Luton, a borough of just over 200,000 less than 30 miles from London, made its name as a center of hat manufacturing. Its arts center, the Hat Factory, was exactly that during the industrial revolution. So its residents were probably a bit surprised when a single named after its airport, released by the all-female band Cats UK, reached #22 on the UK Singles Chart in 1977.
The tune was inspired by the 1977 Campari television commercial: a woman answers the pickup line“Were you truly wafted here from paradise?” by saying “Nahh, Luton Airport!” (The Scotsman).
The unique funk-pop covers spread like wildfire in the music community, garnered them millions of views, and got them the attention of many acclaimed artists, namely 16x Grammy Award winning producer David Foster … (he) has acquired a significant fan base of high-profile musicians, including music impresario Quincy Jones: ‘He’s different though, he’s got the perfect balance of right brain creativity and left brain music theory. It’s in his blood,’ says Jones. ‘He’s got soul, with one of the biggest ranges I’ve ever heard.’”
Nilsson’s “Diamond Ring” (2021), featuring the legendary Steve Vai playing “Stunt Guitar,” finds Nilsson out from behind the keyboards, thoroughly embracing the role of frontman. After starting in C# minor with a full funk groove, 2:19 brings a quiet interlude in D# major; at 2:43, we’ve climbed to E major. At 3:00, another transtion: the sole accompaniment is the band clapping en masse on beats 2 and 4, along with some beatboxing(?). The cherry on top is Vai’s appearing via green screen for a culminating solo in A Dorian minor as the tune’s volume — but never its intensity — fades.
Will Young was the first winner, in 2002, of the British music competition television series Pop Idol. “Evergreen” was one of two tracks slated to be released by the winner, and Young’s cover of the tune (originally recorded by the Irish boy band Westlife) went on to become the fastest-selling debut single in the UK. The song modulates from C to D at 2:53.
“Born in 1934, to a Milanese family, Italian singer Ornella Vanoni spent most of her twenties alternating between theater and music … She started by singing “le canzoni della mala,” or songs about the underworld, but after meeting Gino Paoli in 1960 (with whom she wrote “Senza Fine,” one of her biggest hits) she began exploring the more sentimental sounds of pop” (AllMusic). She became known as the First Lady of Italian Music.
She later “branched out — both in terms of audience and style — from her homeland, exploring Brazilian music as she sang Italianized versions of Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho as well as of Erasmo Carlos’ ‘Sent Ado A’beira Do Caminho,’ retitled ‘L’Appuntamento’ (a song which, incidentally, after its inclusion in the 2001 film Ocean’s Twelve, started a resurgence in Vanoni’s popularity stateside). She has also sung with jazz players like Herbie Hancock, Gil Evans, and Beppe Quirici.”
“L’Appuntamento” (1970) features half-step modulations at 1:50, 2:50, and finally 3:49 for the wordless outro. The tune hit #2 in Italy and enjoyed a wave of popularity after its feature in Ocean’s Twelve.
On its website, Little River Band provides this overview: “The Eagles’ founding member, the late Glenn Frey, knew what he was saying when he dubbed Little River Band ‘the best singing band in the world.’ The current lineup of LRB takes that accolade to heart each and every time they perform. Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, LRB enjoyed huge chart success with multi-platinum albums and chart topping hits.”
“One of the first Australian bands to find widespread commercial success in America, Little River Band brought a polished, vocal-heavy pop sound to the late-’70s airwaves, melding the rich harmonies of the Eagles and Crosby, Stills & Nash with a bit of AOR drive and soft rock melodicism.” (AllMusic).
1977’s “Help is On Its Way” hit #1 in Australia and #14 in the US. The tune starts in B major, shifts to C major for the first chorus at 0:41, and then returns to B major for verse 2 at 0:59. There’s an early bridge at 1:35, suddenly diminished to only piano and few touches of percussion. The full groove is back at 2:06 with a brief guitar feature in G major; 2:25 brings us back to a verse in B major, with another shift to an C major chorus and then an extended B major outro.
Many thanks to first-time contributor Ziyad for this submission!
“There’s something different about Jordy,” said Pharrell Williams, who coached Searcy on the NBC reality singing competition The Voice in 2014. His 2018 EP Dark In The City established him in the Nashville singer/songwriter scene. “Dark In The City is a masterpiece,” said the online music publication The Music Mermaid. “Seven tracks teeming with near-tangible emotion and a wildly impressive ability for heart-gripping.” “Better” is featured on his latest EP, Love? Songs, released in February 2020. The tune modulates from A major to B at 2:41, then reverts to the original key at 2:55.
Kacey Musgraves, in all her pop-country glory, presents a slickly executed key change in her 2018 track “Space Cowboy.” The song’s intriguing wordplay and atmospheric textures will easily put listeners in a trance. The second verse ends with a refrain which transitions into a laid-back electric guitar interlude.
In the midst of calm ambience, the track is suddenly uplifted as Kacey’s vocals sneakily enter a half-step higher than expected at 2:27! The modulated vocals enter over the reverb tail of the preceding guitar strum and add a tint of brightness to a rather casual tune. It is most definitely one of the most graceful and well-considered moments in Musgraves’s repertoire!
Featured on Groban’s 2003 album Closer, “Per Te” was written by Walter Afanasieff and Groban with lyrics by Marco Marinangeli, and was recorded in Italian. The album was the top selling classical record of the 2000s and reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
There are modulations scattered throughout the song: The first two verses are set in C minor, alternating with choruses that modulate down to B minor at 1:46 and 2:10. A dramatic common tone modulation to Bb minor occurs at 2:52, followed by shift to C# minor at 3:16, which is maintained until the end.
The Sanford Townsend Band formed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama but later found great success on a national level and beyond on the strength of its 1977 single “Smoke from a Distant Fire,” which reached the top 10 in the US. Band member Johnny Townsend: “‘We had landed a publishing deal in 1974 and made demos with a lot of the great players of the day that again, caught the attention of another big time New York producer, Jerry Wexler” (Songfacts). “It was Wexler’s idea to take the band to (Muscle) Shoals to record … The experience was incredible … What can you say about Jerry Wexler (alias Tex Wex) that hasn’t been said. He discovered Ray Charles … He took Aretha from a so-so history at Columbia Records, signed her to Atlantic, and helped create some of the greatest popular music ever recorded … When the opportunity to work with him came up we didn’t bat an eye. He was a god to us.'”
Ritter Records reports that the band, unable to duplicate its 1977 success, broke up in 1980, returning to work as session musicians and songwriters. “Sanford went on to co-write Michael McDonald’s debut solo hit ‘I Keep Forgettin” in 1982, while Townsend also worked with Michael McDonald, Jackson Browne, and Gregg Allman (among others),” along with solo releases.
The shuffle-driven hit features stacked backing harmonies that locked from start to finish. The tune has funk feel and a saxophone hook but also features a southern rock sound around the edges. In A major overall, the bridge modulates to F major from 1:28 – 1:49.
While “Rules of the Game” was the only Bucks Fizz single to not crack the Top 40, it stayed on the Top 100 chart for 10 weeks. Various explanations were offered from the UK band’s members for the 1983 song’s lackluster performance: bad timing on the release, depressing lyrics, poor reviews. Nonetheless, it has continued to be a fan favorite. The tune modulates up a half step from Ab to A at 2:52.
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