Tag: soul

The Stylistics | You Make Me Feel Brand New

“You Make Me Feel Brand New,” an R&B/Philly Soul ballad released by The Stylistics in 1974, reached the #2 position on the both the US and UK pop charts, but was kept from the #1 position in the US by the omnipresent bubblegum pop tune “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero.” However, the track achieved top 10 positions from Australia to Canada to South Africa.

Written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, the tune has been covered by Babyface, Simply Red, Boyz 2 Men, Roberta Flack, Ronnie Milsap, and Rod Stewart/Mary J. Blige (as a duo), and more.

The intro starts in A major, transitioning to E major at the verse at 0:32, G major at 1:06, and C major-ish at 1:58 for the chorus. The cycle repeats for the second verse and chorus. Many thanks to Mark Shilansky for this submission!

The Temptations + The Supremes | I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

Released by Motown when the label was in full swing, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” had been previously released twice by other artists in 1966 and 1968 before The Supremes and The Temptations released it in 1969. This version of the Kenny Gamble/Jerry Ross tune reached #2 on the US Hot 100 chart; it might have gone to #1 if it hadn’t been in competition with Marvin Gaye’s hit “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Nonetheless, the single went platinum.

Detroit’s legendary Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra combined forces to produce a lush backdrop for the vocalists. G major is in effect for the intro and the verse, but the chorus shifts to Bb major (for the first time at 0:50). At 1:09, the next verse reverts to G major and the pattern continues.

Smokey Robinson + The Miracles | Baby Baby Don’t Cry

Via our frequent contributor JB:

“This 1969 tune is a classic. There’s only one big mod (at 3:15), but the bridge that builds to it begins at 2:40, generating a huge amount of tension. When the mod finally comes, it’s as cathartic as a dam bursting. A great example of how an artful mod can infuse an otherwise-sleepy melody with a lot of dramatic tension.”

Lawrence | It’s Not All About You

From longtime MotD fan Carlo Migliaccio comes this jam-packed pop/soul confection of an arrangement from NYC-based band Lawrence, “It’s Not All About You” (2019). Siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence are at the core of the band, both as songwriters and performers. Relix‘s overview: “The rich 9-piece arrangements pay tribute to Motown, Muscle Shoals, and everything in between.”

The tune starts at the 0:56 mark, but watch the entire video to catch the full snark quotient of the narrative arc. A half-step modulation hits at 2:39, with a second key change at 3:04.

Frank McComb | Somebody Like You

Our follower Christopher Fox submitted keyboardist/vocalist Frank McComb‘s 2013 track “Somebody Like You.” This relaxed video follows McComb on a tour of the Netherlands. According to AllMusic, McComb has collaborated with a laundry list of artists: Rude Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Chaka Khan, Prince, Will Smith, Najee, George Duke, Gamble and Huff, Patrice Rushen, and many more. In 1994, McComb collaborated extensively with saxophonist Branford Marsalis on the jazz-rap fusion project Buckshot Lefonque.

After the short but punchy bridge at 2:54, the modulation hits at 3:13.

Aretha Franklin | The Dark End of the Street

Q: What do Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, The Eels, and Cat Power all have in common with Aretha Franklin?

A: They’ve all covered “The Dark End of the Street,” originally recorded by the unfairly overlooked soul singer James Carr in 1967.

Our Twitter follower @bradfarberman submitted Aretha’s 1970 version, which modulates at 2:28; it clearly illustrates why the Queen of Soul won the #1 slot on Rolling Stone‘s “Best Singers of All Time” list.

The Friends of Distinction | Love Or Let Me Be Lonely

Saturday bonus mod: Our frequent contributor JB sends this mod from Friends Of Distinction, a soul, R&B, and Sunshine Pop hybrid group from Los Angeles which made its mark during the late 60s and early 70s. The group’s 1970 hit “Love Or Let Me Be Lonely” reached chart positions of #2 US Pop, #13 US R&B, and #6 Canadian Pop. Between 1969 and 1971 alone, the Friends released five albums!

Starting in Db major for the verse, the tune transitions to A major during the choruses (for the first time at 0:24), then reverts to Db at 0:44, etc. Starting at 2:19, an extended outro is built around a simple but compelling 2-chord vamp featuring everything but the kitchen sink: layers of brass, strings, and backing vocals.

The Delfonics | La-La Means I Love You

1968’s “La La Means I Love You” was a #4 Billboard pop hit and a #2 R&B hit for Philly Sound mainstays The Delfonics. After two verses and choruses, a brief instrumental bridge starts at 2:25, bringing a modulation with it. This R&B standard was later covered by The Jackson 5, Todd Rundgren, Swing Out Sister, The Manhattan Transfer, and Prince, among others.

Aretha Franklin | Respect

“Respect,” originally released by Otis Redding in 1965, was later a huge 1967 hit for Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin. Franklin’s cover became a feminist battle cry as well as one of the best-known American R&B tunes, winning Recording Academy / GRAMMYs, entry into the Grammy Hall, honor by The Library of Congress, a #5 perch on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, and a place on the “Songs of the Century” list by the The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The tune modulates on the brief instrumental bridge at 1:17 and is back to its original key at 1:34.