Stacked with compound chords from its very first measure, “Street Life” (vocalist Randy Crawford, along with The Crusaders, featuring Joe Sample) was one of the most harmonically rich hits of the Disco area (1979). Modulating up a half-step at 1:33, the compound chords hit again around the 2:00 mark, dropping us back into the original key — and then up again at 3:32. The track made a strong appearance on the US pop, soul, and disco charts and hit #5 on the UK pop charts.
Tag: funk
Jonah Nilsson | Coffee Break
Here’s a single by Jonah Nilsson, vocalist and keyboardist for powerhouse Swedish funk/pop band Dirty Loops, “Coffee Break.” Starting out with a minimalist rap, Nilsson rapidly shifts to singing supple yet rhythmically precise lines over his trademark wall-to-wall harmonic textures.
Key shifts hit at 0:53, 2:02, 2:10, 2:17, and 2:41, plus a few other quick keys-of-the-moment.
Hal Crook (feat. Debo Ray) | Love Me If You Can
Fishbone | Freddie’s Dead
Soul legend Curtis Mayfield scored a 1972 hit with “Freddie’s Dead,” originally featured in the movie Superfly. Fishbone, a California-based funk/punk/ska/soul hybrid, cranked out a frenetic 1988 cover version that takes the energy up another notch. Modulation at 2:15, then a reversion back to the original key at 2:25.
Knower | Hanging On
Via guest poster and longtime MotD booster Carlo Migliaccio comes a this track from Knower, a funk/electronica band. It centers around synthesist Louis Cole and vocalist Genevieve Artadi, both of whom studied jazz as undergraduates. The band released the hyper-kinetic track “Hanging On” in 2016. There are multiple key changes starting around 3:10.
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.
Reign of Kindo | The Hero, The Saint, The Tyrant + The Terrorist
The Reign of Kindo, a NYC-based quintet which frequently adds lots of extra instrumentation, has been releasing music somewhere between funk, jazz fusion, and progressive rock for over a decade. Featuring a 5/4 time signature, this 2013 tune modulates four times: during an instrumental break (3:13 and 3:20) and again at 3:28 and 3:42.
Seal | Prayer for the Dying
Seal‘s 1994 track “Prayer for the Dying,” which charted in both the US and the UK, pivots between two keys at each transition between verse and chorus (and vice versa). The title is a little misleading: the track overflows with funk energy and Seal’s trademark enigmatic lyrics. Mods at 1:07, 1:40, 2:01, 2:31, 3:00, and 3:44
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