Tag: rock

Van Halen | Jump

A submission from MotD fan, double bassist, and multi-instrumentalist Peter McCutcheon:

“‘Jump’ was a 1984 single released by Van Halen in anticipation of their album, 1984. It reached #1 on the Billboard charts, as well as #1 in Canada and Italy. Typically, Van Halen’s style is heavy metal, with strong guitar, but this song shows that the group has some pop and synth in them too.

Primarily, the song is in the bright and energetic C major, possibly to accommodate Eddie Van Halen‘s less prodigious keyboard skills. But the eight bars of Eddie’s guitar solo suddenly shift to Db major, even beginning on a strong Bb minor chord (vi in Db Major). To return back to C Major, EVH plays a sequence in which the finger and fret pattern remain the same across five strings, beginning firmly in Db major and then ending on a high G to return to the original key (for a synth solo using only white keys). Since the progression of the guitar solo ends on the tonic rather than beginning on it, the shift to C Major is even more dramatic, by the half step motion in the bass — a musical breath of fresh air that separates Eddie’s two instrumental features.

The modulation is blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, but once you begin to notice it, it’s really cool. The modulations occur at 2:15 and 2:31.”

Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Jackie Blue

According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, “‘Jackie Blue’ has a certain structure that happens to sound good on a car radio.” The tune was the first of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils‘ singles to feature drummer Larry Lee on lead vocal. The Montreal Gazette, assuming that the track was sung by a woman, scolded the band for producing a track that sounded like “an outrageous knockoff of Fleetwood Mac’s sound, down to the female lead.” The track hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1975.

The verses are in Eb minor, transitioning to G majvor for the choruses (0:28) and back to Eb for the next verse (0:46), etc.

Elvis Costello | Clubland

Elvis Costello‘s 1980’s atmospheric “Clubland,” produced by Nick Lowe, is another contribution from prolific mod correspondent JB. The track features “quasi-latin” piano by Steve Nieve, according to American Songwriter, that’s “all over the place, propelling the song in different directions, without ever getting in the way of the tune.”

Starting in B minor, there’s a switch to B major for the chorus at 0:35, then back to minor for verse 2 at 0:51. At 1:37, the bridge begins, combining alternating B major and B minor within the vocal line from 1:52 – 2:07. Many thanks to blue-ribbon mod contributor JB for this tune!

Ian Dury + the Blockheads | Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

After multiple requests from *two* regular contributors, JB and Rob Penttinen, here is “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick” (1978) by Ian Dury. Stricken by polio in his native UK at age 7, Dury didn’t allow anything to slow him down. His band, Ian Dury (and the Blockheads), mixed funk textures, gonzo punk sensibilities, and cutting lyrics.

The track features F minor verses and F major choruses, with a few quick nods to F minor even during the choruses. It reached #1 in the UK, #2 in Australia, and Top 10 across much of Europe.

Aimee Mann | I Should’ve Known

Busy mod scout JB has submitted “I Should’ve Known” by singer/songwriter Aimee Mann, formerly the frontwoman of the 80s band ‘Til Tuesday. The track was from her first solo album, Whatever (1993.) AllMusic‘s review gushes that Mann’s “blend of wit, smarts, cynicism, and downright hum-ability make for a wonderfully pleasing collection of catchy songs…Lyrically, it is often hard to know whether Mann is spilling her guts out over a love or a deal gone bad. In fact, it is often a combination.”

The tune modulates as the bridge starts at 2:25.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJgaxspMu30

Steely Dan | Haitian Divorce

Frequent contributor JB has submitted yet another mod: The Royal Scam, Steely Dan‘s 1976 release, which achieved gold status and reached #15 on the album charts. Hearkening back to the mid-century era when Americans traveled to tropical locations for relatively quick divorces (which required a brief residency by one half of the couple), “Haitian Divorce” showcases the band’s colorful, cynical lyrics at their best. 

Ultimate Classic Rock reports that the reggae-infused tune was “reportedly inspired by a recording engineer who asked for time off to fly to the Caribbean nation and obtain a quickie marriage annulment. Intrigued, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker asked for details on his return…” The E major verse transitions to E minor for the chorus at 0:46, then reverting to major at 1:15, etc.

The Ventures | Perfidia

Another contribution from MotD fan Paul Steckler:

“Who can turn a dolorous Mexican popular song into a surf guitar classic? Why, The Ventures, of course. Their 1960 version of “Perfidia” (Spanish for “perfidy”, meaning faithlessness, treachery or betrayal) changes key at 1:07.”

Other than the Ventures’ version, which hit #18 on the pop charts, the tune has been covered by Desi Arnaz, Nat King Cole, and Linda Ronstadt, among many others.

The Nice | Country Pie Brandenburg Concerto #6

Chalk up another mod for frequent contributor JB: According to AllMusic, the Nice “bridged the gap between mid-’60s psychedelic pop and 70s art rock, laying the groundwork for the entire progressive rock explosion in the process. It was with the Nice that Keith Emerson began his transformation from an unknown musician into an international rock star with Emerson, Lake & Palmer.” Over time, the band pulled excerpts from an eclectic range of composers including Sibelius, Janacek, Brubeck, Tchaikovsky, Bernstein, and more, including this 1969 tune featuring a J. S. Bach melody.

At 2:28, there’s a short bridge based on a quote from the Brandenburg Concerto #3; at 2:46, after a pause, the tune modulates up a whole step.

Bruce Springsteen | Hungry Heart

Marking Bruce Springsteen‘s debut on MotD, “Hungry Heart” was the lead single on Springsteen’s 1980 album The River and hit #5 on the pop charts. Originally written for The Ramones, the tune ended up becoming a keeper for the Boss instead, winning the Rolling Stone Reader’s Poll for best single of the year.

The early instrumental bridge brings a modulation from C# major to E major at 1:37, and then reverts to the original key at 1:55.