Tag: pop

Hall + Oates | I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)

Another track from the “obvious” files: “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” by Hall & Oates has been staring me in the face for decades, but its modulations only just hit me. Perhaps an explanation might lie in its catchy groove: sampled repeatedly by hiphop artists for the intro’s distinctive percussion, layered hooks, and bass line, the DNA of the 1982 track has gradually transcended its original mainstream pop context.

After an extended F minor vamp intro, the verse begins in C minor (0:58), then shifts to a bright C major for the pre-chorus (1:15) before reverting back to F minor for the chorus (1:32), etc.

Level 42 | Lying Still

BBC World Service​ says of UK band Level 42​: “For one brief, shining moment…they were outsiders.” By the mid-80s, the band had seen huge success, becoming one of the best-selling UK groups of the decade, best known for their uptempo funk-driven tunes like “Something About You.” But the band also produced some gorgeous melancholy-drenched ballads, including 1985’s “Lying Still.”

Starting in G minor, the tune transitions to B minor for the chorus at 0:44. At 2:50, the bridge starts as an instrumental (roughly in B minor), then transitions back to vocals for a lushly layered, multi-key-of-the-moment, meter-shifting section at 3:11. At 3:29, an extended outro, built around G minor, rolls out and tapers to the end.

Lenny Kravitz | American Woman

Our Twitter follower @tomstandage submitted “the semi-tone downward modulation for the solo (1:32) and back up again (1:43) in Lenny Kravitz‘s 1999 cover of The Guess Who‘s ‘American Woman’ (1970)”.

Kravitz’s cover went into the top 20 in Australia, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand and Spain, #26 in Canada, and #49 in the US.

Beyonce and Dixie Chicks | Daddy Lessons

Here’s Dixie Chicks and Beyoncé collaborating on a live performance of Beyonce’s “Daddy Lessons” at the 2016 CMA Country Music Awards. The track is from the 2016 Lemonade album. Rolling Stone reports that “according to a story by the AP, Beyoncé submitted ‘Daddy Lessons’ for nomination in the (Grammy) country category, but the Academy’s country-music committee shunned the song.”

Starting in A minor, the tune shifts to D major for a bridge at 4:00, then back to A minor at 4:35.

Cardigans | Lovefool

“Lovefool” was the breakthrough hit (1996) for Swedish band Cardigans. The tune saw broad success, including reaching #15 (Swedish Pop), #5 in Finland, #1 in New Zealand and Scotland, and #1 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart. Pitchfork Magazine ranked it #66 on its “Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s”.

According to Billboard, “The song’s upbeat feel wasn’t the band’s initial intention. ‘Before we recorded it, it was slower and more of a bossa nova,’ frontwoman Nina Persson says. ‘It’s quite a sad love song; the meaning of it is quite pathetic, really. But then when we were recording, by chance, our drummer started to play that kind of disco beat, and there was no way to get away from it after that.'” The verses are in A minor, shifting to A major for the choruses (0:44).

Fever | Josh Turner (feat. Allison Young)

From MotD regular Paul Steckler comes this update on a 1959 pop classic:

“Everyone knows the famous version of ‘Fever’ by Peggy Lee. She added lyrics to the original release, performed by Little Willie John in 1956. In 2019, we have a guitar-and-voice version by Josh Turner and Allison Young.”

Josh’s bio states that he “started playing at 13, when his PlayStation 2 was confiscated.”

Modulations at 1:35 and 2:11.

Howard Jones | Don’t Always Look at the Rain

From our Twitter follower Christopher G. (@cedgray) comes Howard Jones‘ ballad “Don’t Always Look at the Rain.” Jones released 1984’s Human’s Lib, his debut album, to a wonderful reception, reaching #1 on his native UK’s Album Charts in its first week and remaining on that chart for just over a year. The album went gold across the US and much of Europe and made a big splash in Japan.

Christopher points out the “unusual minor-third modulation at 1:39 (and elsewhere),” amid plenty of hybrid harmonies.