sophistipop

Swing Out Sister | Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong

“Swing Out Sister are a sophisticated pop duo from the U.K. Singer Corinne Drewery and multi-instrumentalist/arranger Andy Connell’s sound ranges from jazz, classic, and modern pop to hooky EDM and synth pop,” (AllMusic). “1987’s It’s Better to Travel hit the top spot on the British album charts. 1989’s cinematic Kaleidoscope World resonated in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.” Many other releases followed, received with varying success around the world.

” … Nottingham-born Corinne Drewery was a fashion designer and model. After moving to London in 1977, she attended Central St. Martin’s with a certain Sade Adu. Drewery had no professional musical experience. She met Connell by chance at the Hacienda Club just after the band had completed their demos and signed with Phonogram. They discovered a shared love for vintage Blue Note and Riverside jazz, the scores of John Barry and Ennio Morricone, the funky Brazilian fusion of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, the high-class pop of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the sweeping cinematic soul of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Motown, Stax/Volt, and singers Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone, and Dusty Springfield. After a brief audition,” Drewery was invited “to be a full member — just in time to release their official first single, ‘Blue Mood,’ late that year … The single didn’t do much, but its follow-up, 1986’s “Breakout,” was a Top Ten hit in Great Britain and Japan.

… The group’s appetite for experimentation was far from sated, however. 2001’s Somewhere Deep in the Night offered a wide range of haunting vocal harmonies set in soaring string arrangements that owed an unapologetic debt to film composers such as Michel LeGrande, Francis Lai, and Pierre Barouh. It offered several instrumental tracks showcasing Connell’s arrangements. Issued in England, Japan, and Europe, its singles, including “Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong” … and the sweeping, hallucinatory title track were far too adventurous to chart.”

Starting in a D major that spends very little time on or even near its tonic chord, “Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong” shifts to Bb major for its chorus at 1:03. At 1:26, the pattern continues, with more shifts in tonality following. Many thanks to Ari S. for this wonderful find — her ninth contribution to MotD!

Scritti Politti | Bam Salute

“… to these ears, Provision (1988) is an almost-perfect follow-up to the classic Cupid & Psyche ’85,” (MovingTheRiver). “There’s arguably more cohesion – (vocalist Green) Gartside and keyboard-playing cohort David Gamson co-wrote and co-produced all tracks (no Arif Mardin this time) and the guest spots from Miles Davis, Roger Troutman and Marcus Miller are expertly placed.

‘Sweetness’ is the word that seems to follows Scritti around. And despite containing two classic ballads (‘Overnite’, ‘Oh Patti’), Provision is unashamedly happy music – all the songs are in major keys … And is there a Grammy award for arrangement? If so, Provision should have won. Gamson and Green do some intricate things here with backing vocals (check out ‘Bam Salute’), rhythm guitars and synth syncopation. No-one else has really explored similar areas, including the greats of ’80s R&B. No wonder Miles was a bit obsessed with Scritti.

Provision missed the top 100 in the States but made the top 10 in the UK (selling over 100,000 copies) and produced one top 20 hit in ‘Oh Patti’. Writer Nick Coleman gave the album a 9/10 rave in the NME, calling its songs ‘sweeties to rot your teeth and detonate your heart.'”

Starting in C major for the verse, “Bam Salute” both tumbles and climbs(!) into its D major chorus at 0:54. At 1:17, the next verse returns us to the original key. The pattern continues from there. Throughout the track, the solid reggae-inspired groove fights for top billing with polished synths effervescing with syncopated kicks.

Swing Out Sister | You On My Mind

As Swing Out Sister’s vocalist, Corinne Drewery, suggested in an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women in 2008 … “a lot of people don’t realize that musicians are still active unless they’re constantly in the singles charts,” (PopMatters). “The insinuation that Swing Out Sister were on some sort of delusional comeback trail after years of inactivity was an indication of the way daytime TV understands the music world – in clichés and brash, broad strokes that don’t necessarily tally with reality.

As anyone whose cultural reference points aren’t confined to Radio 1 could have pointed out, Swing Out Sister have been a remarkably durable, successful and prolific unit … Over the course of three decades, they’ve made increasingly fine-spun music that brushes up against soul, jazz, lounge, exotica, film-soundtrack music, and sunshine pop. Corinne’s smooth, elegant vocals are still the perfect complement to Andy Connell’s elaborate, electronic-orchestral soundscapes.

… Swing Out Sister … pulled out all the stops for a fully orchestrated album (Kaleidoscope World, 1989) that went even deeper into retro cinema and Bond-theme motifs than the debut. It was more challenging, but also more rewarding, as it was characterized by sweeping grandeur, unabashed glamour, high romance, and luscious intrigue. Perhaps as a consequence, its songs didn’t succeed as singles quite as consistently as those on the first album, with only ‘You on My Mind’ rupturing the UK Top 40. Regardless of that, it remains an artistic peak.”

The sole hit from the album certainly boasts an incandescent wide-screen feel. Starting in D major, the first verse shifts to Eb major at 0:25. 0:45 brings a short pre-chorus in Gb mixolydian, leading into a chorus (0:51) which transitions back to D major. The pattern continues from there.

Many thanks to composer, performer, and devoted music theoretician Ari S. for this wonderful contribution to MotD — her third!

Scritti Politti | Perfect Way

“Scritti Politti is … an act that’s had almost more of an interesting life outside of the spotlight as in it,” (Treblezine). “Green Gartside, a stage name for Paul Strohmeyer, was a politically-minded art school student who became inspired by the punk movement, started his own band, and gained the attention of enough people through his own philosophical and politically charged songs to gain a spot on a tour with Joy Division and Gang of Four. Unfortunately, Green … had massive stage fright … couldn’t perform, and had his first heart attack at the age of 23 … He eventually put together a series of singles which became the landmark Cupid & Psyche 85.

This album was a breakthrough at the time, but … every song still holds up today as one of the best pop records ever produced. Green … has a voice that one critic has stated is ‘eternally 14 years old.’ … Add to that some of the first sampling ever to be used in popular music, and you’ve got a recipe for an innovative record. ‘Perfect Way’ was the huge hit in the US, and it’s easy to hear why. Various loops and studio wizardry add to a sonically dense and exciting mix, but it is Green’s vocals, way with words, and delivery that make this song stunning.” The tune was so ornate that it created yet another barrier to performance: “… it became apparent pretty immediately that we couldn’t reproduce the sound of Cupid & Psyche live … The current Scritti line-up figured out a way to play ‘Perfect Way’ live, so we debuted it in Japan 30 years, or more, after it was recorded,” (Green’s comment on the YouTube video page).

After “Perfect Way” unwinds an intro in F# major, the leadup to the first verse shifts to A# major at 0:12. The pre-chorus starts at 0:49, featuring a restless melody and a wandering tonality as well. The chorus returns to F# major. At 1:18, the pattern starts over again with verse 2. An interlude follows, starting with a quick scene change smoothed over by tiny percussion breaks at both ends, where a simple, prominent piano solo unfolds in C major (2:25 – 2:43). There is likely no better example of the chaotic mid-80s MTV fast-cut video style — which quite possibly helped to make this track the hit that it became. Its top chart positions were UK #48 and Canada #32; in the US, #11 Pop, #6 Hot Dance/Disco, and #85 on the Hot Black Singles chart!

Tears for Fears (feat. Oleta Adams) | Woman in Chains

After their early 80s hits (“Pale Shelter,” “Change,” and the original version of “Mad World,” prominently covered by Gary Jules), UK duo Tears for Fears caught the peak of the New Wave with the international smash album Songs from the Big Chair. Released in 1985, Songs included three singles which went into the Top 20 in the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia — and straight to the top of the US charts: “Shout” (#1), “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (#1), and “Head Over Heels” (#3).

After the huge success of Songs, the band released the platinum-selling album The Seeds of Love in 1989. The title track, a quirky, upbeat stylistic omnibus which seemed to update the psychedelic sound for the 90s, provided no clues about the second single. “Woman in Chains” cracked the top 20 only in Canada and the Netherlands — but the track didn’t seem to have been designed for heavy radio airplay, not least because of its 6.5-minute run time. The band, whose very name was inspired by primal therapy, never shied away from heavier subject matter — and “Women in Chains” was no exception. Songfacts reports lead singer and songwriter Roland Orzabal’s reflection on the song: “I was reading some feminist literature at the time and I discovered that there are societies in the world still in existence today that are non-patriarchal … these societies are a lot less violent, a lot less greedy and there’s generally less animosity … but the song is also about how men traditionally play down the feminine side of their characters and how both men and women suffer for it … ”

The studio track featured Pino Palladino on fretless bass and Phil Collins on drums as well as showcasing the powerful, expressive alto of Oleta Adams, who would go on to score her career-making hit “Get Here” in 1991. Adams “influenced the album before she ever agreed to be on it,” continues Songfacts. “The duo watched Adams perform in Kansas City. ‘We were both knocked out by her emotional power,’ Orzabal recalled. ‘She just cut through the intellect and got straight to the heart. It made us realize that all the machinery and the complicatedness we were using were not allowing the expression to come through. It made me go back to the drawing board; it made me want to use real instruments and real soulful vocals.'”

After adding layer after layer of ostinato onto a few repeating sections, 4:00 brings a bridge and a quieter sound, suggesting a potential ending. But a resounding return drops at 4:42, complete with a massive whole-step modulation.

Swing Out Sister | Break Out

“… Swing Out Sister‘s music is unashamedly commercial pop,” AllMusic notes. The UK group’s “jazz-tinged arrangements and knack for clever hooks move them closer to the indie dance territory of St. Etienne or late period Everything But the Girl than to the cookie-cutter dance-pop of Kylie Minogue or Paula Abdul.” “Breakout” was the stand-out single from the band’s 1987 debut album, It’s Better to Travel, which AllMusic calls “a dreamy collection of mostly electronic pop songs that manages to sound warmly organic through the judicious use of real strings and horns and Corinne Drewery’s lovely voice, which recalls the throaty purr of vintage Dusty Springfield … ‘Breakout’ (was) one of the finest U.K. pop singles of the late ’80s.”

This unapologetically bouncy pop tune somehow seemed to know upfront that it would become an international smash hit, scoring top 5 chart positions in the UK, US, Canada, and New Zealand as well as prominent chart performance throughout Europe. The track swung for the fences and succeeded in nearly single-handedly establishing the band as late-80s sophistipop royalty. A whole-step modulation at 3:02 is announced by the boisterous horn section.

Many thanks to not one but two of our regular contributors, Chris L. and JB, who suggested this tune completely independently of one another!

Scritti Politti | First Boy In This Town (Lovesick)

From prolific MotD scout JB comes this submission from New Wave UK band Scritti Politti, fronted by Welsh vocalist/songwriter Green Gartside. The band’s name, Italian for “political graffiti,” definitely fit with its early politics-heavy releases. But by the mid-80s, the band’s sound had shifted to highly polished, synth-driven pop, with a consistently broad harmonic vocabulary — perhaps best demonstrated by the 1985 single “Perfect Way,” a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

“First Boy in This Town (Lovesick)” (1988) starts in Ab major, modulates to Bb major at the first chorus (1:00), then reverts to Ab for verse 2 at 1:27. That pattern holds throughout, except for the instrumental bridge (2:22 – 2:48), which centers around Eb major.

Johnny Hates Jazz | Shattered Dreams

UK pop group Johnny Hates Jazz scored a worldwide hit in 1987 and 1988, when “Shattered Dreams” was released in the UK and then in the US. A review on AllMusic calls the tune “…the peak of sophisti-pop before Alternative began to take over the charts. The arrangement is like the audio equivalent of watching a mechanical watch movement.”

The tune modulates up a half-step at 2:00 as the bridge begins.

Nik Kershaw | Radio Musicola

Nik Kershaw‘s classic 1986 New Wave release, Radio Musicola, was full of the UK singer’s moody, richly textured sound; the title track was no exception.

A textbook half-step ascending direct modulation at 2:03; a bridge (2:21 – 2:40) ending with a downward half-step modulation to the original key; and another modulation back to the second key at 3:06.