pop – Page 23

Bon Jovi | I’ll Be There For You

“I like the whole expansive vastness of the song — the rising drone on the intro, the whispery opening line, the way it builds to massed heartbroken shouting,” (Stereogum). “‘I’ll Be There For You’ (1989) isn’t as clean and sharp as Bon Jovi’s best songs, but it still has a chorus that lands like a grand piano falling off a sixth-floor roof. As a band, Bon Jovi’s single greatest strength is the power to trigger arena-wide communal yelling. From that perspective, ‘I’ll Be There For You’ is a roaring success. It’s over-the-top even before the key change comes screaming in at the end.

… ‘I’ll Be There For You’ does give Jon a chance to do some of his most effective vocal work. Jon Bon Jovi is a famously limited singer, but he puts a whole lot of force and emotion into everything. The chorus … is mostly half-drunk shouting, but if you’re trying to get a whole arena to sing along, then half-drunk shouting is a good means to that end … Bon Jovi weathered the grunge-era storm, shed their big-hair trappings, and became a venerated staple on the arena rock circuit. ‘I’ll Be There For You’ was Bon Jovi’s last #1 hit.”

You’d expect a key change as the guitar solo wraps up at 3:37, or perhaps as the bridge ends at 4:03. Nope! There’s yet another chorus before the whole-step modulation finally hits at 4:30. All in all, quite the power ballad stadium anthem specimen, with a total run time of close to six minutes.

Dionne Warwick | You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)

“Vocalist Dionne Warwick had already established something of a reputation as a chanteuse of unrequited love by the time ‘You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)’ was released in 1964,” (JazzIz). “The song evokes the wit and delight of Great American Songbook standards. It also benefits from the contrast created by the dream-pop orchestration, complete with tinkling chimes and bells, and the lyrics, where Warwick essentially threatens her loved one with eternal damnation should he wrong or hurt her.

(The tune) was another collaboration between Warwick and the legendary songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It also marked a departure from their previous, bossa nova-influenced hits, although subtle yet significant Latin influences are still heard throughout. In addition, the song is noted for solidifying her fame and status in Europe, where it was particularly successful. In fact, shortly after the single’s release, Warwick would embark on a four-month tour of the Old Continent.”

The track features a half-step key change at 1:56, which hits at an unexpected spot just before the start of a verse.

Special mention must also be made of the Stylistics’ 1972 cover of the tune, which is arguably the better known of the two versions (also posted below). While different from the original, its arrangement also managed to sound thoroughly Bacharach-ian. Its modulation hits at 2:10.

Tears for Fears | Watch Me Bleed

“The Hurting (1983) is consistently wise beyond its creators’ years. ‘Mad World’ is such an efficient, pointed, yet graceful chronicle of adolescent angst and exasperation that it has been covered by everyone from techno DJs to folk singers to industrial heavy metal outfits,” (PopMatters). In 2001, the track was notably covered (minus the original version’s layers of 1980s synths) by Gary Jules for the soundtrack of the film Donnie Darko.

“… Independent of lyrical or emotional content, this is simply one of the strongest, most fully-realized albums of the early-to-mid 1980s. Augmented by keyboardist Ian Stanley and drummer Manny Elias, (Roland) Orzabal and (Curt) Smith find a near-perfect balance between cool, moody electronics and earthy guitars, drums, and percussion. Orzabal and Smith were fans of intelligent synth-poppers like OMD, sure, but they were also fans of Peter Gabriel’s early solo work … Indeed, you could argue that only in early ’80s England could an album like The Hurting have been a Number One smash … Even with all the hooks and production details, this is a draining experience, one that commands attention start to finish but is nevertheless not for the faint of heart.”

“Watch Me Bleed,” a track which wasn’t bestowed the status of release as a single, runs in E minor for its intro, several initial verses, and the first two choruses. At 1:55, a vocal bridge shifts via an unprepared modulation into C minor, then D minor at 2:07 before returning to E minor. The bridge sequence repeats at 2:19 before returning to E minor in earnest at 3:01 for the balance of the tune.

MFSB feat. The Three Degrees | TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)

“It was Aretha Franklin who made Don Cornelius realise he had hit the big time,’ (The Guardian). “Just two years earlier, the impresario’s show Soul Train had been a Chicago thing, broadcasting local talent to local viewers. Now it was a national sensation and even the choosiest stars wanted to get on board. Franklin told him: ‘My kids love the show and I want to be a part of it.’ Stevie Wonder improvised an ode to Soul Train. James Brown, convinced that somebody, probably a white somebody, must be behind such a slick operation, looked around its Los Angeles studio and kept asking Cornelius: ‘Brother, who’s backing you on this?’ Each time Cornelius replied: ‘Well, James, it’s just me.’

He wasn’t bragging. As the host (or ‘conductor’) of Soul Train from 1970 to 1993, Cornelius was an avatar of cool, with his glorious afro, wide-lapelled suits and avuncular baritone, signing off each episode with a funky benediction: ‘I’m Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace … and soul!‘ Billed as ‘the hippest trip in America,’ Soul Train didn’t just beam the latest sounds from black America into millions of homes, but – with amateur dancers who became as integral to the show as the performers – the fashions, hairstyles and dance moves too.”

The theme for the show, “‘TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)’ is a 1974 recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees,” (Billboard). “It was written by Gamble and Huff … (and) was the first television theme song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.” The track also went to #1 on Billboard‘s Easy Listening chart and Hot Soul Singles chart, as well as reaching top 20 positions in many countries worldwide.

After a start in C major, the tune shifts to C minor from 0:33 – 1:07 before returning to original key. The track continues to alternate between the two parallel keys throughout, keeping the groove front and center at all times.

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.

Duran Duran | Save a Prayer

“Duran Duran released ‘Save a Prayer’ as a single in the UK on Aug. 9, 1982, and it became the highest-charting hit from the Rio LP in their home country,” (UltimateClassicRock). “The midtempo No. 2 smash was a departure, as Duran Duran’s previous singles were all geared for the dance floor. The song was an outlier on Rio, too: … a moody ballad driven by lush, pirouetting keyboards and acoustic guitars, and a rhythm section that propelled the song forward with nuanced grooves.

‘Save a Prayer’ coalesced in the band’s rehearsal space at the Rum Runner, Duran Duran’s de facto headquarters in their hometown of Birmingham. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes was idly working on a piece of music on the Roland SH-2 synthesizer and CSQ-100 sequencer and then fed it into a cutting-edge instrument called the Roland Space Echo. ‘As I was playing with it, I stumbled upon this fantastic delay that was in time with the sequencer, which was something that I’d never really used on the first album like that. And this was a slower sequence, so it had the space in the music for the delay in between it. It really just sounded hypnotic and magical.'”

The band’s melodic sensibility was a bit limited here (this track could easily have been titled “journeying up and down the minor pentatonic scale”). But the tune was certainly bolstered by the tune’s cutting-edge synth textures and supercharged by its industry-leading mastery of music video, which had only recently taken over as the primary driver within pop music. Filmed in Sri Lanka with no end of record company funds, the video looks expensive, because it was; the band look like kings of the world, because they more or less were (winning the #5 slot for best-selling pop artists of 1982, worldwide). The tune’s intro and verse are in D minor but there is a shift to B minor for the short chorus (first heard from 1:00 – 1:17); the pattern continues from there.

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!

Alana Davis | Blame It On Me

The daughter of jazz vocalist Ann Marie Schofield and jazz pianist Walter Davis Jr., Alana Davis made her own reputation as a singer and songwriter whose style bridges folk, rock, jazz, and R&B (AllMusic) … Although she began writing songs at the age of 18, Davis didn’t turn to music as a career until briefly attending Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York.

Leaving school to devote her full attention to music, she recorded a demo tape of her original tunes and was signed by Elektra. They released her debut album, Blame It on Me, in late 1997. It reached number 157 on the Billboard 200, and her first single, a cover of Ani DiFranco’s ’32 Flavors,’ became a Top 40 single in early 1998 … Drawing equally from folk and pop, Davis comes on as a refined, refashioned DiFranco — one with a stronger melodic sense and a willingness to indulge in slick production … The single’s success also led to an invitation to participate in the Lilith Fair.” Davis went on to release several other albums, most recently 2018’s Love Again.

After a start in D major, “Blame It On Me” shifts briefly to Bb minor at 1:06 before reverting to the original key (1:30) for a vamp that leads into verse 2. A break featuring a laddered series of key changes starts at 3:33, but then Davis climbs back down and once again returns to the D major for a final verse at 4:14.

Scritti Politti | Perfect Way

“Scritti Politti is … an act that’s had almost more of an interesting life outside of the spotlight as in it,” (Treblezine). “Green Gartside, a stage name for Paul Strohmeyer, was a politically-minded art school student who became inspired by the punk movement, started his own band, and gained the attention of enough people through his own philosophical and politically charged songs to gain a spot on a tour with Joy Division and Gang of Four. Unfortunately, Green … had massive stage fright … couldn’t perform, and had his first heart attack at the age of 23 … He eventually put together a series of singles which became the landmark Cupid & Psyche 85.

This album was a breakthrough at the time, but … every song still holds up today as one of the best pop records ever produced. Green … has a voice that one critic has stated is ‘eternally 14 years old.’ … Add to that some of the first sampling ever to be used in popular music, and you’ve got a recipe for an innovative record. ‘Perfect Way’ was the huge hit in the US, and it’s easy to hear why. Various loops and studio wizardry add to a sonically dense and exciting mix, but it is Green’s vocals, way with words, and delivery that make this song stunning.” The tune was so ornate that it created yet another barrier to performance: “… it became apparent pretty immediately that we couldn’t reproduce the sound of Cupid & Psyche live … The current Scritti line-up figured out a way to play ‘Perfect Way’ live, so we debuted it in Japan 30 years, or more, after it was recorded,” (Green’s comment on the YouTube video page).

After “Perfect Way” unwinds an intro in F# major, the leadup to the first verse shifts to A# major at 0:12. The pre-chorus starts at 0:49, featuring a restless melody and a wandering tonality as well. The chorus returns to F# major. At 1:18, the pattern starts over again with verse 2. An interlude follows, starting with a quick scene change smoothed over by tiny percussion breaks at both ends, where a simple, prominent piano solo unfolds in C major (2:25 – 2:43). There is likely no better example of the chaotic mid-80s MTV fast-cut video style — which quite possibly helped to make this track the hit that it became. Its top chart positions were UK #48 and Canada #32; in the US, #11 Pop, #6 Hot Dance/Disco, and #85 on the Hot Black Singles chart!

Wilson Phillips | You’re in Love

Wilson Phillips, a vocal trio of daughters of 1960s/1970s musical royalty Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) and John and Michelle Phillips (The Mamas & The Papas), were suddenly ubiquitous on the pop charts in 1990. Although mostly remembered now for their international smash hit “Hold On,” the trio’s followup single “You’re in Love” (1991) did well too, briefly hitting #1 in the US and Canada.

“SBK Records founder Charles Koppelman … basically bet the label’s entire future on Wilson Phillips: ‘I always say, if they were racehorses, I would syndicate them. I believe they are SBK Records’ George Michael, our Madonna. They are the future.’ … But Wilson Phillips were not the future. ‘You’re In Love’ would be their last top-10 hit.” (Stereogum).

After a start in D major, the tune shifts its emphasis to the vi chord (B minor) for the pre-chorus (0:54), then deftly flips over to a sunny B major for the chorus (1:04) before returning to D major for the next verse. The pattern continues from there.