Written and performed by Gladys Knight for the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill, this track was a top ten hit in the UK, peaking at #6 and becoming Knight’s last charting solo single there. Key change at 3:14.
Tag: film
A Love That Will Last (from “The Princess Diaries 2”)
“A Love That Will Last,” performed by Renee Olstead, was featured in The Princess Diaries 2 (2004). The track was written by David Foster and Linda S. Thompson. The key change is at 2:39.
Spirit of the Season (from “The Polar Express”)
Weekend bonus mod: From our Twitter follower @PTMusicGrind comes “Spirit of the Season” from The Polar Express (2004). The piece was composed by Alan Silvestri, a multiple Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominee.
The piece is a parade of modulations; the first key change arrives at 0:33.
Into the Unknown (from “Frozen II”)
Thanks to longtime MotD fan and contributor Gus Connelly for finding this one — a rare downward modulation (by a minor third!) at 2:36, with the melody resolving to the major 7th scale degree of the new key. Featuring Idina Menzel, returning to her role as Elsa in Frozen 2 (2019).
Beyonce | Spirit (from “The Lion King”)
“Spirit” by Beyoncé, featured in the 2019 remake of The Lion King movie, was reviewed by Slate.com‘s Carl Wilson as an “award-baiting piece of Hollywood-goes-gospel.” After an intro built around choristers singing in Swahili, Beyonce shows off not only her trademark fluid melisma, but also the far edges of her range, both high and low. The half-step modulation is at 3:30.
Sarah McLachlan | Ordinary Miracle
“Ordinary Miracle” was written by Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, and originally performed by Sarah McLachlan in the 2006 film adaptation of Charlotte’s Web. It won the Film Critics Society Award that year for Best Song. Key change at 2:28.
Betty Hutton | Murder, He Says
They don’t make them like this anymore. Betty Hutton makes her MotD debut with “Murder, He Says” from the film Happy Go Lucky (1943). The tune was written by Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh. Key change at 2:14, but you have to experience this whole performance.
Electric Light Orchestra | I’m Alive
The 1980 film Xanadu featured the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) track “I’m Alive.” While the film did poorly at the theaters and with critics, its soundtrack was a double-platinum smash hit, peaking at #4 on the end-of-year charts. The tune, which features Jeff Lynne‘s trademark stacked vocals and plenty of real strings layered in with synths, modulates at 2:03.
My Bathroom (from “Bathtubs Over Broadway”)
The documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway included this tune, “My Bathroom,” from a 1969 industrial musical entitled The Bathrooms are Coming. There’s a key change at 1:26. For more on what an industrial musical is, check out https://www.industrialmusicals.com.
Heather Headley | All the Man That I Need
Broadway star Heather Headley dropped a new album today entitled Broadway My Way, so today we feature her rendition of “All The Man That I Need” (2018), performed by Whitney Houston in 1991. This song was included in the 2012 West End musical The Bodyguard. The key change is at 3:09.
modulationoftheday.home.blog 