Utopia, an American rock band formed in 1973 by songwriter, performer, and producer Todd Rundgren, started with a progressive rock sound and a fluid personnel list. In the late 70s, the band morphed into a tight power pop format with a stable quartet of players. Its only top-40 hit was 1980’s “Set Me Free,” written and sung by bassist Kasim Sulton (who later became known for his work with Meatloaf, Hall & Oates, and Joan Jett as well as his own solo releases).
A whole-tone modulation hits towards the end of the track (2:36), which just might be the bounciest song ever written about a doomed relationship (in this case, reportedly, between Sulton and his record company).
Tag: rock
Elton John | (Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket
“(Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket” is a track from Elton John‘s 1975 album Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
Contributor JB writes that the tune is “from the golden days when Elton John was still an unabashed rocker. If he’d never done anything beyond playing rock piano, he still would have been inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame. There are outright mods at the beginning and end of each chorus. But the most interesting part of the song is all the keys-of-the-moment, especially the fleeting shifts from D minor to D major (and back) during the chorus.”
In an interview with Cameron Crowe, Elton said “I’ve always thought that Captain Fantastic was probably my finest album because it wasn’t commercial in any way. (It) was written from start to finish in running order, as a kind of story about coming to terms with failure—or trying desperately not to be one. We lived that story.”
Three Dog Night | Celebrate
A bonus weekend mod from our frequent contributor Paul Steckler:
“‘Celebrate’ was a hit for Three Dog Night, reaching #15 on the Billboard chart in 1970. The studio version had no modulations. But this live 1975 version features an endless series of modulations beginning at 2:36, eventually posing health risks to performers and audience alike.”
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.
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.
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