r&b

The Four Tops | Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over)

“Motown was on a tear, no question, and for most fans 1966 marks the apogee of the label’s anything-but-mythical Golden Age, the time when everyone at Hitsville was at their very best,” (Motown Junkies). “Motown’s prodigious output would be one thing, but the quality of that output at the time is, by and large, the stuff the label’s legend is built upon. Just as the city’s motor industry was firing on all cylinders, Motown brought worldwide attention to Detroit in the mid-Sixties, as the most successful music industry talent-spotting and -gathering operation of all time came to fruition. Berry Gordy had gathered around him the absolute cream of the industry’s black American talent, whether that meant in songwriting, musicianship, production, singing, dancing, marketing … you name it, Motown probably had someone who was the best at it.

… The Four Tops had somehow lasted until 1964 as perennial and well-known ‘local talent’ before getting a single on Motown, ten hitless years of hard slog rewarded and paid in full. By teaming the Tops with the Andantes, the immortal Motown female backing singers, the Holland-Dozier-Holland team created something close to alchemy, a blend of beautiful voices and gritty soul sensibilities verging on the perfect (and sometimes, as in the case of their début Motown 45 ‘Baby I Need Your Loving,’ actually perfect) … The Sound of Young America, conquering the world.

The biggest trademark of the genius Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and production team … is fully present and correct here. Not the 4/4 floor-filling beat, or the crotchet pulses the Funk Brothers throw in on the beat to keep things driving along, or even the swooping, sweetening vocal harmonies that lift those heavenly band tracks to another yet-higher celestial plane. Those are all here, alright, but I’m talking about another signature HDH feature, namely their ability to take a driving, fully danceable upbeat tune, and promptly marry it to the most anguished and depressing lyrics you could come up with. This is a song about a guy who is losing his mind, paranoid and permanently on edge, plagued by fears his partner is about to walk out on him, stoked by (possibly imaginary) rumors, fueled by insomnia. And it sounds like a party, like the narrator’s pain would make a great ringtone. That, right there, is the magic of Holland-Dozier-Holland, and this is as good an example as you’ll ever find in their catalogue.”

After the anguished storytelling of the song’s first half, followed by an instrumental verse, a half-step key change hits at 1:47.

Peaches + Herb | Reunited

“Peaches & Herb weren’t really reunited. The duo had been a pretty successful soul act in the ’60s, and then they’d disappeared for years before returning with their two biggest hits ever,” (Stereogum). But the Peaches & Herb of the late ’70s weren’t the same as the Peaches & Herb of the late ’60s. Herb was the same. (Herb was Herbert Feemster, a Washington, DC native who wisely took the stage name Herb Fame when he got famous). Peaches was different. The Peaches on ‘Reunited’ was Linda Greene, the third in a long line of Peacheses. Maybe ‘Reconstituted’ just wasn’t as catchy a song title.

… Back in 1968, the first version of Peaches & Herb had scored a minor hit with a cover of ‘United,’ an early Philly soul song that Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff had written for the Intruders. So ‘Reunited’ (1979) was a kind of sequel … The lyrics hint at past mistakes: ‘I can’t go cheating/ Honey, I can’t play.’ But they mostly refer to relationship bliss in the most generic terms possible: ‘I was a fool to ever leave your side/ Me minus you is such a lonely ride/ The breakup we had has made me lonesome and sad.'”

The sleepy track did quite well for itself: it topped both the R&B singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for four weeks in 1979. Selling over two million copies, it was ranked as the No. 5 song for 1979 by Billboard. After a start in Db major, “Reunited” features an early half-step shift to D major at 1:42, then another to Eb major at 3:10. The verses are just about identical to the choruses in harmonic structure, so the extra bumps in energy brought by the harmonic step-ups is welcome indeed!

New York Vocal Collective | Weak

“The three members of SWV all came from New York. Like so many of their peers, those three singers came up singing gospel,” (Stereogum). “SWV never had a gimmick. Their name stood for ‘Sisters With Voices,’ and that was also their sales pitch. They were all ferociously gifted singers, but they were also approachable young around-the-way everywomen, known primarily by their nicknames. When SWV were at their best, you could tell that they were all real-life friends, though their friendships eventually frayed in the old, expected show-business ways. For a couple of weeks, those three young women had the most popular song in America (‘Weak’).”

“The New York Vocal Collective (brings) together a group of vocalists (balancing) tight ensemble work with individual artistry.” (Broadway World) … ” … (showcasing) what happens when strong singers are placed in a collaborative, high-level a cappella environment, with a focus on both musical precision and emotional connection. The New York Vocal Collective functions as an advanced training ensemble, pulling together singers to workshop, rehearse, and ultimately perform a set of fully arranged contemporary a cappella pieces. It’s not just about blending voices … arrangement, dynamics, and storytelling within a group setting … “

While SWV’s 1993 original version of “Weak” featured a single key change, NY Vocal Collective’s cover, arranged and directed by Ben Bram, features several upward steps. After beginning in F# major, the tune hits its first half-step key change at 2:13, followed by an upward cascade after the bridge (3:07 – 3:17), ending in C# major.

William Bell | This Is Where I Live

“Bell, who had his first hit in 1961 with the song ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water,’ brings his trademark compassion and tenderness to his new album,” (NPR). “Critic Ken Tucker calls 2016’s This Is Where I Live a triumph.

Bell first had a hit with the song ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ in 1961. Bell co-wrote the classic blues song ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ and recorded R&B for Stax Records in the ’60s and ’70s … William Bell sings with a warmth that remains undimmed more than 50 years after his first hit. He was never a huge star, but for anyone aware of his work he’s been a constant, steady source of pleasure, a singer whose sense of intimacy with his audience forms a direct connection. At his best, William Bell can seem to be inside your mind, articulating hopes, fears and doubts you may have had yourself.”

During “This is Where I Live,” an early half-step key change hits at 1:07. Occasional emphasis on the relative F# minor scroll by, but overall, the tune strongly resides in A major.

The Supremes | You Keep Me Hangin’ On

The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (1966) is “a brisk, urgent, desperate song, and it absolutely snaps into gear the second we hear that itchy morse-code guitar riff panning between speaker channels … (Stereogum). “‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ sounds easily 10 years ahead of its time, and listening to it, you can immediately hear why Diana Ross thrived in the disco era while so many of her ’60s peers flailed.

‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ was Holland-Dozier-Holland’s attempt to write a rock song … The guitar, from Funk Brothers ace Robert White, is foregrounded, going back and forth between that ticcing intro and deep, resonant strums. The drums and percussion work together in lockstep, pushing forward the song’s urgency. The bassline is another James Jamerson wonder, busy and complicated but never so showy that it detracts attention from the rest of the song … Holland-Dozier-Holland parted ways with Motown soon afterward, only giving the Supremes one more #1 after ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On.’ As it turns out, the Supremes were fine without them. But listening to this, it’s still hard not to wonder what might’ve happened if they’d stuck around, if their genius had even more time to develop within that peerless Motown thrill-delivery system.”

The form starts with the chorus in Ab minor. As the tune shifts into the first verse at 0:36, B major (with a big emphasis on a compound A/B chord) goes into effect; the major key feels restful by comparison, not least due to the lack of the percolating “news bulletin theme” guitar part that skitters over the top of the rest of the tune.

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.