disposable…But when it comes down to it, this music is so manufactured, it doesn’t sound like anyone is really singing. And that’s what’s sort of cool about it.”

Many thanks to prolific mod scout JB for the submission!

Melissa Manchester | You Should Hear How She Talks About You

According to Billboard, producer Arif Mardin described Melissa Manchester’s “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” (1981) as “a real departure, because it has a new wave dance quality and she had been known for her ballads.” A 1985 Albany Herald interview stated that the singer “had to be dragged kicking and screaming into [the] studio” to record the tune.

She needn’t have been concerned. Although she’s better remembered for the ballads “Don’t Cry Out Loud” and “Midnight Blue” now, YSHHSTAY became Manchester’s highest charting and most broadly appealing record, reaching #10 or higher on the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Dance charts and winning a 1982 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

The tune starts in A minor, modulating to B major as the chorus begins at 0:44 and reverting to the original key at 1:15; the pattern continues from there.

Jamiroquai | Time Won’t Wait

An overdue MotD debut today for British “acid” funk band Jamiroquai, submitted by frequent contributor JB. According to AllMusic.com, the band has “amassed a steady stream of hits in the U.K. and experienced chart success in just about every other area of the world, with an irresistible blend of house rhythms and ’70s-era soul/funk…” The band explores themes of “rising technology and the deterioration of human interaction,” perhaps best demonstrated in its initial 1996 worldwide hit, “Virtual Insanity.”

Released on the album Dynamite in 2005, “Time Won’t Wait” is a dynamic dance blowout — reminiscent of some of the best 70s disco/funk jams, but with better chords! After an intro in D minor and a jump to F minor at 0:36, the tune alternates between these two keys. After the chorus starts with a familiar Fmin/Cmin/Bbmin/Gbmaj progression from 1:21 – 1:28, we’re treated to a cascade of new syncopated chords hitting every two beats, starting with a very prominent F major. At 1:51, the cycle starts again.