r&b

Silk Sonic | Put On a Smile

After fiddling with the R&B of the 1980s and ’90s to great commercial success on 2016’s 24K Magic, Bruno Mars has assigned himself a more challenging project: Silk Sonic, a fidelity-obsessed act in which he and onetime tour mate Anderson .Paak recreate the rhythm and blues of the ’70s. The duo sought out particular drum skins to better replicate the sounds of the studio during the heyday of Gamble and Huff, when those songwriter-producers polished soul music to an extravagant sheen. With period-specific instrumentation in place, the exuberant pop hitmaker and the acclaimed rapper-singer-drummer with underground cachet recorded as their ancestors did, with just one or two mics for the entire room of musicians … (the) splashy interplay between male vocalists is perhaps the record’s strongest selling point: there are virtually no male R&B vocal groups of note these days, though the power of layered harmonies is the catalyst for much of the genre’s finest records, most notably the entire body of work of Marvin Gaye.

… Co-written by the singularly talented Babyface, the (2021) album’s big ballad (‘Put On a Smile’) digs as deep emotionally as Mars and .Paak are willing to go on a project that keeps the stakes low by choosing humor over sincerity at just about every turn. (Guest star Bootsy) Collins’ rhyming intro mentions ‘begging in the rain,’ and the subject matter doesn’t stray far from the Temptations’ ‘I Wish It Would Rain’ or the Miracles’ ‘The Tracks of My Tears,’ perfect songs about trying to mask your busted heart. Structurally, ‘Put on a Smile’ teases massive catharsis with its first chorus that it smartly holds back until the second refrain, when the drums finally crescendo and Mars leaps to the top of his falsetto. The song is played entirely straight, as the level of emotion calls for.”

Starting in C# minor, the ballad’s vocals-forward mix showcases Mars’ powerhouse delivery during the first verse, then shifts to .Paak’s raspy, heartfelt technique in the second. At 2:55, a half-step key change takes effect, nestled on all sides between compound chords. Mars continues to ascend to the stratosphere from there, until the tune returns to earth with both singers’ voices moving in close harmony.

Michael Jackson | I Wanna Be Where You Are

“While most Michael Jackson fans are busy listening to The King of Pop’s most renowned albums, Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous, I find great pleasure in listening to his 1972 debut solo release, Got to Be There,” (Subjective Sounds) … “it’s an exceptional album and, in the context of his continued evolution towards superstardom, has become somewhat of an underrated and forgotten release.

Yes, everyone is aware of Jackson’s earlier recordings, particularly as the frontman of the Jackson 5, but this solo outing is a world-class record with a collection of 10 timeless tunes … The production, songwriting, and artistry are exactly what one would expect from Motown during the era … it’s Jackson’s impressive vocal delivery that makes this timeless album a hidden gem, (as) he was no longer sharing the limelight with his brothers. Jackson was only 13 at the time of recording … but it’s the Motown spit and polish that is so compelling … Berry Gordy and the team at Motown played a core role in Jackson becoming the King of Pop.”

There aren’t many moments when Motown and the Baroque era of classical music overlap, but the brief solo harpsichord intro of “I Wanna Be Where You Are” qualifies. The balance of the intro leading up to the verse at 0:14 features lush instrumentation, including a tight string section. The verse straddles the relative major/minor border, starting in B minor (can it be I stayed away too long) and ending in D major (did I leave your mind while I was gone). The major section takes up the most real estate, resting on the D major chord at the end of the phrase (with flute filigree touching on the major seventh degree of the chord.) At 0:32, the pre-chorus stands ten toes down on the minor side of the line, strings and harpsichord pegging the 16th-note intensity meter. But then we return with verse 2 at 0:51, progressing straight into the B minor chorus at 1:09, where the strings are newly liberated to deliver a syncopated yet lyrical countermelody. 1:28 brings another pre-chorus, again resting on a bed of relentless 16ths.

Via what might have been the biggest compound chord of the 1970s (1:45) leading into an instrumental verse with a flute feature, we drop into the new keys (C minor and Eb major). 2:06 brings a chorus in the new key, with Michael singing even higher (repeatedly topping out at a G5) all the way to the faded ending. All of this complexity is packed into less than three minutes! The co-writers were Arthur “T-Boy” Ross and Leon Ware; the track went to #7 on the Cash Box chart, #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, and #2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in 1972.

The Intruders | I’ll Always Love My Mama

“Legendary Philadelphia soul producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff weren’t above making novelty records, and they were transparent about their desire to write timeless songs by pegging them to timeless events, like Mother’s Day,” (AVClub). “The Intruders’ ‘I’ll Always Love My Mama,’ from the 1973 album Save The Children, grew out of Gamble and Huff’s special-occasions initiative and is its most enduring artifact. ‘Mama’ is part of a grand tradition in R&B music that continues to this day: songs honoring black (and implicitly single) mothers for toiling thanklessly to provide for their children. (There are also soul tributes to dads, like The Winstons’ ‘Color Him Father,’ but they’re as comparatively limited as Father’s Day greeting cards are to Mother’s Day cards.)

Tributes to Mama are invariably touching, but they’re almost never fun. Reportedly inspired by Gamble’s mother Ruby, The Intruders’ sweet and heartwarming ode is also a rousing, rollicking funk tune with bright instrumentation and an infectious melody. The song honors Mama’s hard work and sacrifice — ‘The way she used to clean somebody else’s house just to buy me a new pair shoes’ — but it doesn’t sacrifice joy in favor of solemnity. It’s a great song to play on Mother’s Day, especially if your mama loves to dance … “

The track starts with an extended intro in a somewhat detuned C# major, featuring a luxuriously dense instrumentation and wordless backing vocals. The tune then suddenly falls into the very different territory of its sing-along A major chorus at 0:44 rather than leading off the lyrics with a verse. The keys alternate from there.

Luther Vandross + Cheryl Lynn | If This World Were Mine

“Luther Vandross is R&B music’s tragic hero – a soulful soloist who was most popular while singing backup for rockers, a strict disciplinarian who could control everything except his weight, a hopeless romantic who died alone, miserable, and far too young,” (The Guardian). “It’s a sad story revisited in a (2025) documentary … Directed by the biographical film-maker Dawn Porter, produced by Jamie Foxx and arranged by Robert Glasper, the 160-minute film is a stark reminder of the aversions and prejudices that stalled Vandross’s breakthrough and ultimately broke him.

Stardom should have happened so much earlier for Vandross, who really did have it all: songwriting chops, producing knack, and a velveteen vocal clarity and dexterity to rival Whitney Houston. But record execs refused to see past his dark skin and overweight physique. The stigma had Vandross at once determined to succeed and self-conscious about stepping into the spotlight … Decades on, Vandross endures as a timeless crooner whose vulnerability and sincerity set the standard for male R&B vocalists, practically an endangered species now. In the documentary, Vandross gets due credit for his role in breaking the color barrier in the music industry – where, ultimately, he made truer classifications for himself: adult contemporary, quiet storm.”

“‘If This World Were Mine’ was a hit single recorded by Vandross and Lynn for her album Instant Love,” (ThisIsRnB).) “The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart in 1982. The song was a remake of the original 1967 version recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from their album United. The original, written solely by Gaye … (it peaked) at #68 on the Billboard Pop chart and #27 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.”

Starting in a slightly detuned D major, the ballad is a worthy vocal showcase for both Vandross and Lynn, who at first alternate leisurely verses. At 2:05, the intensity builds with a bridge, followed by a trap door of a key change to E major at 2:43.

Bloodstone | We Go a Long Way Back

“Bloodstone’s history goes back to 1962 when a group of Kansas City teens formed the Sinceres who later became the Soulful Emeralds before settling on Bloodstone,” (SoulandJazzandFunk). “The core lineup was Charles Love on guitar, Melvin Webb on drums, Roger Durham on percussion, McCormick on bass/vocals, Harry Williams on percussion, and Willis Draffen on guitar. Working in and around Los Angeles they became known for their ability to blend soul/funk with doo-wop harmonies and rock guitar.

Their best known song was 1972’s ‘Natural High’ – a sweet ballad that became a top 10 hit. The song was recorded under the auspices of famed UK blues producer/musician Mike Vernon. The band’s other hits included ‘Never Let You Go’, ‘Outside Woman’ and ‘My Little Lady.’ In the 80s, Bloodstone enjoyed success with songs like ‘We Go a Long Way Back’ and ‘Go On and Cry’. The ever-lovely ‘Natural High’ enjoyed further success after being featured on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 movie, Jackie Brown.“

The R+B ballad “We Go a Long Way Back” (1982) features a super-late half-step key change (4:04), but it could hardly be more dramatic. The lead vocalist belts a super-charged note through the key change which gradually adjusts upwards to the new key, but is quite … piquant(?) … in the process. The new key is fully in effect at 4:09.

“

Twennynine (feat. Lenny White) | Morning Sunrise

“Lenny White was 20 years old when he appeared on Miles Davis’ breakthrough fusion album, Bitches Brew,” (Progrography). “Yet it was in a different setting with Chick Corea, Return to Forever, where White would make his greatest impact as the drummer in RTF’s classic quartet lineup alongside Stanley Clarke and Al DiMeola. In the 70s, White released a steady flow of solo albums and brought his distinctively crisp drumming (and wide-brimmed hat) to various sessions. Venusian Summer (1975) and The Adventures of Astral Pirates (1978) are highly recommended to fans of prog/fusion.

In the 80s, Lenny White formed the funk band Twennynine, which released three albums: Best of Friends (1979), Twennynine with Lenny White (1980) and Just Like Dreamin’ (1981). He also recorded a few jazz albums with his Miles Davis alums, including Echoes of An Era (1982) with vocalist Chaka Khan. In the 90s, White recorded hip-hop/funk records on the Hip Bop Essence label. He continues to release occasional albums, including Anomaly (2010).”

White’s Twennynine project is now remembered by only the most ardent fans, but it’s remembered fondly! The intro and verse of the R&B ballad “Morning Sunrise,” from the 1979 album Best of Friends, are built in A minor. The chorus shifts to D major at 0:55. At 1:22, the cycle repeats. Many thanks to our Brazilian contributor Julianna A. for this submission!

Anita Baker | Lead Me Into Love

“This deservedly heralded contralto is — in some cases literally — the poster woman for the ‘quiet storm’ radio format, personifying all that that term would represent: seemingly a private person, most assuredly a dignified one, but someone who lets forth with deep-felt bursts of emotion and perhaps sexuality in appropriate moments.” (LA Times).

” … Had it been coined earlier, that format could have been home to Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan or Nancy Wilson, of course. Baker’s sound is very much ‘black,’ and quite at home on modern R&B stations, but its debt is more to the black tradition of jazz singing than any strain currently dominating the charts. Her appeal is as multiracial as anyone’s, and stretches across the board from easy listeners to funk fans, giving cynics occasion to celebrate the infrequent triumph of voice over formatting.”

One of Baker’s tunes with a relatively strong jazz influence is “Lead Me Into Love” (1988). Starting in F major, the track shifts to F minor for the chorus (first heard from 1:11 – 1:36). After an unusual chromatic side-step, there’s a return to F major for the next verse; the pattern continues from there.

The Meters | Look-Ka Py-Py

” … music, most often, didn’t just materialize from nowhere. Most urgent, especially, when confronted with an album or a band that sounds as if they arrived on the wings of some unseen miracle, like someone holy opened their palm somewhere, and out came the Meters, fully formed and already spiraling through a series of immersive grooves, each of them sounding like the birth of a new universe,” (Pitchfork). “But the reality is that someone beat a drum somewhere once. Someone sounded an alarm with a voice that summoned another voice and then another. The reality is that the drums and the voices and the dancing might have taken place in American streets or in American fields, but these traditions were carried over by a people who were forced to be here, forced to work and build and care for land that wasn’t their land, families that were not their families. Their music and celebration was a reaction to that series of ongoing thefts.

… The self-titled Meters debut was released in May of 1969 and was steered by its opening track, “Cissy Strut,” which was honed for a couple of years as the band’s opening song … Their second shot, Look-Ka Py Py, was released just seven months later, before the year kicked its last bit of sand down the hourglass. And it is here that the miracle of the Meters flourishes: the band that was on stage tearing the Ivanhoe apart night after night found a way to become that same band on record. It is sort of a reverse effect, their debut album free of pressure, imagined or real.”

The title track of Look-Ka Py Py is so much about groove that its two-chord harmonic vocabulary doesn’t seem minimal in any way. But its two chords also outline two separate keys: G mixolydian is in effect throughout most of the tune, but there’s also a shift to F mixolydian (first heard between 0:27 – 0:38).

The Miracles | Love Machine

The United States turned 200 years old in 1976, and as the bicentennial celebrations ramped up that spring and summer, the music scene was in the middle of a seismic shift,” (Parade). “February 1976 captured American pop music at a crossroads—disco was exploding onto the mainstream charts, soft rock still had a firm grip on radio and the remnants of early ’70s soul were making their last stand before the decade’s second half changed everything. Fifty years later, the songs that climbed the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1976 tell the story of that cultural moment. Some became enduring classics that still get airplay today. Others were brilliant flashes that defined the era before fading into oldies rotation.

Smokey Robinson had left The Miracles five years earlier, but the group proved they didn’t need their legendary founder to craft hits. ‘Love Machine’ became one of their biggest successes, reaching #5 and introducing a more funk-influenced sound than their Motown classics from the ’60s. The song’s mechanized, almost robotic concept of romance felt perfectly timed for the disco era. Lead singer Billy Griffin stepped confidently into Robinson’s formidable shoes, delivering a performance that helped the track become one of 1976’s most memorable dance hits.”

The tune’s form starts with a chorus in a slightly uptuned D minor, followed by a verse in the same key. 0:34 brings a pre-chorus which touches on D major, but leads back to the chorus in the original key (0:47). But it’s the wordless sing-along break (first heard from 1:00 – 1:14) that really leans into D major; the pattern continues from there. Yes, the sections really are that short — this tune moves fast!

Donny Hathaway | Love, Love, Love

“Donny Hathaway was blessed with an effortless musical genius. When the neo-soul movement got underway in the 90s, it became every singer’s default position to pay the utmost respects to him,” (BBC). “If you’ve never heard him, you are in for something of a revelation. Imagine Stevie Wonder and his sweetest and most spiritual – only more so. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see the tributes. A schizophrenic who suffered severe bouts of depression, Hathaway was to commit suicide at just 33 in 1979. A multi-instrumentalist, he lived and breathed music. He was a gospel singer at the age of three, and was composing music in his head at six. As a student he would lead classes and play Bach and Beethoven.

By the time of his fourth and final studio record, Extension of a Man, in 1973 he’d already recorded a blaxploitation soundtrack, 1972’s Come Back Charleston Blue, and a best-selling collaboration with Roberta Flack. Produced by Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler, Extension is a rich exploration of the human psyche, borrowing from film scores and classical as much as soul music, exploring form and convention … ‘Love, Love, Love’ is his answer to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On.’ … Mere words cannot contain the grandeur and ambition of Extension of a Man.“

After a harmonically angular intro, the verse of “Love, Love, Love” falls into an uncomplicated Bb major. At 1:06-1:26, the chorus shifts to Db major. After a brief interlude featuring wordless vocals, 1:46 brings the next verse. Although the focus here is personal instead of societal, it would indeed be impossible to miss the influence of Gaye’s 1971 masterpiece “What’s Going On” in terms of the track’s tempo and feel.