soundtrack – Page 5

Judy Garland | I’m Always Chasing Rainbows

“MGM’s musical extravaganza of 1941, Ziegfeld Girl, directed by the reliable craftsman Robert Z. Leonard, stars some of the studio’s most beautiful women: Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, and Lana Turner,” (EmanuelLevy). “The story focuses on three showbiz hopefuls and their efforts and fortunes in achieving their ultimate goal, becoming a glamorous ‘Ziegfeld Girl.’ … truly memorable is the series of lavish dance numbers, which are spectacular in costume design and scale … which do both Florenz Ziegfeld and choreographer Busby Berkeley proud.”

Although “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” was made famous via other releases as early as 1918, the tune is often associated with Garland’s versions. What thoughts must have gone through Garland’s head as she sang yet another beautiful tune about rainbows and bluebirds? Her original version from Ziegfeld Girl, also included below, didn’t feature a key change. But later in her career, on her own TV show (episode 23, taped 2/21/1964 and aired 3/8/1964). Garland sang an expanded version of the ballad which included a half-step key change at 1:51.

Many thanks to Amanda D. for bringing this tune to our attention — her first contribution to MotD! Thanks also to our regular contributor Jamie A. for providing details on the air date of this performance.

The Mad Hatter (from “Wonderland”)

“The Mad Hatter” comes in the middle of the first act of the short-lived 2011 musical Wonderland, with a score by Jack Murphy and Frank Wildhorn. The jazzy number, performed here by original cast member Kate Shindle, begins in E minor and bumps up to F minor at 2:23.

Roxette | It Must Have Been Love

“This breakup ballad was written by Roxette’s instrumentalist, Per Gessle. Despite the somber lyric, the song proved very pleasing to the ear and became a huge hit,” (Songfacts). “Recorded before Roxette started working on their 1990 Joyride album, ‘It Must Have Been Love’ was reworked for the movie Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. The movie was an enormous hit, and so was the soundtrack … Released in March 1990, Pretty Woman developed a huge following, which helped send this song to the top of the US Hot 100 in June, where it stayed for two weeks.

The Swedish group had been popular in Scandinavia for years before they hit it big in the US: “It wasn’t until an American student studying in Sweden brought a copy of their second album home to Minneapolis, and persuaded a local radio DJ to play ‘The Look,’ that they achieved international fame,” (BBC). In 2019, the duo’s vocalist, Marie Fredriksson, passed away at age 61 after a 17-year battle with cancer.

The verses’ melody is simple and contained, but the choruses bring a greater range. Building on that trend, a resounding modulation up a perfect fourth hits on a chorus at 2:59.

My Own Best Friend (from “Chicago”)

This week on MotD we are recognizing the legendary Chita Rivera, a dancer/singer/actress who passed away last week. The first Latino American to ever receive a Kennedy Center Honor, Rivera also won three Tony Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Rivera had a long association with the songwriting duo Kander & Ebb, starring in Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink, The Visit, and most famously, Chicago as the vaudeville singer Velma Kelly opposite Gwen Verdon’s Roxie Hart. Both were nominated for Tony Awards for their performances. “My Own Best Friend” is sung by Velma and Roxie at the end of the first act as they realize there is no one they can count on but themselves. The track starts in Ab and features a common tone modulation up to A at 1:53.

Spanish Rose (from “Bye Bye Birdie”)

One of her Tony-nominated roles was her turn as Rose Alvarez in the 1960 Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie. “Spanish Rose” comes near the end of the show, and there are modulations throughout. The tune begins in C and successively modulates up by half steps, ultimately landing in Eb.

Kennedy Caughell | The Life I Never Led (from “Sister Act”)

“The Life I Never Led” is from Alan Menken and Glenn Slater’s musical Sister Act, which opened on Broadway in 2011 following a run in the West End two years earlier. The show, based on the 1992 film of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg, tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer is forced to take refuge from the mob in a convent and introduces the choir to Motown music.

This song comes in the middle of the second act and is sung my Sister Mary Robert, who longs to leave the convent and explore what lies beyond its walls. Singer Kennedy Caughell’s performance, featured here, is from 2017. The tune begins in D and shifts up to F for the final verse at 2:26.

I See Stars (from “Mean Girls”)

The 2004 teen comedy film Mean Girls was adapted into a musical in 2018, featuring a score by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin and a book by Tina Fey (who also wrote the original screenplay.) “I See Stars” is the finale of the show. A film adaptation of the musical will be released tomorrow.

The song begins in A and modulates up to Bb at 2:55.

Shug Avery Comin’ To Town (from “The Color Purple”)

This song is from Act 1 of the 2005 Broadway musical The Color Purple, announcing the arrival of Shug Avery, a jazz singer to the rural Georgia community where the show is based. The Tony-nominated score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray synthesizes blues, gospel and musical theater influences. A revival was mounted in 2015, and a movie adaptation of the musical was released last month on Christmas.

The song begins in Bb, shifts to G at 0:34, and finally modulates to C at 2:00.

Faith Hill | Where Are You Christmas?

Written for the end credits/soundtrack of the 2000 film How The Grinch Stole Christmas, “Where Are You Christmas” is a pop adaptation of the song “Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You” that is featured in the movie.

Mariah Carey, who wrote both songs, originally recorded the former, but due to a legal dispute with her husband it could not be released, leading to Faith Hill recording it instead.

The power ballad starts in Bb, modulates briefly to C at 2:59, and ultimately lands in D at 3:16.

Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams | I Finally Found Someone

“I Finally Found Someone,” written by Barbra Streisand, Bryan Adams, Marvin Hamlisch and Robert John Lange, was featured in the 1996 film The Mirror Has Two Faces.

Streisand, who directed and starred in the picture, said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times that “I wrote the love theme, the main love theme, then Marvin wrote a bridge to it, and that was going to be our song. Then David Foster [who produced the track] had the idea that I should sing the duet with Bryan Adams. Bryan played our track and heard me humming and fell in love with this little theme that I wrote, and then he and his producer Mutt Lange wrote a counter melody based on the track that I sent him. And they wrote the lyrics. So that’s how that happened. I don’t think his record company wanted him to sing with me…because I’m more traditional, and I haven’t had a hit since I don’t know when.”

The song was nominated for an Oscar and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was included on Streisand’s 2002 compilation album Duets. Streisand’s long-awaited memoir, My Name is Barbra, was released last week.

The track contains many modulations. It begins in B and shifts down to Ab at 0:42, and then further down to F for the chorus at 1:10. The second verse moves up to C at 1:58, and then jumps up a tritone to F# for the chorus at 2:26, where it stays until the end.

https://youtu.be/XBPcBUJb6o0?si=VcNHRqhQz7PJ1Z4E