soul – Page 2

The Impressions | People Get Ready

“Seldom does a song go down in history as not only one of the best popular songs ever written, but as a song that is so universal in composition and message that it can be effectively covered by almost anyone,” (American Songwriter). “But that’s the case with ‘People Get Ready,’ recorded in 1965 by The Impressions and written by the group’s lead singer, Curtis Mayfield. Nearly half a century later the song continues to be recorded and performed by a variety of acts in several genres.

From the album of the same name, (it) was released during a time of civil unrest in America, when the country was in turmoil over race relations and the Vietnam War just as Mayfield was beginning to infuse his work with social commentary. Influenced by the music of the church and his preacher grandmother, Mayfield began singing professionally as a teenager, and his work would go on to define what was the Chicago soul sound as opposed to what was coming out of Berry Gordy’s shop in Detroit at the time. In a 1993 interview with National Public Radio’s Terry Gross … Mayfield said. ‘This is a perfect example of what I believe has laid in my subconscious as to the preaching of my grandmother, and most ministers when they reflect from the Bible.'”

“People Get Ready” was awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1998, its first year of eligibility. The song has been covered by literally dozens of other artists, including Bob Dylan, Alicia Keys, Exile and Matisyahu, and guitarist Jeff Beck obviously is a fan of the song, having recorded or performed it with Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Sting and Queen’s Roger Taylor.

A half-step modulation drops during a short, understated guitar feature at the track’s midpoint (1:21).

Bunny Sigler | Sunny Sunday

“Walter ‘Bunny’ Sigler—a songwriter, singer, and producer … helped pioneer soul music’s ‘Philly Sound’ along with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in the early 1970s,” (Pitchfork) … “Sigler was best known for songs such as ‘Let the Good Times Roll and Feel So Good’ and ‘Girl Don’t Make Me Wait.’ He began his recording career in 1959 and went on to work with numerous acts, including Patti LaBelle, The O’Jays, and Lou Rawls. He often performed with the funk/disco group Instant Funk.

Later in life, Sigler collaborated with the Roots on their Game Theory track ‘Long Time.’ His songs were sampled by Jay-Z, OutKast, Nelly, Kelly Rowland, and many more. ‘He wrote classics that stood the test of time,’ Questlove wrote in a remembrance … ‘He was the DEFINITION of cool, man.'”

“Sunny Sunday” (1967) starts in G minor, then shifts to Ab minor for the second verse at 0:45. A brief bridge touches on Ab major before transitioning to the next verse, this time in A minor. The tedium of the workweek and and the relative shortage of leisure time with loved ones never sounded so good!

Michael McDonald | You Are Everything

“You Are Everything” was originally recorded and released in 1971 by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics, and written by Thomas Bell and Linda Creed, who both helped pioneer the Philadelphia soul sound. The track, which was also covered by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, is included on American singer Michael McDonald’s 2003 album Motown, comprised entirely of covers.

It winds through many different keys, starting in Db for the intro and shifting to Bb when the vocal enters at 0:26. There is a modulation to Eb for the first chorus at 0:57, and then a downward mod to C for the second verse at 1:20. The last chorus, starting at 1:52, is in F.

Glenn Lewis | Fall Again

“Fall Again” was written and originally recorded by Michael Jackson in 1999, and subsequently covered by Canadian R&B singer Glenn Lewis for the 2002 film Maid in Manhattan. Lewis makes a brief appearance performing the song in the film, which starred Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes.

The track begins in E minor and modulates up a half step to F minor at 3:06.

The Sweet Inspirations | Unchained Melody

The Sweet Inspirations are a vocal group, formed in the late 1950s, best-known as backup singers for other artists, appearing on recordings for Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Jimi Hendrix, the James Gang, and Yusef Lateef. They toured with Elvis Presley towards the end of his career.

The original members included Doris Troy, who had a hit with “Just One Look” and recorded an album for the Beatles’ Apple label; future superstar Dionne Warwick; and Warwick’s sister Dee Dee. The later lineup on the cut here features lead vocalist Cissy Houston, mother of 1980s superstar Whitney Houston and the aunt of the Warwick sisters. The other members of this classic lineup were Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown, and Myrna Smith. A version of the group continues to tour to this day (Encyclopedia of Popular Music).

Besides their backup work, the group recorded their own singles and albums. [Ed. note: I first became aware of the group from their 1968 single named for the group, “Sweet Inspiration”.] The track here appeared on their third Atlantic album, What The World Needs Now Is Love, and was released as a single. The album, produced by Tom Dowd and arranged by Arif Mardin, bears the unmistakable sonic signature of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (you could ID Roger Hawkins’ snare in a police lineup.)

“Unchained Melody,” with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret, was written for the 1955 movie Unchained. The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 single on Phil Spector’s Phillie Records is probably the most famous recording of the song. That version features a languorous 12/8 rhythm, extracting maximum emotion from Bobby Hatfield’s tenor. The Sweets’ version (1968) is in straight 4/4 and is a bit more up-tempo, but Cissy Houston’s soaring lead is no less emotive.

There’s a half-step modulation at 1:48 as the verse repeats.

Dusty Springfield | Son of a Preacher Man

Included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, “Son of a Preacher Man” has been recorded by Elvis Presley, Joss Stone, and Foo Fighters, among others.

English singer Dusty Springfield’s cover, included on her 1968 album Dusty in Memphis, is by far the most well-known. The song tells the story of a young girl who runs away with and falls in love with the preacher’s son. The industry magazine Cash Box wrote in 1968 that “the track is “brim-full of the special southern-combo sound and a vocal strongly influenced by Aretha [Franklin].”

The song begins in E and modulates up to A for the last chorus at 1:44

Darren Criss | Not Alone

Originally written for A Very Potter Musical, a parody of the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling, “Not Alone” is the final track on the debut EP by American singer/songwriter/actor Darren Criss. Criss, who co-wrote the score for the musical, also produced the EP and plays guitar for the song.

The tune begins in Bb and shifts up to C at 2:55.

The Isley Brothers | The Highways of My Life

“Rudolph Isley, who held dual roles in the influential vocal group the Isley Brothers as a mellifluous harmony singer and co-writer of many of their greatest hits, died on Wednesday at his home in Chicago,” (New York Times). “He was 84. Mr. Isley spent much of his three decades with the Isley Brothers harmonizing with his brother O’Kelly in support of Ronald Isley’s lead vocals … He and his brothers wrote a number of pivotal hits, beginning with ‘Shout,’ the group’s 1959 breakthrough, which applied the dynamic of gospel music’s call-and-response to a pop context. They also wrote the enduring political anthem ‘Fight the Power,’ a Top Five Billboard hit, as well as the Top 10 pop hits ‘It’s Your Thing’ and ‘That Lady.'”

“The Highways of My Life” is the closing track of the Isley Brothers’ 1974 3+3 album, “the gateway to the Isley Brothers’ golden, shimmering 70s period,” (BBC). “This was the point where, after radicalizing since forming their T-Neck label, the original trio of Rudolph, Ronald and O’Kelly Isley augmented their sound with their younger brothers Ernie Isley, Marvin and Rudolph’s brother-in-law, Chris Jasper. They then enjoyed their third life (after their early doo-wop and subsequent Motown career) becoming an all-conquering rock-soul ensemble that produced a remarkable run of hits … Here was a band that could appeal in equal measure to rock fans and soul aficionados. The record mixed originals and covers, light and shade … (an) album which showcases them at the peak of their powers … brilliance writ large.”

After an intro that runs through 0:55 and touches on several keys (most prominently E major) and a first two verses in Ab minor, the chorus of “The Highways of My Life” (in Ab major) finally arrives at 2:09. Multiple interlocking vocal parts carry the chorus, further setting its sound apart from the simpler texture of the verse. At 2:37, we’re back into Ab minor for the next (and final) verse; 3:20 brings another chorus, which eventually does double-duty as a fading outro.

Margie Joseph | Show Me

” … Margie Joseph’s legacy has been nearly buried by the inaccessibility of her music,” (PopMatters). “For far too many years, finding her music has been the wont of voracious crate-diggers. Only the most dedicated listener would pony up for pricey import re-issues or seek out the few rare compilations that currently exist.

(Producer) Arif Mardin treated Joseph like a soul queen on her eponymous debut for Atlantic in 1973, earning her inevitable comparisons to label mate Aretha Franklin.” Al Green liked one of Joseph’s tunes so much that he asked her to tour with him; she also received praise from Paul McCartney. Of her collaboration with Mardin, Joseph said “’I would just hear these melodies. Arif was so patient. He’d sit there and listen to me sing a line of a song out of the blue, and he’d create something out of it.’ … The signature Margie Joseph sound … strength and sensitivity intertwined in one powerhouse set of pipes.” Joseph also went on to work with Lamont Dozier and Narada Michael Walden.

Starting in C major, the off-kilter intro/verse 1 junction of 1968’s “Show Me” features an odd meter just before the lead vocal’s entrance, warning us from the get-go not to get too comfortable. 1:26 brings an upward half-step shift, followed by another leading into the fading outro at 2:07. This horn-driven knockout punch weighs in at only just over 2.5 minutes, but is nothing short of a lyrical mic drop throughout.

The Dukes of September | Who’s That Lady (live)

The Isley Brothers recorded “That Lady” twice. Songwriters Ronald, O’Kelly, and Rudolph Isley, the original family trio, released the first version in 1964.

Besides the sweet vocals, the prominent features of the song are the insistent cowbell (!), and the supporting horn riff towards the end.

But it was the Isleys’ 1973 version that made the song famous (Billboard #6 that year). By then, younger brother Ernie Isley had joined the group, and it’s his fuzzed-out guitar that’s the hook in that version. For that release, the lyrics were embellished, and the superior recording quality reflects the improved technology of the day. Neither of the Isleys’ versions featured a key change, however!

Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan), Michael McDonald (of the Doobie Brothers), and Boz Scaggs toured as The Dukes of September from 2010 to 2012, playing hits from their own bands and some of their own favorites, like the song here. Guitarist Jon Herington, who had recorded and toured with Steely Dan, manages to capture the flavor of Ernie Isley’s solo in this performance at Lincoln Center in 2012.

In the Dukes’ version, there’s a half-step modulation at 2:36 — although this shift seems bigger due to an interruption of the groove, some unexpected kicks, and flourishes from the horn section.