Tag: rock

Elton John | Harmony

Elton John‘s smash 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, considered by many to be the peak of his career, featured plenty of well-known tunes. “Harmony,” the humble B-side of the hit “Bennie and the Jets,” utilized Elton’s unique wall-of-sound multi-layered background vocals. It modulates back and forth between Eb minor and Eb major. Starting in minor, it modulates to major just before the first chorus (0:33), then back into minor for the next verse at 1:09, and then back to major at 1:31 through the short balance of this distinctive tune.

The Tubes | Amnesia

San Francisco-based The Tubes started with unhinged neo-Burlesque performances in the 1970s. They morphed into a unique pop/glam/funk fusion in the 80s, never abandoning their careful balance between keyboard and guitar. In keeping with the band’s bizarre streak, its frontman/lead vocalist/co-writer, Fee Waybill, was once on the band’s roadie team!

There are several brief key-of-the-moment spots in 1981’s “Amnesia.” The bridge (2:27) starts off with a modulation, transitions to a new key at 2:46, then settles back into the original key at 3:05.

Reign of Kindo | The Hero, The Saint, The Tyrant + The Terrorist

The Reign of Kindo, a NYC-based quintet which frequently adds lots of extra instrumentation, has been releasing music somewhere between funk, jazz fusion, and progressive rock for over a decade. Featuring a 5/4 time signature, this 2013 tune modulates four times: during an instrumental break (3:13 and 3:20) and again at 3:28 and 3:42.